In Focus

Format Schmormat

Note: This article focuses on Step 4 of Starting An Investment Club. For articles focusing on other Steps, see the links at the bottom of the page.

Sometimes you get a writing assignment that is downright boring. Like this one. Hmph. Who's running this place and why would they saddle me with a snoozer article about determining the format of your meetings? Format Schmormat. What's there to write?

1) A format is the place and system a club uses to hold meetings.

2) Determine which place and system is best for your club.

Then what am I supposed to fill the page with? The different meanings of format? (Arrangement, plan, set up, design, and lay-out). Or talk about the many different formats that are available for having your meetings? Oh wait, that one might work. I'll go with it and hope it squeaks by my editor. I don't want to have to re-format "Format".

If a format is the place and system your club uses to hold their meetings, how many different places and systems can there be that can house the communications of a group of women? Let's see, there's Starbucks and the coffee system. There's the beach and the cell phone system. (This article is perkin' up a bit for me, how 'bout you?) What is the format that is going to work for everyone? How should your meetings take place? Where should they take place? What should their platform be? We have four to choose from. (1) Face-to-Face (2) Teleconference (3) Videoconference and (4) Internet. Here's their schmormat.

Face-to-Face: Ummm, this would be face-to-face. Everyone in your club would be meeting in the same space. You can get creative with the space part... Starbucks, beach, someone's house, hotel or library. It's free.unless you don't live near each other. Then you have the cost of hotel, airfare, and/or car expenses. Face-to-face meetings usually take a long time. Like three hours. Each member gives their company report, which would be fine if everyone didn't have tangents to go off on. Then the small talk ensues, someone comes late, someone leaves early. Well, you get the picture.

Teleconference: The maximum I have ever had in a telephone conference meeting is six people. It was kinda cool, but a little distracting if someone got another phone call and had to flip to the other line. It is completely feasible to set up a teleconference call through your phone company, but it is not free. Prices vary. If your club were to select this route, the agendas would have to be delivered either by mail, or e-mail.

Videoconference: Chick Susie's sister is a pro in this department and I keep waiting for her to ask us to be the guinea pigs for some sort of project. No such luck yet. I have a feeling this isn't free. (Unless of course Chick Susie's sister is in your club. No such luck for you either huh?) I'm sure in the next few years, with the help of the internet, investment clubs will be able to videoconference all of their meetings. Can't you just see it.your computer screen looking like the Brady Bunch intro? Here's the story..

Internet: Can you guess which is my favorite? Can you guess which one I recommend? The internet is the Chicks' favorite place to house the meetings. It's our format. We are an online club. We hold our meetings in a chat room. Two days before the meeting the agenda is posted to our message board and then at meeting time, we are all invited into a chat room. (A private one, silly.) Because everyone had a chance to make changes to the agenda leading up to the meeting, there are no "New Business" items to add during the meeting. We follow it to a "chirp" and usually finish up the meetings in 30 minutes. Did I mention that it's free? Of course, it's free only if you have internet access, but internet access is free in so many places now, that it qualifies as a freebie solution. No planes, trains or automobiles necessary to get to our online meetings. Just your pajamas, a glass of wine and a computer.

Those are your choices, and now all your club has to do is determine which type of club you want to be (internet internet I say!) and go from there. Feel free to mix it up a bit, and meet face to face a couple of times, or teleconference just for the schmormat of it. Gotta run. I'm rewarding myself for making it through the boring topic I assigned myself by heading to Starbucks for Vanilla Mocha Latte.

Articles focusing on the Steps To Starting An Investment Club

Step 1: Begin with the Right People

Step 2: Establish Your Club Size

Step 3: How Much Per Month?

Step 4: Format Schmormat

Step 5: The Teeter Totter of Timing

Step 6: Be Prepared, Partner

Step 7: To Spank or Not to Spank

Step 8: About Our Message Boards