Toastmasters International -How to Encourage Micro-Business Owners to Join Your Club

Go where the business owners are. Reach out to real estate associations, franchise organizations, chambers of commerce, and other groups whose membership includes small- business owners. Host an open house, share an invite on social media, or contribute a guest blog post with info about upcoming club meetings.
Keep it real. Encourage micro-business owners to fulfill Pathways projects with their own real-life presentations. Stay flexible enough to accommodate longer speeches—such as briefings and after-dinner talks—that are common in the business world.
Assign a like-minded mentor. For small-business owners, mentoring matters more than ever in an uncertain economy. When possible, pair an entrepreneurial new member with a club member who owns a business or has an interest in the communication challenges faced by entrepreneurs.
Include agenda items that appeal to business owners. For example, Your Small Business Toastmasters, in Atlanta, Georgia, has held “speed pitching” sessions, where members pair up to practice their business pitches. After a few minutes, one person rotates to rehearse with someone else. By the session’s end, each member gets practice time with several different people.

How to Encourage Micro-Business Owners to Join Your Club