A dinner party is usually demanding especially if you are the host. The situation demands a lot more when it has to do with business partners, employees, and clients. It may appear stressful but the good thing is that this is a chance for you to strengthen professional relationships among the attendees. To get the best out of your business dinner party and without getting stressed, it is important you learn good tips on how to host your party.
This is an opportunity to showcase your skills of entertainment and a great way to know your colleagues in a more personal way. Here are important things to do when hosting a business dinner party at your home!
Try with family and friends
Prior to inviting your business partners over, host a party for your close relatives and friends. Should there be mistakes, they wouldn’t mind a lot and most importantly, they will tell you about them and how to fix them.
Don’t be obsessed with perfection
Should anything go otherwise, don’t be anxious. Exude calm and confident going about the business of the day. Obviously, your colleagues won’t expect to have a seven-course meal from your house. Keep it calm with a sense of humor and the mess will most certainly go unnoticed.
Work with your team members
You need some of your team members to complement your client’s personality and make contributions to the conversation. If not, you can extend your invitation to other professional networks, particularly if the introduction will be of benefit to your colleague and your client.
Make necessary preparations
It is always a prudent effort to plan in advance. Do your homework well and ask your client concerning any food allergies or restrictions on the diet that they might be having. Plan your menu based on that. Ensure you have enough glassware including coffee cups, drinking glasses, and serving platters for all guests.
Stick to the recipes you know
This is not the time to learn and try new recipes. It is important to make sure that there are no complications and that includes the dish you will be making. In any case, you should serve dishes that are known and those that will not demand a lot of attention. Be sure it is something you can prepare without much hassle.
Stock enough ingredients
Make a good grocery list. You definitely would not want to run out of important ingredients while in the process of making dinner preparations. Ensure that you pick enough items at the grocery store. Pick all the items you will need including such essentials as sugar, salt, butter, and pepper!
House cleaning
Clean up your guest restrooms before dinner. Other places to check include the living and dining room. These should be kept tidy and sparkling clean. Set the dinner table in advance and put the candles in their place. You could even do these preparations a day before. This will keep you calm and settled as the guests start coming.
Be ready for a grand tour
Don’t disappoint should your guests want to tour your house. This should not catch you by surprise. All you need is to make sure that every part of the house is good to see. Should there be places you consider private, shut the doors leading to such places. That will be a clear indication that it is not suitable to go there.
Get Appetizers for them
Offer variety with appetizers and limit the number of things to cook in the kitchen. Chips, crackers, cheese, dips, and nuts are good options. All these can be obtained from the grocery store.
Assortment of Beverages
It is important to have a drink station with brunch drinks. You can have white and red wine and plenty of soft drinks such as water, juice, and soda. Keep lemons, cocktail napkins, glasses, an ice bucket, limes, and olives at hand for your guests to easily serve themselves.
Impress with good music
You can make your house more inviting by choosing music that will set the right tone for the dinner. Make sure you have a party playlist for the dinner. Has your player preset already to offer music all through the evening? Again, have unscented candles in place especially around the dinner table. They are good at projecting the right mood for the occasion. Light the candles prior to your guests arriving.
Make our business dinner party at your home as fun as possible. Reduce stress by keenly observing these tips and you will reap a lot of benefits from it!