BNI is one of the largest networking groups in the country. They have branches all over the place. I haven't been to one but understand that it is a very structured networking group and membership it quite expensive. I think they only allow one person per sector and it is very difficult to get in as an accountant or a bookkeeper as those slots are taken up very quickly. the reason being, they tend to get a lot of work out of it.
I would recommend going as they may be looking for a bookkeeper to fill that slot but the structured approach doesn't suit everyone.
The good news. They're one of the largest and best of the networking groups in Europe
The bad news. The meetings are at 6.45 a.m. which is no good at all to those of us working around childcare
You give a sixty second overview of who you are and what you can offer. As Zoe states, it's only one person per sector.
I think that it's a pretty good idea to have your face seen at almost every meeting which will be one morning a week.
I was talking to a friend whose an accountant about these things and she said that she's never gained any of the business from the members of BNI but, after an initial period of no return referrals from the members that she's befriended has brought in a lot of work.
Don't forget that everyone there is there to sell, not buy so they're actually looking to you to bring them business!
Anyway, if you're an early bird I would definitely join and don't be too disappointed if you come away without any initial leads as it's very much long term gig to turn membership into profit.
Good luck,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I'm a BNI member in the Midlands. It isn't cheap as has been mentioned, it's £500 plus vat membership for year 1 and then £400 plus vat subsequently. There is also a meeting/breakfast fee of around £10 per month, so you need to budget in around £1000 per year. The meetings are early so you can get to work by 9am.
It took me a while to get business out of BNI as it takes time for people to build a trusting relationship with you. Having said that I am now getting regular work that is worth about £300 per month and a few one-off jobs. There is an accountant in our chapter who gets a fair few referrals including one that is worth £2k per month to his firm! I have also made alot of good friends from the meetings and it does act as a bit of a support group especially to those who work alone.
I think it is worth going as a visitor a couple of times and then to make your mind up.
Ah, sounds good then. Will I feel intimidated then if I go if they are looking into a "hard sale" to try and get me to join? I did a leaflet drop at the weekend & I have had 2 people now inviting me to meetings one in Wton & another in Cannock, mmm. I will have to have a good look at their website then.
There shouldn't be a hard sell, it may be that you are taken to one side for a few minutes so the joining procedure is explained to you, but when it comes down to it are you likely to join a place that you feel intimidated by? You ought to be made to feel very welcome by all the members. The good thing about visiting is that you will see how many referrals are passed and then see if you think you will benefit from being a member. The whole morning is very structured and not at all like the types of networking where you mill around a room wondering how to start a conversation. I think you will be pleasantly surprised but it is a lot of money to spend, I feel you need to work out what an average client is worth to you and then see how many clients you would need to gain to cover your costs before you make a final decision. Let us know what you decide and how you get on at the meeting.
There are other networking opportunities to be had. Try Business Link and their associates. I do training for an organisation who get funding from Business Link (amongst others) and they have a business club which is free and meets bi-monthly for networking meetings, at different locations within a given area and its always early evening ie 5.30.
