THE local chapter of a global business Torquay last week.
\nThe about 20 members of Business Network International (BNI) Coastal Connections Group launched in front of a crowd of about 120 people at the Torquay Bowls Club.
\nIn each BNI chapter, only one person from each category \u2013 for example, video production, property management, graphic design, conveyancing, accounting, business coaching \u2013 is allowed to join.
\nMembers are encouraged to give business referrals to other members of the group at the weekly meetings, and receive referrals in turn.
\nCoastal Connections member Steve Sweeney said the philosophy of BNI was \u201cgivers gain\u201d.
\n\u201cIf I give business to members of my chapter, in turn, they will want to give business to me.
\n\u201cWord of mouth is the most effective form of advertising, and BNI provides a structured environment for the development and exchange of business referrals.\u201d
\nBNI area director Helen Searle said BNI was the largest organised networking group in the world, with 180,000 members in more than 6,300 chapters who carried out $12 million worth of closed business last year alone.
\n\u201cWhen we started this group, probably six weeks ago, we actually only had a couple of people in the room, and we asked them: \u2018who do you know that you trust that we could do business with?\u2019\u2026 we just don\u2019t want someone out of the Yellow Pages.\u201d
\nThere are five other BNI chapters in Geelong and Ocean Grove.
\nMs Searle said BNI was not just about members getting business from each other, but also about support and gaining knowledge.
\n\u201cJust by osmosis, you\u2019re going to learn a lot about business.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE local chapter of a global business Torquay last week. The about 20 members of Business Network International (BNI) Coastal Connections Group launched in front of a crowd of about 120 people at the Torquay Bowls Club. In each BNI chapter, only one person from each category \u2013 for example, video production, property management, graphic […]<\/p>\n