Updated August 08, 2023
Business meeting minutes are the detailed notes taken for meetings held by any type of entity (corporation, LLC, partnership) that occur on a scheduled basis. An annual meeting is a common requirement for most entity types with minutes that prove the meeting occurred and the items discussed. Any major business decisions that are made should be noted along with any votes recorded. The notes do not need to be word-for-word to all that is said in the meeting, but they need to be accurate and as detailed as possible. The minutes are required to be signed by the secretary and the chairperson, or the person leading the meeting.
Table of Contents |
Formatting (8 parts)
I. Meeting Details
- Main Title (top of page) – “Business Meeting Minutes for [ORGANIZATION’S NAME];
- Chairperson’s name;
- Date;
- Time; and
- Location.
II. Attendees
- List attendees.
III. Absences
- List absentees.
IV. Call to Order
- Approval of previous meeting minutes; and
- Approval of the current business meeting agenda.
V. Old Business
- List each discussion item outstanding from the previous meeting;
- Describe any issues and/or solutions from the discussion(s); and
- Record any decisions made by vote.
VI. New Business
- List each new order of business under discussion;
- Describe any questions, concerns, or issues from the discussion(s);
- Log any reports or other documentation that is presented; and
- Record any decisions made by vote.
VII. Other Items
- Announcements;
- Nominations;
- Upcoming scheduled votes; and
- Any other business matters that are discussed.
VIII. Adjournment
- Record the time of the meeting’s end;
- Chairperson and Secretary sign minutes; and
- Minutes are distributed to all attendees and absentees.
Sample – Business Meeting Minutes
Download: PDF, MS Word, OpenDocument
