Loading...

BNI Foundation 2017 Grant Cycle Now Open

Posted on by BNI Global

The BNI Foundation is excited to announce the opening of the Fall 2017 Grant Cycle on September 15th.  The Grant Cycle will be open through October 15th. Please review our grant guidelines for the school/educational organization you are nominating to help us ensure only qualified schools/organizations are getting the link to the online application. Click here for the link to the grant application.

Grant recipients will be announced at the Global Convention in Long Beach, CA in November. If your nominated school or educational organization is selected, we will notify you before the general announcement.

Thank you for allowing us to partner with you. Together we are improving tomorrow’s business through education today.

Five Little Things You Can Do to Grow Your Business

Posted on by BNI Global

No, thanks, I don’t want to grow my business.

For most business owners and professionals today, this is a rarely uttered phrase. There is always a craving to grow and develop a little more than you already have. But where to start? Sometimes, growing your business can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Check out these small things that can have huge impacts on your business.

  1. Don’t just answer “How are you?” with “Fine.” You’re not just fine, you’re excited, optimistic, and looking to grow your business! When someone in your life asks how you are doing, or what is new, this is a great opportunity to mention casually that you’re growing or looking to find ways to grow. You never know who this person may know, or in what ways they can help you thrive.
  2. Ask for what you want! If you have a specific person in mind you’d like to be connected to, a specific part of your business you’d like to develop further, or a specific amount of business you’d like to do in the next year, ask for it! Be specific with your wants and needs – your network can only help you get where you want to go if they know what that goal looks like.
  3. When a client gives you a positive review, ask them to share it or for referrals. When a client tells you how much they enjoy working with you, or thank you for going above and beyond for them, ask them to share that positive feedback, either via your Facebook, pages like Yelp, or in writing so that you may share it on your website. Also ask them if they know anyone else who may benefit from getting the same great service you gave them.
  4. Thank those who help you grow your business. By publically showing appreciation for the people who helped you get where you are now, you’ll increase the likelihood that others will help you, either by referral, by advertising, or with day to day activities. People love to feel like what they do matters, and they are more likely to help people who have a history of showing gratitude. (Recommended article: Let Gratitude Grow Your Business)
  5.  Give referrals to someone in your network. By passing a quality referral to someone else in your network, you help build your own credibility. People want to refer business to others that they trust, and sharing referrals with others is a great way to build mutual respect. It’s what BNI meetings are based around – by giving business to others, you will get business in return.

What are you doing to grow your business? Join the conversation on Facebook! 

Will Social Media Replace Face-to-Face Networking?

Posted on by Ivan Misner, Ph.D.

I love social media.  I am active on social media. I have found that social media is fantastic for ‘brand building’ – and I also believe that social media will not replace all marketing efforts for most entrepreneurs and sales people.   In fact, for many businesses, it just does not generate a large percentage of their new business.

I know, I know, there are people out there right now that are officially apoplectic.  Take a deep breath.  Know that I love you and I love social media.  It has been a fantastic tool for me to retain my audience and keep them engaged.  It has been great as a brand builder.  I’ve also seen the marketing data and it is sobering.

Here’s a great example.  In 2011, the Freelance Industry Report did a very thorough survey of the industry.  One of the many questions they asked was “What has been your most effective method for finding and landing clients…?”  Four of the top five answers were all networking related (Word of mouth, Referrals, Personal/Professional network, Local networking).  These added up to 69.5% of all business development for the respondents.  Social media ranked as #8 with only 2.8%.   But wait, that’s not the most amazing thing.  When asked, “which… marketing methods are you planning on spending more time and resources on in the next 12 months,” Social media ranked #1 with 46.1%!

But wait, that’s still not the most amazing thing about this story.  You see, when the 2012 report came out, the networking related choices for how respondents actually generated their business that year, now moved up to 74.3%!  But where was social media you ask?  Well with all their commitment to focus more time and resources on social media, the report found that the respondents had moved the needle to 2.8%… oh wait, it was 2.8% in the previous year!  So here’s the most amazing part of the story: despite their commitment to put more time and resources on social media to generate their new business the following year, the respondents actually did not move the needle at all.  Zero.  Zip. Nada.

