FAQs
Q: Can anyone join a chapter?
A: Any business is eligible to join a BNI chapter, however please check whether your business category is already taken within our chapter. If we already have a member from your field you will not be able to join our chapter. We can however refer you to another chapter.
Q: Where do you meet and how often?
A: We meet every Tuesday morning, from 6:45 to 8:30, at Canons Brook Golf Club, Elizabeth Way, Harlow.
Q: I want to come along but don’t know if this is right for me.
A: Joining a BNI networking group is a long-term commitment and it may not be right for you. Perhaps, instead of joining, you may like to come along one Tuesday morning as our guest. This way, you can see how it all works without any commitment. In fact, many visitors who come along often walk away with real business. If you would like to come along as a visitor then visit our contact page.
Q: I am going to come along as a visitor. What do I need to bring?
A: We would be delighted for you to come along as our guest. Please bring with you enough business cards to hand out to all the business present (15-20). Also please have something prepared to say about your business and what referrals you are looking for. We ask everyone to say a little something for just 60-seconds.
Finally, we also ask for £10 to cover the cost of the breakfast.
Q: How often do you meet?
A: All BNi chapters meet once a week. The Harlow chapter meet every Tuesday morning. We do expect everyone to attend each week, but should circumstances prevent you from attending one week, you may send a substitute in your place. This may be a work colleague or someone you know from another company entirely.
Q: Why is attendance so strict?
A: It is the regular commitment that makes BNi and its members so successful. It takes time to build trust and confidence enough to feel able to pass referrals. By meeting every week we strengthen our business relationships within the group. Everyone makes that commitment to the group and to each other.
And besides, if you miss a week, you might miss that big referral ...
Q: How much business is done between members?
A: A phenomenal amount. Some Harlow Chapter members have been in BNI for over six years, and members rarely hesitate when it comes to renewing.
Why? Because the value of BNI membership goes way beyond getting your membership fees back.
It isn’t rare for members to get tens of thousands of pounds' worth of business through BNI in the course of a year. And that's not even counting the value of the training, skills-building and additional networking opportunities that BNI membership offers.
Q: How do you know new members are reputable?
A: The application to join asks for business references and we have a membership committee that checks them thoroughly before considering whether that person/company would be a good asset to the chapter.
Q: What if a member gets a referral and does poor work?
A: This is very rare indeed, but should this happen we have an ethics committee and it is imperative that anyone who gives a referral and finds out it was not satisfactorily handled must report that to the membership committee, who will investigate.
Q: What occupations benefit the most from networking?
A: It is not an occupation that benefits most, it is the individual. The occupation can be anything. The more the members of the chapter know about each other’s business, the easier it is to find referrals.
Q: Are members supposed to bring visitors?
A: You're encouraged to bring visitors for those occupations that are open, after the visitor has been prescreened, or if they're a viable candidate. It's pretty much a closed meeting except for potential members.
Latest News
June 2010
NEW NHS BUSINESS WIN FOR SIMPSONS!
‘Fresh’, ‘innovative’ and ‘impressive’ were amongst the compliments bestowed on Simpson Creative’s latest design-for-print project for NHS Cambridgeshire: the health authority’s Annual Review and Report & Accounts – which has just won a three way agency pitch.
June 2010
A goodbye to Home Information Packs
June 2010
We have business for you at our Business Networking Breakfast meeting on Tuesday the 29th of June 2010.