Business Network International (BNI)

[Katykitten]

Hi Geeks

Just wondering if any of you had heard of Business Network International or BNI?

I've been invited to go along to a visitors day tomorrow by an existing member to see 'what is can do for you'.

On the invitation is says that it's a business and professional networking organisation whose primary purpose is to exchange qualified business referrals.

I'm curious so I'm going along to find out a bit more, but not really sure what to expect, has anyone ever been along to anything like this before???

 

[julesgems]

This sounds like something my hubby got involved in a while back. Basically, a group of business/se;f employed people meet for breakfast or lunch once a month and pass ideas round. They swap business cards and refer each other to increase their client base.

Hubby dropped out of it because they wanted £600.00 per year membership!

 

[Maya Diaz]

Funny you ask.
I'm a member of BNI myself, here in the Bay area right outside San Francisco, and I just did my presentation this morning.
It is by far one of the best networking groups out there! I've been a member for almost three years and I am making about $1,600 a month from BNI referrals alone, not to mention all my other clients.
In fact I just suggested this to another member at salon geek yesterday.
Be a guest. You won'tregret it at all.Especially if you join.
If you have any questions I'd be happy to anwer them.
~Maya~
Am I posting this response in the right place??? I'm new here.

 

[Blue Rose]

I went along to a BNI meeting as a guest a few months ago to see what it was all about.

Meetings are held from 6.45am every week & you have to attend each meeting. If you can't make the odd meeting you can send someone in your place.

Yes, it does work on referrals but you have to introduce a certain number of potential new recruits as well.

At the start of each meeting you have to give a very short presentation (about 1 minute I think) & tell how many referrals you've gained or passed on.

Personally I didn't think it was for me - I didn't like having to get up at something stupid o'clock & that had to be done every week. It wouldn't have been practical trying to get a babysitter every week either. The start up cost put me right off as well.

I have since joined my local Chamber of Commerce. They have breakfast meetings which are held once a month & being more local I don't have to get up as early. You don't have to go to any meetings if you don't want to. Quite a few social events are organised throughout the year. Joining fees were about £30 for the year. I would highly recommend looking into joining your own Chamber of Commerce.

 

[number1kitty]

Excellent! Been a member for years and its not just about client referrals.

These are mostly business men, who may buy corporate packages off you for their staff or treatments for themselves or their wife but they wont sit in a with a client (solicitor or bank) and say oh I could recommend a good nail tech lol!

It works on referrals if say a banks customer needed a solicitor etc. However I found it more than valuable on what I get out of it.

I get free banking, legal and business advice. I get to mix in with every other type of business that makes my business work. So go for it.

Kate

 

[gattia]

I have just recently recieved a phone call about attending one of these breakfast meetings and they are sending me an invitation in the post. it sounds like the same thing. The guy that rang me was a financial advisor who was a member of the group. I have not decided yet if im going to attend but the guy said if i joined they wouldn't ask another beauty therapist from this area to join:|. Don,t like the idea of standing up at the start of a meeting or having to commit to a morning each month either.

 

[Blue Rose]

I have just recently recieved a phone call about attending one of these breakfast meetings and they are sending me an invitation in the post. it sounds like the same thing. The guy that rang me was a financial advisor who was a member of the group. I have not decided yet if im going to attend but the guy said if i joined they wouldn't ask another beauty therapist from this area to join:|. Don,t like the idea of standing up at the start of a meeting or having to commit to a morning each month either.

With BNI it's a (very early) morning each week!

With your local chamber of commerce groups there's no pressure for you to do anything if you don't want to.

As a lot of members are senior business men & women there is also the scope to offer corporate packages.

I am doing a 3 minute presentation at Decembers breakfast meeting, the focus of which will be on Gift Vouchers & corporate vouchers. Should do well out of it.

 

[Blue Rose]

So, Tans&Hands, how did your meeting go then yesterday?

 

[Katykitten]

So, Tans&Hands, how did your meeting go then yesterday?

Well.......... I went along this morning and tried to be enthusiastic for 6.30am (but just couldn't manage it!! lol)

It was exactly as you said Cogsi, literally word for word!! They meet at 6.30am every wednesday and you have to attend and if you miss more that three meetings you're out! This put me off straight away, one of the reasons I went self employed is the fact I can't stand people telling me I have to do things! lol.

It's based on word-of-mouth referals, and every meeting whilst having breakfast they take it in turns to stand up and announces how many referalls they made to other members, how many 'new recruits' they referred and how many referalls they had received. They also wanted an huge membership fee which I just wouldn't be able to afford.

I can see how other members/industries can benefit hugely from an organisation like this but for the Cardiff branch, I couldn't really see it working for me. That said the comments of the Chamber of Commerce in this thread seem positive, so may give them a try.............. xx

 

[Lynne Baker]

I was approached about this too, and when I asked how much the membership fee was they wouldn't tell me! I said that any organisation worth its salt would be happy to be transparent about costs, and that unless they told me how much it was then I wasn't happy to join. Coupled with the daft o'clock meeting times, and the 3 strikes and you're out, it was enough to have me pass on it.
When I googled it and found out how much the membership was I'm not surprised they don't want to tell you!

 

[tigi]

i am a marketeer by trade and attended a few of these meetings in place of colleagues a few years ago when i didnt work for myself. I think the early starts, high fees etc really put me off. I think they are a love or hate thing.


Having said that, I would have to look at their market first, but if a new or young business self employed beauty therapist/ nail tech came to me for marketing help and then asked my advice on the bni, i'd say no. why? because you can get a lot more marketing for £600 these days.

you would need to think about it this way... its costing you £50 per month, plus travel, childcare etc, so will you get that back? also, do you have the contacts to hand out referrals each week? depends on your answer but in my case i would have to answer no.

before any marketing ask yourself
1. What goal do i expect to achieve from this??
2. is this goal measurable?
3. is it realistic?
4. can i do something else that will have a bigger impact than this?



tigi