And now the really crazy thing – in 2012, 42.8% of the respondents said that next year they were going to focus more on – you got it, social media again!  There’s a saying for this: What’s the definition of insanity? Doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.

In two separate reports, these business professionals were generating 70% or more of their business from networking related activities.  They generated less than 3% from social media.  Don’t you think that it would be a good idea to increase their networking efforts as well?  I do.  That’s one of the reasons I keep writing books on the topic.  The data speaks for itself.  Networking is a great way to build your business.  It is not the only way, but it is still among the very best.  Why not spend more time honing that skill?  I’m just saying.

Called the “father of modern networking” by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author.  He is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of BNI (www.bni.com), the world’s largest business networking organization.  His new book, Avoiding the Networking Disconnect can be viewed at Amazon.com.

Traditions + Innovation are Key to Strong Organizational Culture

Posted on by BNI Global

Submitted by Claudia Lowry, Executive Director – North & South Peninsula, South Africa

Webster’s dictionary defines culture, as it pertains to business, as: The set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterises an institution or organisation.

There are many elements that go into building a successful organisational culture.  Each successful organisation has different factors that contribute to making its culture successful.  Typically, among these factors, both tradition and innovation play an important role. Traditions help to make a company distinctively who it is, and are instrumental in demonstrating to both employees and the world where it comes from. Without traditions an organisation pays only lip service to culture, and strong traditions that are applied throughout an organisation are one of the best ways to maintain a healthy organisational culture.

Often tradition is depicted as the enemy of innovation and vice versa. However, Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI has this to say, “These values may at first seem counter-intuitive but as the Apple example proves, it is the secret to success for contemporary businesses. Our traditions lay the foundation to who we are by showing where we came from. However, we must always be leading with innovation to stay current. This means that new advancements in technology and thinking must be absorbed into our process. Don’t lose touch with new changes in business and don’t be afraid to try new things at BNI.”

One way in which tradition and innovation are complementary organisational values may be as a result of innovation being a conscious facet of a company’s traditions. When tradition and innovation are at loggerheads within an established organisation, one way to combat any resistance to innovation, or change, is to backtrack to the origins of the organisation. It may be extremely beneficial to reconnect with the breakthrough innovations that in live in the history of the organisation and to share this tradition of innovation with employees and stakeholders.

If you wish to build innovation as a tradition within your organisational culture it is important to clearly define what innovation means for your company. Having a defined strategy with regard to innovation throughout your organisation puts paid to pursuing innovation for innovation’s sake. It may well also save wasted time and investment, preventing the desire to innovate from being a fruitless pursuit; particularly in the event that the goals for innovation within different departments within an organisation are contrary to one another.

Building a Nonprofit Organization through BNI and Givers Gain

Posted on by BNI Global

Submitted by Daniel Messmer, AFA Academy of LowCountry, BNI Okatie Referral Givers, BNI South Carolina and NE Georiga



I joined BNI at the end of July last year in 2016. Our Chapter chartered in September as a Hall of Fame Chapter. I had doubts about BNI when I joined, as I didn’t see how BNI would work for a nonprofit or as a business person. In fact, I wasn’t very engaging of a speaker, as I was nervous and didn’t think I was on the same level as many of these business people in the room. However, one thing I learned from Ron Kirby, our Chapter Area Director and now my mentor, was that BNI will give us the tools to succeed, but it was up to us to build relationships. 

Well it wasn’t until October 2016 after Hurricane Matthew wrecked havoc on our area that my life turned around. Three days after the hurricane I got involved with Samaritan’s Purse. I stayed behind as I was trained in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT Certified) and wanted to be here for our community. While doing this, I started opening up about what I was doing and started realizing I was networking without even realizing it. I was giving referrals while helping. That’s when I realize how BNI was going to help me.

Since Matthew, I have done over 400 One-to-Ones, passed over 100 referrals and completed over 200 Continuing Education Units. I took the responsibility of Visitor Host role in September, but after the hurricane decided to be more involved, and since then my chapter has embraced me. Now the new Leadership Team has entrusted me to be the Education Coordinator – me, the guy who a year ago felt he had nothing to offer in BNI. 

