What do you do if you want Team Building on a Budget?
So what do you do when you really want to hire a company to do your corporate team building event and you simply don’t have the budget? Most professional team building companies, including ours, have minimums on their pricing. We get the call saying, “We want something unique and different and fun, but we only have $800.” Or, “Well, it’s only for 45 minutes.” How about, “We’ve only got 10 folks on our team.”
First, the minimums are not arbitrary. No one is trying to leave you out in the cold. Each team building company has its own list of bills to pay and hard costs associated with each and every event. Trained and experienced facilitators are not free and neither is the professional event management, planning, coordination and expertise that goes with it. Everyone has to put food on the table. Your promise of exposure and future opportunity is only that, a promise. We believe you, but there have been many promises before yours that never led to shoes on the kids feet.
Everyone is trying to make a living.
Options for your event: Team Building on a Budget
That being said, there are still some options for working with a great team building company. If you are able to sign a longer-term contract to do multiple programs, I can’t think of many groups who would say no to a guarantee of work. Figure out with other members of your organization who has upcoming team building program needs and band together to either create a larger program or a master calendar of dates for multiple programs.
Be flexible with your dates. If you are open to different dates, some companies might be willing to fill their calendar with a smaller program if they have available days.
I will get slayed by my co-workers and our competitors for saying this, but do your research. There are some great activities out there on the internet. From what I’ve seen, most are one-off problem-solving challenges or games versus an entire program, so change your expectations. We’ve even got some pinned on our PlayWorks Group Pinterest board if you want to check them out.
You could also ask for a facilitator in training. It could be a win-win where they get to try out their budding skills and you get a deal. Be careful on this one though, you don’t want to get burned. You want your team raving at the end of the program, not rolling their eyes.
And better yet, realize the value of a well-executed team building program with a dynamic, talented and experienced team to run it. Save up for those programs and plan your budget well in advance to accommodate the need. We’ve got plenty of teams with small groups who value our work and make it a point to build a budget that allows them to spend what they need on an effective event. We work hard to keep our overhead costs low so we are as competitive as possible with our pricing.
We do get regular requests to fill the needs of smaller group or smaller budget team building events and we are actively working on solutions for your needs. Stay tuned and come back soon to check out what we come up with for our clients. Until then, if you want to discuss team building options throughout the US and Caribbean, please reach out! UPDATE: We now offer DIY Team Building Toolkit with great event choices for you to run on your own!
Until then, if you want to discuss team building options throughout the US and Caribbean, please reach out!