[Joe H]

Anyone a member of one of these networking groups?

What are your thoughts about the organisation and its aims?     Is it successful?

[robert meldrum]

They have a membership fee
You are expected to attend early morning meetings ( 7.30 ish )
You exchange bisiness cards
You are expected to get leads / contacts for each other

Suits some.

In your day to day world you have - in my opinion - a far better networking opportunity, you are in peoples homes, giving a superb service and in the perfect scenario for gaining additional work by referal.

You don't have to be at your client's for 7.30
They give you FREE tea / coffee
They are so impressed with your work they want your cards
etc, etc.

Your decision !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Each chapter is limited to one person from one industry.

I have a friend who is a cc but is not on this forum. He's in one and maintains he gets lots of work from it. Highly likely actually as most of the other people in his chapter are accountants/solicitors and the like. So getting leads for  a tradesman is fairly easy for all of them.

His difficulty is finding leads for the accountants.

There can be a highist turnover of members as well and some chapters will fold. Don't forget that the running of a chapter is a profit making business for the leader of the chapter.

You are obliged to attend almost every week as a condition of your membership.

Luckily, our job means that the extra calories you expend eating a fry up every week are worked off on the job.

Apart from that I know nothing.

Roger

[stevegunn]

Joe it can very hit and miss depending on the chapter,go to the first meeting for free if possible visit as many chapters as you can to get a feel for which one is right for you

[fenman]

When I first started cc I joined BNI as it seemed a good idea.
The problem with my chapter (? ) was that it was dominated by professionals like accountants, solicitors, computer specialists and stock brokers.
I cleaned a couple of their offices but it soon became very obvious that I was never going to find them referals as I did not come across the type of customer who would want a stock broker referred by their carpet cleaner
The same applied to the other members. When they were at a cocktail party I am sure the conversations would not involve carpet cleaners.
If you get a better mix of members it could be ok, you never know there might be a landlord who owns lots of properties and is desperate for a good carpet cleaner.
David

[Amethyst]

Joe

I tried the Business League which is a sort of BNI but slightly less rigid. The problems though are still the same - you either need one lead such as a landlord with lots of properties or you need lots of people with one or two properties needing your service. Because our average job value compared to a solicitor or accountant etc tends to be lower you need loads of bodies otherwise it won't work!

The comments about finding leads in return are spot on.

Ian

[kinder clean]

Joe I went to my local BNI meeting, my thoughts are that it's going to be difficult to get your money back for such a large outlay, I think it was about £1200 to join and you still have to pay £10 each week, supposedly for cost of breakfast (bloody expensive single bacon cob) plus if you fail to attend 3 meets in a row they kick you out with no refund.

I have joined a couple of local business clubs though and I would recommend this, do a local search they can be very worthwhile for a very small outlay £35 per year for one) and they tend to meet just once a month in the evening over a pub meal.

Paul - Kinder Clean

[COLIN BRIGHT]

i have been in the BNI  also the BRX & BGN (all the same idea)
for me A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME
seemed to be full of people who just liked having breakfast toghther once a week
they just liked being "PART OF A GROUP"
most referalls came to nothing so NEVER, NEVER, NEVER AGAIN  from me

i can think of better things to spend my time and money on

oh and another thing, they all seemed to want stuff doing really cheap
barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr humbug

[CarPete Cleaning]

I joined BNI around 5 months ago, and it was the best thing I ever did.  I only started trading august 2008 and currently around 50% of my work comes through BNI.

The costs to join are a 1 off registration fee of £100, plus an annual subscription of £400 (both plus vat).  I don't have a problem getting up early once a week and paying £10 for a full english, if it gets me a good amount of work.  It certainly has been money well spent for me and gives much greater returns than many other forms of marketing.

There are a lot of tradesmen in my chapter, and I don't find it difficult to get them referrals.

Did a job for a BNI member this morning, and just taken a call from a fellow member from my chapter with a job that I am now doing tomorrow afternoon.

It certainly works for me !!
Pete

[robert meldrum]

Pete I get tradespeople referrals as well, when I come across good service and frequently get asked for cards from many tradesmen. This is while I work.

Think you'll find many on here are up at 5.30 / 6.00am most days, so the meetings are actually eating into the working day.

This forum has become pretty good recently for networking / passing on work.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I've been to the Sheffield one, they don't half look down at you when you say what you do, for them to network properly members need to give and recieve and we are out of the loop as you get Solicitors and Bankers and the white coller fraternity which I am not, got a few jobs but was really hard to get reciprical leads back so it came to an end, for the amount of time I was there I could have got more leads from spending the time leafleting.

I think it depends on what jobs you are after and the technique in how you sell, I get up early anyway that's not a problem but then if i start adding these clubs onto a busy working day it starts to take over your life even more than this bloody forum!!

I prefer to get out and get my own work and not rely on others to get it for me, the shaky hand bit is nice but I'd rather get down and get dirty.

Shaun

[Joe H]

Thanks for all the replies.
The early morning doesnt bother me either - Im awake in the mornings (dead at night).
Weekly meetings - now that would bother me - and as been said, you have to be regular.

Been on th local website and its £100 + £400 + £10 per week. Thats £1000!
Phew.
Dont mind spending money if I can guarantee a return - is there a guarantee?
Looked at the list of members - yep, seem as if most are white collar but not in large commercial buildings, nor letting agents. The Roast Hog is there though.
Think I may pass on this one. Think a bit more.
Nice getting an invite though I suppose.

[suffolkclean]

I went to a meeting too about a year ago, I was soooo looking forward to my full english breakfast, excited to be having a 'business breakfast' - I paid for it but never even got it!! :

Sat round a huge table with lots of very smart looking business people, all clapping and cheering eachother on - I thought I was in some kind of cult - I thought they were going to lock me in the room til I signed up, it was sceary. Then I was told I had to stand up in front of 30+ people to introduce myself, my business, what I did, what I wanted - NEVER AGAIN.

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

I joined BNI around 5 months ago, and it was the best thing I ever did.  I only started trading august 2008 and currently around 50% of my work comes through BNI.

The costs to join are a 1 off registration fee of £100, plus an annual subscription of £400 (both plus vat).  I don't have a problem getting up early once a week and paying £10 for a full english, if it gets me a good amount of work.  It certainly has been money well spent for me and gives much greater returns than many other forms of marketing.

There are a lot of tradesmen in my chapter, and I don't find it difficult to get them referrals.

Did a job for a BNI member this morning, and just taken a call from a fellow member from my chapter with a job that I am now doing tomorrow afternoon.

It certainly works for me !!
Pete

Good for you Pete! It's always nice to hear of somebody who can buck the trend. I've already stated my position but I'm pleased for you.

If you trawled my posts you would see that I often try and do the opposite as I think it can give you a competitive edge in your local position.

Roger