I was at our local Staples store the other day and noticed that they had set up a sizable “meeting space” in the store, with tables and chairs, a white board and a screen for presentations.

There was a sign-up board that listed several local organizations, e.g., networking groups, toastmasters, etc., that had upcoming meetings.

Staples is obviously offering this free space to generate more foot traffic, something that has no doubt been waning in recent years.

People come to the meetings and some buy office supplies. And every time one of the groups advertises or promotes their next meeting, the name and address of the store gets free advertising.

Many restaurants do the same thing. I used to do breakfast and lunch presentations at restaurants with meeting rooms.

This makes sense for restaurants and office supply stores, but I also know some law firms that do it, offering their conference for meetings to business and networking groups.

If you like this idea but don’t have a conference room, you could offer free faxes or notary services.

This is a simple way to get other businesses and community leaders to mention your firm’s name, and bring more prospective clients and centers of influence to your door.

Could you do this?