Re: Business Networking I used to go to the BNI every thursday morning at the Slug & Lettuce on the quayside for the old Agency I worked for, pretty expensive to get on if it's coming out of your own pocket mind.
Agreed, there all fukin weirdo's, id get phone calls mid week asking if I could make a ramble or finger knitting class they'd organised for the weekend, id kindly decline with some shocking excuse & it was as if id pissed on their kid's presents on Xmas morning when id see them the following week, they'd totally take the huff Lol - CRACKERS!
I might be going to a 4Networking event soon with my friend called Paul 90% of my Energy and Telecommunication busniess comes from Networking - I pick up 4 to 8 business referrals per week. I am in a particularly easy to refer category though. If you're in Mortgages, Recruitment, Independent Financial Advice, Floristry, Insurance, Energy Distribution, any of the Trades (they make shit loads) Health, Wellness and Nutrition, Personal Development or have something quite unique to bring to the marketplace, I would say you're doing yourself a big favour by trying it. Breakfasts are often unhealthy but you can't please everyone
Re: Re: Business Networking As if you did BNI Eldon! Haha class.. gutted I wasn't there when you were.. I substitute about every couple of months for someone who is on holiday or can't make it. If you class it as an expense rather than an investment and think you would get nothing back, you really shouldn't be joining like.
depending upon what sector you're in you might want to look for meetings of local professional bodies you can join with a view to achieving chartered status or just making useful local contacts in the sector
BNI Eldon what crowd: http://www.bnieldon.co.uk/meet-the-members.htm Brekkie with India Thompson would be Simon Minto - Has a touch of Boris Becker about him. As for the two people who do Photography you can see they are are at the cutting edge of business with there catchy company names.
Re: Re: Re: Business Networking Aye it was shocking, I had to be up there for a stupid time on the Thursday morning also It would be the same people week in week out & we still had to stand up infront of everyone, brief them on the company (what we did etc...) & hand out our business cards everytime, the banter was terrible. It was expensive (for the company) & we did get very little back, we ended up building loads of contacts from it but brought in just about no revenue from business leads or referrals we were given, for us & the sector we worked in it was a waste of time.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Business Networking it's never going to be up to afterparty standards, is it? Did they not have everyone sing Kumbayah at the end?
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Business Networking I didn't expect to turn up to a room full of people sweating their tits off smashed to bits, just the banter was terrible, type of people that live & breath their job. Nah no Kumbayah when I was there like? you must have fitted in that little bit more than me
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Business Networking It's a gift allowing people to feel at such ease in my presence :angel2:
