What is BNI?

Just yesterday I was talking with an old friend of mine who just came back from California to live here. He mentioned that he has studied Yoga and now wants to start a yoga business here. I asked him if he has any customers yet and he said no, because he does not know anybody here, he does not even know where to start.

As a business owner myself and knowing exactly what my friend is going through I told him that there are number of great ways to let local community know who you are and what you do. One way, and perhaps the best option for his type of business is to join a local BNI chapter.

Unlike other membership groups BNI only allows one business identity per chapter. That means that if my friend joins he will be the only one who offers Yoga lessons, he will not have any competitors. BNI also is structured in a very deliberate way, it starts with 20 min. networking, followed by a time where everyone has a chance to say something about their business, and ending with networking time, and you do this every week.

This structure allows you to form partnerships, perhaps pass referral on to others, and for you to receive referrals. My chapter has over 50 people, so that means that every week I remind those 50 people on what I do. So after the meeting, it as if you have 50 sales people working for you. The whole concept is rooted in a notion that “givers gain” that is if you help, you will get helped.

Of course don’t expect that you will get referrals the very day you join. That just does not happen; it can, but highly unlikely. For instance I have been in my chapter for 7 months, and I am just starting to get my first referrals. Also some industries do better then others at BNI. As an example if you are personal financial manager, you will wait for a long time; 2 years before you get a referral. But if you own a flower shop, or a plumber, you will get a referral much quicker. So you have to decide if it is right for you, and one of the best ways of doing that is to visit couple of chapters for free. During your visits you will have a chapter representative explain the details about the chapter, and I encourage anyone who thinks about joining a chapter to ask the members if they like it, and if it has been beneficial for their business.

Making sure you get what you were promised.

I am sure everyone has had an unpleasant experience in their lifetime when it comes to receiving a product that did not deliver on the promise.  Same can be said regarding receiving a service that definitely was not worth what you paid for.  That is why it is important to make sure you chose a right company with the right kind of reputation to make sure that unpleasant experience does not happen. 

      Since I am in the web design business, I cannot stress enough the importance in making sure to choose someone who will work with you on any issues that you have.  I say this because at least once a week I meet a potential customer who tells me how bad his or her experience has been in the past.  This makes it that much more difficult to convince someone to spend more money when they have lost in the past.

      To make sure to avoid this you must set an expectation for your self.  First take a look at your budget and realistically figure out how much money to set aside for your website.  Second make sure to write out exactly what your problem is with the website, and also write out exactly what you want to accomplish with your website.  Third and the last step contact number of web design companies and get quotes to figure out what company cares the most about the project and also see if you can afford what you are looking for.  I mention this because many times people think that building or re-designing a website is 100 to 400 dollars.  Sure you can find someone for that price, but I am certain that the work will look unprofessional and you will be disappointed. 

      After you chose a right web design company make sure you look over a contract.  A great way to prevent unfinished work or any other problems, it to have a contract that at minimum states that 50% of final payment is due upon completion of work as outlined in the contract.  This helps keep both parties interested in making sure that the project gets done right the first time. 

      What about those of you that have already signed and paid, yet are unhappy with the work you received; you can always seek legal help, BBB, and other means that could be easily found using internet.