BNI and other Networking Organisations

[mickyg]

Well, I discovered something very new to me today. Business Networking. What an interesting thing. Let me explain, I did a small job for a Letting Agent. He told me that I should come to a meeting the following week. Lots of Business people would be there and its a good opportunity to get some new contacts. It was early this morning, before my first job so I thought nothing to lose.....
Well, basically if you don't already know it works like this. You turn up every week, pay £10 to eat breakfast(bit pricey!) and they chat and talk alot of bollx and everyone is expected to give each other work. Thats about all I can make out. And for this they want you to hand over the princely sum of nearly £700 a year!! Add in the £10 breakfast every week, and we come to a grand total of £1200, to come to a meeting and be expected to recommend the services of people you don't know and who's services you have no idea about. Bargainista!
I feel a bit cheated, that this was not explained to me, but I can see that once you've been sucked in , you need to try and increase member numbers so as to hopefully increase your own refferals. I still can't work out what BNI do for the £700? Apart from organise breakfast, which you have to pay for anyway.
Has anyone else any experience of these organisations? I can see it might work for some people and I've read different views. But one thing no one seems to have picked up on is how easy it would be to organise something like this yourself amongst your friends absolutely free!
discuss

 

[spacecat]

Scam

 

[merlin50]

scam

 

[merlin50]

mickyg send me £50.00 and i will tell you how to make a lot of money

 

[mickyg]

its not an outright scam, its actually not a bad idea. BUT you dont need to pay for it, as i said you can do it yourself for free. In actual fact I've already emailed some friends of mine and we're going for breakfast next week, 2 plumbers, painter, plasterer, 2 builders, a web designer and a sparky. Will prob get some more involved. I'm not an idiot, I wouldnt give these people a penny, I wouldnt have turned up if the guy who invited me had been honest from the start, but im actually glad i did cos its give me some ideas and a bit of a poke to stay in closer contact with all my trade friends. I just found it surprising having read various peoples thoughts that no one has thought like myself and done in themselves.

 

[merlin50]

if you do not charge them it will not work, it only works when its a scam

 

[mickyg]

what on earth are you on about? I'm going to have breakfast with a bunch of people, most of whom don't know each other, so we can swap numbers and have a chat. My mate is bringing his sparky who I dont know, I dont have a sparky i can use and trust. So it WILL work for what we want to do with it. ie generate business for each other. Dont be a plank.

 

[flooringman]

BNI is most certainly NOT a scam.

I have been a member of BNI for over 11 years now and it costs me about £1000 a year. I am probably one of the biggest tight bottoms around but it pays for itself many times over. I have business coming in from people who were members from years ago and have since left but still come back to me for their flooring.

It is a matter of building up relationships with other members and not only in the group in which you are a member but in any other group that you can visit as long as there is not a conflict of interest.

During this current economic climate I doubt that I would have survived had it not been for the business from BNI.

I would say, however, that it will not suit everyones business. It is different for different people - members in the past have included such as faith healers and pole dancers (interested now??!!!) and some members have developed their business entirely through BNI.

Perhaps if you talk to members of other BNI groups, especially those who are in the same trade or profession as youself then you will get a better idea of what exactly it is about.

I have no interest in BNI other than the benefits it can give to me and I would be happy if you wished to contact me.

 

[misterdubya]

Is BNI a new buzzword for Freemasons?

Mind you, its costs nowhere near a grand a year but meals do have to be paid for aswell.

Mr. W.

 

[Biguns]

I recall a series of programmes on BBC some cosiderable years ago named "The Day The World Took Off" It was basically an investigation by Historians and Academics into the causes of the Industrial Revolution and why it started in Britain alone. It was a fascinating series which came up with a number of causes for the Phenomenon.
One of the causes of the success of British Innovation and Industry in the 18th and 19th century was the existence of gentlemens clubs. Where the educated, scientific, industrialists and risk taking investor class and generally well to do could meet and and discuss/exchange ideas, projects and investments with like minded people, which in itself generated more interest, investment and progression of ideas. In other European countries these sort of clubs were not permitted for secutiry reasons. The governments were afraid of the intelligensia getting together and plotting to overthrow their regime. In Britain this was not a concern
Simply networking and synergy It does work

 

[Mickymoody]

It seems like a good way of disguising Pyramid selling, which is illegal. Which when I got caught in that bug, seemed like a masonic, or clan thing. People into that believe 100%, and get into the belief that anyone not into that is stupid.

It's basically chain letters, forwards this to 10 of your friends, or else you DIE!! Pure scam.

ANYONE that reads this post, copy and paste, to any forum that you use. Otherwise you will have bad luck, and ill health for the next 5 years.

What an arse.

 

[mickyg]

i think you probably havent bothered to read the thread to come up with that silly conclusion.

Let me put it simply so you don't have to concentrate for so long. The idea is to get people together who will meet up chat, and out in there daily lives recommend each other.

Its essentially what most of us do already, recommend decent tradesmen we know, but just in a more structured way that encourages you to maybe be more consious of recommending people. Its an ok idea, I just dont see the point in paying for it.

You got caught up in pyramid selling? lol

 

[dreadnoughtheating]

Micky, at the risk of repetition you are correct. Do we all not 'network' with other people we meet, went to school with, play footie with.

Back to BNI, I have been invited by people I have never met/spoken with etc to join them for breakfast at some half a dozen or so 'chapters' around Norwich, along the lines of "Hi, I am Andy, and I do tiling, I can do all your tiling for you" etc etc, as he has never met me , he had picked up my business card from a tile shop, he has no idea if I already have a perfectly good reciprocal relationship with a darn good one already.

As you have described. I believe its just a mask for 'multi-layered-marketing', or pyramid selling.

I tried doing the maths, and as usual its the people at the top of the pyramid who do best from it. Look at any BNI webpage, and it does not mention the costs. ( I just checked the BNI UK page to check). So, good luck if it works for you, and you believe its good value. The breakfasts are always at posh hotels/golf clubs, now I am no inverted snob, but, what sorts of geezers I would be likely to associate with on a social basis go to those places. I ask you.

Nuff said. I have managed OK for the first five years, get most work form recommendation, but thats from people I have actually carried out work for and not just doled out 50 business cards to.

DH

 

[mickyg]

I tried doing the maths, and as usual its the people at the top of the pyramid who do best from it. Look at any BNI webpage, and it does not mention the costs. ( I just checked the BNI UK page to check). So, good luck if it works for you, and you believe its good value.

lol, I did not say its good value!! much the opposite. Its a rip off ! My only point was that its a good idea to do what they do(and i will be doing it for free!), not to pay someone 1200 a year for the privledge. I will never pay for work and never have. dont even advertise.

 

[flooringman]

mickyg

If you believe that spending £1200 a year in order to get over £40000 worth of business is a rip off then yes BNI is a rip off. As I said before it does not work for everyone but if you took the time to contact people in other groups who are in the same business as you I'm sure they would be happy to tell you their opinions.

This isn't multi-layer marketing or pyramid selling, there is a limit to the number of members in any one group and yes I'm sure the guys at the top do make money out of it but if I am as well then so what!

BNI does follow a certain agenda as I'm sure you found out at the meeting but it does extend beyond the meetings with various events and training sessions orgenised for members.

I have no vested interest in BNI other than the work it brings in but please do not criticise unfairly with out having checked all the facts.

I wouldn't set up your group in the way in which you propose but if you wish for some ideas please feel free to contact me. For Free!!!!