What set me apart from many others is we have 21 chapters, soon to be 22, in this area, and I have been to 17 of them. My One-to-Ones are directed at those who I wanted to learn from, those who could help grow and evolve. I chose Director Consultants, Ambassadors, Leadership, business people and veteran BNI Members. 

Why, you may ask? Well easy who better to learn from. Who better to help me understand or give me some pointers. Now people come to me which is a great feeling. I visit other chapters and now several want to tag along with me. I’m trying to explain to everyone that if your seat is open in another chapter then use that opportunity to grow your business. Also to learn how other chapters operate and possibly take that info back toward our own chapter. 

 Strangely AFA, my nonprofit, is still a work in progress as I’m trying to open our academy, but money has been slow. Members support my fundraisers by donating, sponsoring, participating or volunteering. Many know I work for free until we open so now members are diligently trying to help me make this a reality. Problem is families here don’t have private insurance, as they rely on Medicaid which doesn’t pay much. Our tuition is $36,000 per individual, which most insurance pays 100 percent. My goal is serve my community here in the Hilton Head area and in the Savannah area, as for me Givers Gain is about giving back. 

One in 68 are born with Autism and there is no cure, but with therapies we can help give these kids the resources they need. I know this well, as I’m a father of two on the Spectrum. Fortunately for me someone did this for my kids so it’s my turn to give back.

On that note, please give back to your community as that is what Givers Gain is all about. Having a nonprofit in your chapter will bring your chapter closer together like mine and several of the others we have here. Nonprofits have to be engaged in the chapter, as we rely on all of you to help us grow. The difference is you all are very much apart of this.

I would I join BNI again if I had to do it all over. BNI has helped me in so many with the tools to succeed, the confidence and most of all the relationships and friendships I have made. 

Thank you for everything BNI has done for me and I hope I can do you proud by making AFA Academy of the LowCountry a reality, so together all of us can help these families and their kids for a better tomorrow. This to me is the true meaning of Givers Gain. 

I’m so proud to be a member of BNI.

BNI Foundation: September 2017 Update

Posted on by BNI Global

Share
Your Business Voices Stories

The BNI Foundation’s Business Voices
initiative is gaining serious momentum, and a big part of that is due to the
stories that Business Voices teams share about the great events and programs
they put on. The shared stories are inspirational and help to motivate others
to get involved and make Business Voices a part of their BNI regions and
chapters. Make sure to share your Business Voices stories with all of BNI by
filling out the Business Voices form here. The
online form allows you to describe your team’s event, who participated, how
many kids were impacted and more. You can also add photos from the event.

Sharing your story through the form
is the only way to get it told through the BNI Foundation’s website and social
media channels. Now there is another exciting reason to share your stories. The
very first Business Voices Team Awards will be presented at this years BNI
Global Convention taking place this November in Long Beach, CA. Keep those
stories coming and good luck.

Charitable
Giving Survey

Our recent blog
post about cause marketing, spells out the ways that everyone benefits when
companies and non-profit organizations join forces to put out their message. We
hope that the post spreads some awareness among BNI members and administrators
about the power of these partnerships. To learn more about your philanthropic
efforts we have posted a charitable giving survey. When you fill it out we will
use your responses to develop more ways for the BNI Foundation to partner with
BNI regions and chapters, as well local business, to make a positive impact on
the schools and children in our communities. Take the survey here. 

Givers
Gain® Grant Cycle

The next Givers Gain® grant cycle opens on September 15th.  Schools and educational organizations that
have an active Business Voices team in their area are eligible to apply for a
$1000 grant. In addition, the school or educational organization must be an
approved public 501c3 (non-profit).  Five
grants of $1000 each will be awarded during the BNI Global Convention in November.
Applications are available by email at info@bnifoundation.org or by phone at 704-248-4800,
Ext 91.

You can also click here for more
information.

Back
to School Appeal

Our Back to School donor appeal campaign is kicking off in early
September. While our current drive is a push for funding before school starts,
there are many needs that arise throughout the school year, and our continued support
is critical. We ask that you consider giving to the BNI Foundation to support
this and other similar important
causes. Funding raised during this campaign will directly impact those
in need.  Keep an eye out for the
donation letter or feel free to donate here.

