Meeting minutes is a task that’s often overcomplicated. In a small business, traditional meeting minutes, packed with every detail from a meeting, can quickly become a document that’s hard to produce, tiresome to read and even harder to act on. They’re often delayed, and when they finally arrive, it’s all too easy for people to file them away, out of sight and mind.
In small businesses, minutes should do more than capture a history—they need to drive action. This is why we’ve redefined them at Buttress, making them simpler, clearer, and focused on what small businesses need most: an action list.
Here’s our approach, and why it works, focusing on five key elements that make minutes not just a record, but a practical tool:
1. Define the Item
Each item should clearly identify what’s being discussed. This isn’t about recapping every detail; it’s about capturing the main problem.
2. Action Focussed on next steps
Minutes for small businesses should focus on what happens next. Rather than summarising the conversation, make the action as clear and specific as possible. This helps everyone know what the next step is.
3. Assign Responsibility (to One Person Only)
Here’s where traditional minutes often fall short: multiple names get assigned to a task, and it ends up unclear who’s responsible. It’s important to assign just one person to each action. That way, it’s always clear who’s accountable. Others may be involved in helping, but only one person takes responsibility for ensuring the task gets done.
4. Set a Due Date
Traditional minutes may miss this, but in a small business like any business, every action needs a specific deadline. Setting clear due dates keeps everyone on track and reduces ambiguity about timelines.
5. Define the Time Expectation
It’s important that everyone knows what time commitment each action requires. For example, if I ask someone to “create a budget,” that could mean a quick one-hour overview to create an appropriate placeholder budget or a complete budget that takes days. Setting a time expectation not only clarifies the task but also helps all parties know that expectations are aligned. If they see “one hour” but think the action is a 10-hour task, it will rightly trigger further discussion to help everyone get on the same page.
Distribute Minutes the Same Day
Finally, timing is crucial. Minutes need to be distributed the same day. Waiting even a day or two can diminish their impact and delay action. Agree with your team how the minutes are to be distributed - we recommend company email as soon as possible after the meeting, making them readily available as a quick reference and keeping things fresh in everyone’s minds.
Meeting minutes don’t need to be a time sink. By focusing on items, actions, responsibility, deadlines, and time expectations—and ensuring effective distribution you can turn a mundane task into a practical tool that keeps your projects moving. Here is an updated meeting schedule that helps you track and share minutes more readily Just save a copy of the document and start using the Minutes Template.
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