Why go virtual?
Having a virtual minute-taker makes so much sense because it will save you time and money. By using an online meeting platform your minute-taker can join your meeting via computer without even being in the room.
Your virtual assistant will save you lots of money because there are no overhead costs. They have their own computer and software programs. You will not have to pay for travel to the meeting, accommodation costs or for any catering expenses.
Heck you don’t even need to find them a seat at the meeting table!
Why is it that finding good Minute-Takers is so difficult?
The reason this task is so unpopular is that it requires specific cognitive skills that many people don’t possess.
Minute-taking is not just a transcription of the meeting word-for-word, it requires a person to be able to focus and concentrate deeply while distilling the essence of what has been said.
There is often a lot of information discussed and the minute-taker will have to expertly take-in and record a concise summary of what has been discussed. Our virtual minute takers are professional and will be able to take down just the important facts and action items.
So how do I find someone with those skills?
At the Virtual Cooee you don’t have to!
We’ll do all the hard work for you…
We’ll match you up with a virtual assistant who already has these minute-taking skills and they can attend your meetings virtually. You can have the confidence that there is a professional on the job who will meet your requirements.
Your minute-taking guru will:
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Discuss the needs of the organisation with the Chairperson prior to the meeting.
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Create a minute template for your organisation (or use one you already have).
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Attend your meeting virtually via the online platform that you use (or we will use our platform)
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The typed and formatted minutes will be sent to your Chairperson within 7 days of the meeting so they can be reviewed.
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Any changes made by the Chairperson within the following week will be updated on the document.
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The final copy of the minutes will be returned to the Chairperson for distribution to the committee.
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Job done - all for just $60/hr + GST!
A virtual minute taker is impartial
By having someone who is independent and not a part of the organisation to write the minutes, you can be sure that they will be completely impartial.
Our virtual minute takers are detached from the politics and preconceptions of the organisation and they are able to record the facts in a way that is fair and balanced. You will know that they are able to record what was said without bias.
Templates for your
organisation
We love templates! If your organisation doesn’t have one - we will make one for you!
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We can create a template for your minutes so that they always have a consistent look and feel and are purposely suited to your organisations’ requirements. We can use your previous minutes to create a template that the minute taker will use to ensure a consistent look and feel for your minutes.
... Or we can help you create a new template to improve the minute structure to be more useful for your team. Just ask our minute-taking guru for help.
Are your minutes in order?
By using a professional minute-taker you can be sure that your minutes will meet your organisations Governance requirements. Minutes of board meetings are legal documents that must be a “true and accurate record of the meeting” which must contain “clear and concise notes of the main discussion points, be accurate and a clear register of all decisions.”
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Our minute takers will record all decisions or votes and ensure each resolution is included along with the outcomes of the voting. They will clearly record the results of any elections to the board, they will record any declaration of conflicts of interest if required and indicate any important discussions or expressions of opinion. They will also ensure there is a copy of all reports included with the minutes.
Rest assured that our virtual minute-taker will meet your Governance requirements.
your secretary can get involved in discussions
A quandary often exists when the Secretary who is the minute-taker wants to be deeply involved in the conversation and has more than just passing knowledge - should they put their pen down and give up minute taking to be involved in the discussion?
When you are using a virtual minute-taker, your Secretary can get involved in the discussion and add their valued input. They will know that their input is being recorded and that they are now a valuable part of the decision-making process.
Discussions with the chairperson
Prior to any meeting the virtual minute taker will talk with the Chairperson to discuss the requirements for your group. This is essential to make sure that our minutes reflect what you expect from the meeting. We might ask for a list of attendees’ names and also a list of commonly used acronyms used in your organisation. Every group has a lot of terms and language that can be difficult for an outsider to understand – we’d like to get familiar with the lingo before we start.
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Our expert virtual minute-taker can discuss seating plans, protocols and help with how to structure the agenda. We will look at your Constitution if required, to make sure you are following all the governance requirements of your organisation. The more that we know about you and how you run your meetings the better. We want to support you to create the best meeting outcomes possible.
What if they can't make it?
We will assign you a back-up virtual assistant and they will be able to attend your meeting in any situation when your primary minute-taking guru can’t make it. You can be assured that you will have a professional minute-taker attend your meeting!
heck why don't you consider running your whole meeting virtually!
If you run your whole meeting virtually think of the savings you can make! No booking or paying for a room, knowing everyone can fit-in… Everyone can attend without the combined costs of travel and catering. You won’t have to organise snacks and beverages or even rent or buy equipment for presentations. Also, there are fewer excuses for your attendees not to turn-up!
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The time you will save because of travel alone will be enormous and also time saved without the chit-chat involved in settling into a meeting could also be hefty. Think of the time you won’t have to waste with all the scheduling and logistics organising the meeting.
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Meetings held online tend to be more relevant as everyone can focus on what is important and are not distracted by side conversations. Only one person can talk at a time and others can be muted so they can’t interrupt. Another great advantage is that you can include people in your meeting from a global pool – experts from anywhere and people could be available from different time zones too.