BNI Whangarei chapters raise funds for North Haven Hospice

Posted on by BNI Global

From the Northern Advocate, New Zealand



Business Network International’s four Whangarei chapters got together this month to raise funds in support of Hospice.

The event was held at The Orchard Business and Event Hub on August 19 with a “Recycled Summer” theme suggesting attendees wear items of summer clothing purchased from the North Haven Hospice Shop.

Read more here.

From BW BusinessWorld: Our Focus Is On Job Creation

Posted on by BNI Global

By Avishek Banerjee, BW BusinessWorld, India



Question: As you are aware, India is known more as a continent than a country with diverse interests and needs. So how different was your strategy to crack this market?

Answer: Yes, I agree that a lot of organisations need to customise their business model when they enter different parts of the world. But one thing which is unique about BNI is that our solutions are universal across the globe. One of the things I love about India is diversity (in tastes and needs).  India is a massive economy and there is tremendous innovation in business growth and entrepreneurship. But I have not seen any need to change the model as we have grown here in India. That is because our model is an open source and works wherever it is supported. We first entered India about 11 years ago and have managed to garner 16,000 businesses here. We are just getting started and it is an exciting phase for us.

Read more here.

£220k Charity Call from BNI Lancashire

Posted on by BNI Global

By Andrew Mann, Business Lancaster, United Kingdom



Business Network International is seeking charities to join its Lancashire groups as part of a £220k charity drive.

Part of the world’s biggest referral organisation, BNI has over 200,000 members in over 70 countries worldwide.  It works by organising weekly meetings for groups of businesses, known as chapters, who use their combined network of contacts to find business opportunities and referrals for one another.

The charity drive is the brand-child of BNI Executive Director Mike Holman and will see each chosen charity gifted a seat within a group and its members commit to raising £20k per year for it.  With eleven chapters operational in Lancashire, the offer equates to a £220k per year charity commitment by the organisation and its members in the county.

Read more here.

The Benefits of Cause Marketing on Your Business

Posted on by BNI Global

Consumers, given the choice, will often purchase products and services from socially and environmentally responsible companies. Companies and non-profit charities are taking advantage of this fact, and the last quarter century has seen the rise of cause marketing, promotional campaigns that increase profits while benefiting a cause. Cause marketing is now the primary avenue by which companies demonstrate social responsibility. Cause-related marketing is a specific form of cause marketing in which a company partners with a non-profit organization to raise funds for a particular cause.

Cause marketing can be beneficial to both the for-profit company and the charity. For the non-profit, there is the prospect of tapping into the business’s marketing resources and exposure to the company’s customers. For the company, it can mean a public relations boost and increased sales. Even consumers benefit by being able to support a charity simply by making a purchase.

How Does Cause Marketing Work?

Cause marketing works best when there is a certain synergy between the non-profit organization and the company they are partnering with. Ideally, the non-profit’s mission and vision should have some relation to the company’s products or services. It is best if the business’s employees and customers are excited about the cause as well. The right affiliations make for the strongest promotional campaigns.

These partnerships do not always involve a straight donation from the company to the non-profit organization. Instead, businesses will often donate products, services, or their employees’ time. This kind of charitable work tends to have a stronger impact on the consumers being targeted.

The marketing campaign’s goals will be to motivate customers to take some sort of action like donating money or volunteering their time. An effective campaign will not only solicit help, it will raise awareness for the non-profit as well as the company’s philanthropic efforts.

Advantages of Cause Marketing

The advantages to the business include increased sales and public awareness of its social responsibility. A non-profit’s benefits can be significant. Monetary donations and an increase in volunteers are the two primary benefits. In addition, the non-profit is likely to enjoy increased exposure in advertising and publicity from their relationship with a for-profit company. Depending on the company partnered with, the amount of advertising and publicity generated is likely to be greater than what the non-profit can accomplish on its own.

