BNI organises breakfast networking meetings worldwide and last year attributed £ 192,000,000 of business to BNI members. This makes BNI a global economy in its own right.
This figure (or its yearly equivalent) is read out each week in meetings and largely goes unnoticed by members. It does not directly impact their own business, or their conversations with friends, business partners or visitors. And quite rightly, since they have mostly been up since 5:30 am, hot coffee and breakfast are a priority. (Think Maslow.)
This figure is the equivalent of the GDP of a number of countries, but produced from fragmented sources. So there is no big story or something for the media to get their arms round.
Instead the drama of playing fast and loose with other people’s money (bankers), or grabbing for themselves and paying no tax (politicians), the members of BNI are typically using their own money and contributing to the national revenue. They are working away quietly. In fact, Charlie Lawson who has recently taken over the running of BNI in the UK wants BNI members to help themselves and the economy ” I want to help you pay more tax”.
But as well as sticking a BNI label on spending that might have occurred anyway and was re-directed, I guess that the members created business opportunities and money where none would have existed before.
Is this the answer to the recession? Small businesses stepping up?
If all the money made from all the networking groups were laid end to end and counted I am sure that would boost confidence to get us through a recession faster.
BNI is the daddy of networking because of its size, global reach and longevity…and for the moment we will leave the money to one side.
Started by Dr Ivan Misner at his kitchen table in California, BNI grew organically as an extension of meeting up regularly with friends who had businesses. The members created opportunities for each other by passing on a “warm lead” or referral obtained by word of mouth not by looking in Yellow Page
Recommendations with a personal endorsement are the currency of golf clubs, old boy networks and mums at the school gates, yet Ivan Misner’s approach was revolutionary at the time. It made the referral system transparent and inclusive, and it also made it ethical. The idea began to spread when the second accountant/CPA wanted to join them for breakfast which caused a moral dilemma about who would get the business. So a new group (or “chapter” in the BNI lingo) was created.
BNI was brought to the UK 13 years ago by Martin and Gillian Lawson who saw it is action in Canada (presumably under the care of Steve Lawson – yes note the surname!). Their drive contributed to the fact that the UK became the fastest growing country worldwide for BNI.
However, during the last 13 years the networking explosion on line and offline has meant many new groups have started. Whether directly or indirectly they have been able to capitalise on positioning themselves as being “better than BNI”.
This means that BNI is the daddy – ie is the organisation that is the benchmark.
In terms of developing the brand this poses a number of problems for the new team of Charlie Lawson and Tim Cook who will be taking the organisation forward.
Next post will appear in two days time. Please add any comments or thoughts…thanks!
