While you may think that because you run a small business, it's relatively easy to build a cohesive team that communicates well with one another, the fact is that you can run into the same issues that larger companies can have. As a business owner, it should be a priority to encourage team building, and what better way to do that than by organizing team events?

If you’re new to team building events, these can act as a chance to break the ice and really bond people in a more meaningful manner. This is great for new businesses, those who have recently hired new staff, or even those that feel their employees just aren't connecting effectively in the workplace. So, to help you get started, here are some tips you can use when organizing a team-building event as a small business.

Ask Yourself What You Hope to Achieve

The first step is figuring out what it is you hope to achieve with your team building activity. Are you trying to get staff to mingle with those in other departments, do you want to break the ice, perhaps you want your staff to work on their problem-solving skills as a group, maybe you want to encourage better communication in general. Your goal will help you to determine the activity you choose for the event.

Give Yourself Lots of Time to Prepare

In order for the team building event to proceed smoothly and be effective, it's important that you give yourself plenty of time to plan it. This isn't something you want to throw together last minute and then expect everyone to take part. This is especially true if the event will be taking place outside of regular business hours.

The general rule of thumb for small businesses planning one of these events is to start the process six weeks in advance.

Consider Appointing a Team Building Committee

While there is nothing wrong with you planning the event on your own, it may not necessarily be something you have time to tackle. That, and the fact you may want to give your staff a chance to share their thoughts and advice. Appointing a team-building event committee could be the perfect solution, as it gets your staff involved and it will help you to spread out the responsibilities.

The Event Needs to Be Engaging

Now comes the point where you need to start thinking about the activity and what it is you will do. The whole idea behind team building events is that they encourage people to communicate and engage with one another, so the event itself needs to promote this kind of atmosphere. The focus should be on fun and not making it feel like work at all.

Team Building Events in the Office

If you do choose to hold your team-building event in the office, the emphasis needs to be on creating an atmosphere that doesn’t feel like work. You want your staff to loosen up a bit, so their regular office duties should be the furthest thing from their mind.

Ideas can include:

An office karaoke party: This is a chance to get everyone involved, allowing staff to belt out a solo or team up with someone else to nail a duet. This kind of activity is bound to loosen them up and create some laughs. You can easily find a karaoke machine that is perfect for the event, and then you've got it for future team building events. MusicAuthority covers the top 10 karaoke machines of 2020, allowing you to pick the ideal one for your needs.

Scavenger hunt: Here's another activity that you can easily set up for the office. You can break everyone up in groups and send them on their way.

Painting class: You can even hire an instructor to come to the office and teach a class. Something like painting or improv could be perfect.

Trivia Night: A trivia night can be another winner, and again you can break staff up into groups and encourage communication.

Creating a More Harmonious Team

So, if you feel like your staff just isn’t communicating well enough with one another, a team-building event could be the answer to your problems.