The BNI Foundation’s mission and vision place it in a unique position to benefit from cause marketing. Our association with BNI and its members – all of whom are business people – provides excellent cause marketing opportunities, and BNI’s core value of Givers Gain® reflects perfectly the BNI Foundation’s goals. When BNI chapters integrate the BNI Foundation’s impact into the BNI corporate culture, the BNI brand is elevated, brand loyalty surges and member and alumni engagement and retention are impacted positively.

The charitable activities of the BNI Foundation, along with our aggressive online marketing presence, already lend added credibility to the BNI brand. Deeper relationships between the BNI Foundation and BNI chapters and members act as a tool toward BNI brand awareness, loyalty and recruitment.

As Dr. Ivan Misner clarifies in this video, the BNI Foundation is your foundation. The time, treasure and talent you give benefit the children and schools in your community. Currently we are working on increasing our membership among BNI chapters and members. Back to school time is the ideal time to get your BNI chapter involved with the BNI Foundation and cause marketing. Click here to get started on this win/win opportunity.

?Interview? Instead of ?Invite?

Posted on by Ivan Misner, Ph.D.

My favorite approach for inviting visitors to BNI? is what I call the ?We?re interviewing? technique.

Suppose your chapter needs a printer. When you meet a printer, explain that you?re in a referral group and say, ?We?re interviewing printers now to find the best printer in the area to give all of our business to. I think you might make a good candidate.? (Replace ?printers? with the profession your chapter needs.) Here?s how the script could be phrased:

?I?m in a referral group (you don?t have to go into much detail). ?I have been a member for [however long]. We get together on a regular basis, and we?re all about passing business to each other. We?re interviewing [fill in the blank for the profession] right now to find a really good one in the area to give all of our referrals to. I think you might make a good candidate.?

This shows people the value of BNI membership and helps the chapter to be selective about new members. Good groups don?t take just any candidate. They want to take qualified candidates, and this approach helps set that expectation.

Of course, this also means you have to interview the visitor after the chapter meeting ? and you should only request that they submit an application if you think the person is a good fit.

This is simply the most powerful way to invite people to visit a BNI group. It?s much better than just telling people how great BNI is. It is great ? but sometimes the excitement from a member can come off as too strong to someone who has no idea what it?s all about: ?Oh, you have got to join this organization. It?s the best organization around. They get a lot of business.?

People who don?t know about BNI, or don?t even really know the person inviting them, are like, ?Who are you? And why are you trying to sell me on this? Read the palm.?

Right? They are put off.

The Power of Exclusivity or FOMO (Fear of Missing Out!)

One of the things that I found is that if members of BNI can, in an appropriate way, be more exclusive about who they bring in, they are actually going to get more interest from people. It?s a little bit counterintuitive, but it?s absolutely accurate.

Why? Because most entrepreneurs and sales people hate not being picked!

What is the implied meaning of the sentence: ?We are interviewing and you might make a good candidate?? The implication is that they might not be picked. Again, entrepreneurs hate not being picked. They want to be picked. The idea that they might not is much more interesting to them than if they have the impression that the group will accept anyone with a check, ready to pay for the membership.

And this concept of being exclusive benefits every member of the chapter. We ask members to think of their BNI chapter as their room, and we ask them: Who do you want in your room?

Chapters whose members are selective about who they bring into their room are much more likely to fill it with good, qualified business professionals. The interview concept is not only important for building interest in visitors to the chapter, it is also important to knowing the right candidate to extend the invitation to.

Here?s the important thing: If you say you are going to interview candidates for the open position, then you?d better do just that. Don?t just say you are going to interview them? really interview them. Sit down with them after the meeting and ask them questions, such as the following:

  • Can you tell me a little more about what you do?
  • What is your target market?
  • How do you view us being able to help you?
  • How do you think you can help us as a group?
  • Would you share some of your professional background??

The BNI member application is a great tool to use, following the questions listed there when interviewing the candidates and to get them to open up and talk about the various topics. After the interview, if there is a good fit, then they can be invited to submit an application.?

This is a very powerful technique, and I honestly believe it is one of the best ways to invite people to visit BNI, and to decide if they are going to benefit the group while benefiting from the membership.

