BNI Groups

Does anyone belong to or know what a BNI Group is? I have joined one for 2008. My Lawn Care trade buddy says the first year he added 15k to his revenue just in small referals he received from the group. What do you think? Thanks Tim

Lawn care business tips

What is a BNI group?

[Steve]

Is it affiliated with this site?

http://www.bni.com/

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ Dec. 08 2007,8:35)]Is it affiliated with this site?

http://www.bni.com/

Yes this is it.

[Steve]

Do you all meet up on a certain day of the week or is it monthly? How does that work?

How does it compare to a chamber of commerce?

I'm not sure about CoC referrals... I don't know that they actually even DO referrals... but I have been to a few meetings for a local BIN group when I was doing web design... I was even offered a permanent seat on their group... the way they work is that there can be only ONE of each different kind of business in their group... there is more than one group in my area... (one in about 4 different surrounding cities that I could get involved with)... you get their business cards and they get your's... then, when someone asks them "Hey, do you know someone who could ?" They automatically whip out their referral book, give them one of your cards, and then take their name and phone number to pass along to you...

They meet every week at like 7am at a breakfast house and do meetings over breakfast... they talk about new and innovative marketing techniques... ways to satisfy existing customers... partnership / affiliate opportunities... cross promotions... etc...

It's really a good thing to check into... I would not doubt that it would increase EVERYONE'S business... and I had totally forgotten about them until this thread... THANK YOU! I'm going to contact my local groups next week to get into another meeting...

Here's the website for my local groups...
PowerCore

I recommend EVERYONE checking into this... there are dues, but if you have a steady income through your business, then you can pay it from business funds and write it off as marketing, I suppose.

[FourSeasons]

I had a customer talk to me about this. He is part of one its called Business Networking International. They do exactly what Patrick said. It was $300 to start and you have to be there once a week or some from your business to represent you. You have to do a small presentation about your business and stand up and share every week.
Probably same one as above. He kept asking me to go because they didn't have a landscaper/lawn care provider.

http://www.bni.com/

I never went because it just seemed like a scheme to me. And also when I asked all of my friends only one had heard of it and didn't really have anything to say about it like yeah join it or check it out. So I just kind of dismissed it.

He was going to let me go as his guest a couple times. I probably still could.

And he had made somewhere in the thousands from referals. I don't remember how much.
I didn't have time to go for breakfast every week either.
Let us know if you end up joining.

[FourSeasons]

Oh you did join>
Keep us posted! I would like to know what you think about it.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ Dec. 08 2007,8:41)]Do you all meet up on a certain day of the week or is it monthly? How does that work?

How does it compare to a chamber of commerce?

Weekly meetings and they are strict on being there every week. The group I meet with meets on Tues Afternoons 11:30-1:00 Basicly lunch hour.

Around here CoC dosnt do referals and BNI groups do.

I also belong to my area B2B and Businessman Assoc. Both are good contacts, kinda like the "GOOD OLE BOY NETWORK" if you know what I mean.

[Steve]

Is there anyway you can guess what someone could get in return for joining one of these groups as far as, what % of their revenue could come from such group networking?