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BNI

BNI
Address: BNI
Unit 6,
Trent Business Centre
Canal Street
Town: Long Eaton
County: Nottinghamshire
Postcode: NG10 4GA
Telephone: 0845 389 0672
Mobile: 07717 175879
Email: To e-mail this business please click here
Website: http://www.bni-europe.com
Contact: Jason Smith
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Description
When contacting this business please mention that you found them on My Derbyshire Dales

 

 
At 7am every Thursday, a Mortgage Advisor, Odd Job Man, Printer and many other  budding entrepreneurs meet at the Panorama Room, in The Temple Hotel, Matlock Bath, they are not there to discuss their golfing averages.
Derwent (Matlock) formed it’s Chapter of Business Network Organisation (BNI) in November 2002, BNI is a business referral organisation founded in California that has now spread to 18 countries.

Building around the mantra “Givers Gain”, meaning that helping others will encourage them to help you, BNI has generated millions of pounds of new business through member’s personal recommendations of local companies.
Each meeting starts with a round of “elevator” speeches”, in which members get 60 seconds to explain their business to the group. No two businesses in the BNI chapter are allowed to be in the same category, so members come from all walks of life.
The meat of the event, however is the swapping of client leads. During the week members look out for people who might want to use their fellow networkers services, and even carry colleagues business cards in case they come across a potential customer.
In a little under eight years, the UK franchise has expanded to around 500 groups from Bournemouth to Inverness. The 66,000 members range from sole traders to executives from large companies, such as Nat West the banking group.

Over the last 12 months, BNI’s UK chapters have generated more than 467,000 business referrals, amounting to more than £150 m of business.
Members must attend every weekly meeting or send a replacement. Questions are asked if a member fails to offer business leads, a potential recruit or customer testimony.
BNI is not for everyone, especially if you are not a morning person. Others feel more attracted to networking events run on more traditional lines, such as the chambers of commerce, which often organise lunchtime events.

For Females in business it is one of the more accessible networking groups. The Matlock Chapter has a growing female membership, and for the next six months three of them will be taking their turn to run the meeting each week,  There are very few formal networking groups available for women. As a woman in business, it is difficult for you to establish yourself. People think of you as “someone’s other half.” The secret of the British chapters is the training provided outside the weekly meetings. Members are encouraged to take these classes to improve their presentation skills and networking techniques.
The members of each chapter are the ones that generate the business.
If you end up getting business from a certain person, you feel obliged, so you go out of your way to give them business.
 
If you would like to visit us one morning to see for yourself what BNI is all about, or you are in our most wanted list, please call Jason to find out more.

 


Testimonials from Members of the Derwent (Matlock)  BNI.
 
portrait_doug_pealing.jpg  Doug Pealing: Web Designer.
Over the last four years BNI has helped me to develop my business through word of mouth referrals for web sites and other internet services. Through BNI I have developed a network of businesses which I can rely on to refer to my customers and who can rely on to provide a quality service for their customers. It simply works.

portrait_andy_mckay.jpg  Andy Mckay :Bespoke Computer Software
The three main points I like about BNI are:
The one seat policy (I am not competing against other similar businesses in the group)
The time and frequency of the meetings ( most other networking organisations meet on an add-hock basis in the evenings,) personally I feel meeting in the morning before the business day starts proper makes for a more dynamic environment.
As a small business I like the support I get from friends and associates at the meetings, this is also a benefit of the frequent meetings
 
portrait_liz_robinson.jpg Liz Robinson: IFA
When I first set up in business, I was told if you do nothing else, I must join BNI. I took the advice, and the following year I had extraordinarily successful year in business. Looking back, the stats speak for them selves, 24% of my business has come from BNI. Although I hate early mornings and travelling 32.1 miles to get to my BNI Matlock Chapter, I really cannot justify giving it up.

portrait_peter_killips.jpg Peter Killips: Handy Man
BNI really worked for me, as most people can think of at least 5 or more jobs that they would like doing around the house, at any one time. Therefore my colleagues haven’t a problem finding referrals fro me. I have a ready made sales force of 14 people out there for just over £9.00 per week (£400+ Vat per year)
 

 
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