Why is it so important for potential members to visit a BNI meeting first? It?s because members can tell them what BNI is all about until they are blue in the face, but no one really understands until they attend a meeting and see the vast amount of business that is gained by referrals between the members.

I have found that trying to explain the details of the BNI process to someone who has not actually experienced a meeting is like trying to train someone to ride a bike without getting on one. But it?s important to phrase the invitation in such a way that it entices the potential member, hence, the interviewing approach.

If potential members push for more information, by all means answer their questions? however, the focus should be less on the features of the meeting and more on the benefits. For example, talking about the details of how a meeting runs is a focus on the features? talking about getting referrals is a focus on the benefits.

I opened 20 chapters in one year using this approach, so I know it works.

Has it worked for you and your chapter? We would love to hear how your interviewing process works.

Opportunities for Businesses Available at Annual Global Convention

Posted on by BNI Global

BNI’s 2017 Global Convention, centered around Inspiring Business, is just around the corner!

Could your business benefit from direct access to over 1,300 of BNI’s global business leaders – an audience that generated over $11 billion in business last year? If so, we’d welcome the opportunity to talk with you about the varying sponsorship opportunities available at BNI’s 2017 and 2018 Global Conventions.

 As a sponsor, you’ll have the unique opportunity to:

  • Create brand recognition for your organization, your products and your services – amongst a global audience, who is always seeking new systems and products to enhance their business.
  • Generate qualified business leads – we’re a networking organization that believes by giving business, you’ll receive business in return.

We have a range of sponsorship packages available to meet your business needs and your budget. For a limited time only we’re also offering a 20% discount on sponsorship packages for BNI’s 2018 Global Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, if you confirm a sponsorship for 2017’s Global Convention in Long Beach by October 1, 2017.

To learn more, please fill out this short sponsorship application, and a member of BNI’s Global Events team will be in touch soon.

BNI Foundation Sees Impactful Month, July 2017

Posted on by BNI Global

This month, the BNI Foundation hosted numerous events around the world to help children receive an education. See below for announcements following a busy month.

Video Contest Winners

We recently asked our supporters to submit a short video describing an adult who significantly influenced their lives when they were children. The resulting one-minute videos shared stories about mentors, coaches, teachers and other leaders and highlight the powerful impact that adults can have on children’s lives.

Our first-place winner, Josh Perry of FusionForge Consultants, describes a volunteer named Ray who brought knowledge, passion and excitement to a Junior Achievement economics course he taught at Josh’s high school. Josh’s prize for winning the contest is a day with BNI Foundation co-founders, Ivan and Beth Misner, in Austin, Texas, USA. See his video below. 

Click here for the second-place video and here for third place. Congratulations to our winners.

What Non-Profits Need Most is Funding

Too many non-profit organizations fall into a financial trap of their own making. Being mission driven, they find themselves focusing on providing services without a clear picture of where the money will come from. Many non-profits fail to put a solid fundraising system in place. A major study of the challenges facing non-profits conducted in 2013 found that almost a quarter of the organizations surveyed had no fundraising plan whatsoever. Additionally, many non-profit board members lack training on essential fundraising skills like donor identification, prospecting and cultivating. Read more here.

Givers Gain® Grant Funds Equine Therapy

Boys’ Haven has been in operation in Beaumont, Texas for more than 70 years. Their primary mission is to provide a residence to boys ages 5 to 17 who need a stable and structured home. The program is based on the principles of discipline and hard work. Consequences occur naturally and privileges are earned.

Boy’s Haven was one of this year’s recipients of a $1,000 Givers Gain® Grant, and will use the grant to enroll its residents in the Equine Therapy Summer Program provided by Stable Spirit. Boys who have suffered neglect or abuse learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with the horses. In the video below, Executive Director George Hartsfield talks about the organization and the Equine Therapy Program.

Yard Sale Benefits Crocker Elementary in Massachusetts

Members of BNI Professional Networking Associates in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, have been working to raise $3,100 for Crocker Elementary School. Their June yard sale brought them much closer to that goal. They raised $1,063 in a single day. Their total for the year so far is $2,500. See the yard sale photos here.

  • © 2026 BNI Global, LLC