What Networking Group? Part 2

Continuing looking at the networking groups available in the Falkirk area, this post is for 4Networking. So let's get to it.

4Networking

The groups meets fortnightly and the format is the same every week.

Starts at 7.30am for 8am.

Breakfast is served at 8.

During breakfast there is the 40 second slot, going round the room you get 40 seconds to introduce yourself, say what 4Networking has done for you or announce any other bit of information you have.

Coffee break and you arrange 3 1-2-1 meetings for after the 10 minute speaking slot.

The 10 minute 4Sight slot is used to give an insight into a specialised area, it is not to be a sales pitch but give the member of the group something valuable to walk away with.

Finally there is the 1-2-1's. Each person get's to have 3 10 minute 1-2-1's with someone else in the group that they want introduced to or to reacquaint themselves with. (It's kind of like speed dating).

Meeting finishes 10am sharp.

Membership is a about £400 a year + VAT.

Breakfast fees are about £10 a meeting.

There are a few options for membership deals for your first meeting that, and a loyalty payment scheme which allows you to pay gradually.

Other things about the meetings;

You can go as often as you wish to your group with out having to get a stand in if you can't make it.

There is no exclusion for people in the same field, so everyone can come to the group.

You can attend any of the UK wide groups.

There is the option of going to 4 meetings a week if you are a passport member.

Non passport membership is cheaper.

My thoughts on 4Networking

I like the relaxed feel about the meetings, they are kept to strict timing but you don't notice this. The flexibility to miss a meeting if something comes up makes things stress free because you're not having to find a substitute at the last minute.

BNI or 4Networking?

I have found a lot of people from these groups generally attend both meetings or have tried one or the other. It's down to preference and what works best for you. BNI requires a heavy commitment but the returns can be rewarding if you are able to put a lot of referals through the group, as this gives you credibility in the group. 4Networking is a more mellow place to meet and is a good place to go for someone that may be starting out.

BNI's weekly meetings mean you get to know people in the group quickly and you get business return just as quick. 4Networking you really need to work at getting to people as they may not go to every fortnightly meeting and you may not get the chance to meet them every meeting. Business return could be slow due to this as people want to know that they can trust you and you them. So I would recommend making an extra special effort to get to know the group and don't try to hard sell.

So which is it, BNI or 4Networking? Well for me at this moment I'm going with 4Networking because I want the flexibility that it gives me. I miss the weekly business I would get from the BNI but I feel I'm getting my name known which in the long run is more important.

I'll let you know in 6 months how I feel about them and if my thoughts have changed, but i recommend you try both to see which suits you. Each group welcomes visitors although you are limited by how many times you can go before you need to become a member, but it's worth looking in to which suits, and be wary for anyone that tries to give you a sales pitch about the meetings, if it's not for you then there are plenty of fish in the sea.

What Networking Group? Part 1

As you may have guessed from a few of my posts, i'm a big fan of networking. I think all small businesses should give it a try. It's helps you get to know other businesses in the area that may not necessarily come to directly. Also other businesses that know you and can refer your name on to their contacts is always a bonus for you.

So, it's your first time networking and you've heard folks talking about a few different groups, which one do you try? Well here's an unbiased, sales pitch free opinion on 2 of the more well known breakfast group in Falkirk.

BNI - Business Networking International
The groups meets weekly and the format is the same every week.
Starts at 6.30am for 7am.
Breakfast is served at 7.
Once breakfast is finished everyone get's 60 seconds to introduce themselves, their business and tell the group if they are looking for any specific introductions, leads or any other relevant information.
A member of the group will then do a 10 minute presentation about their business.
Then they go round the group and each person get's to give 'positive' in put about what they have done in the last week ie. 1-2-1's, they also get to pass referrals, and tell the group of any business that has taken place and to what value it was.
After this they close the meeting and you can stay and chat while things close down or head of to work.
Meeting finishes 8.30am sharp.

Membership is a about £500/£600 a year + £100 joining fee + VAT.
Breakfast fees are about £30 a month.
You need to go to a training session when you join to be able to do your 10 minutes presentation.

Other things about the meetings;
If you are sick or are going to miss a meeting you are required to get a substitute to stand in for you, if you have more than 6 (this might be wrong) absences in any 6 month period, with no sub then you may get removed from the group.
You will be the only person in your group from your industry, but there may be folks that join who go under another sector that may over lap what you do, ie graphic designer joins and there's a printing company that offers graphic design services, the printer will not be allowed to talk about the graphic design side of their business.
Meetings are very formal and are run to strict timings.
Meeting your group every week allows you to form very good relationships with the members, this allows you to promote each others businesses to the fullest potential and make solid contacts with in the group.
You can attend other BNI meetings but if there is someone there in the same industry as you, you will not be allowed to promote your business.

My thoughts on BNI
I like it in general. My first year in business for myself I joined BNI and it worked very well for me. I didn't need to do any other advertising and it got me off to a good start. I liked most of the folks in the group and the ones i got on with best, we still do business and refer business to each other, even though i am no longer a member. Going to the meetings every week gave me confidence about how to pitch my business with in 60 seconds to the group, this has been a very valuable tool to have learned. In the end the renewal was a lot of money to pay in one lump sum and I felt I wanted to try something else. I don't like the strict nature of being part of the group, for the money you pay there is on give or take. If you can't make it due to business commitments then that should be up to you, I became self employed to have a bit of flexibility about my working day and this did not fit in to that. I believe each group will be different and have a different atmosphere, but it is very dependant on the other members of the group.

Next post is about 4Networking.

Call That Number!

We've got a few announcements coming up over the next few weeks! Huzzah!

We're settling in nicely to the new shop and it's taking shape slowly as we work on our orders coming in as well as moving things about.

The first announcement is we have a new phone number. After moving premises over a month ago now, we have finally managed to get the phone company to get us a line in!!

Our new number is

0845 263 6584

Give us a call on this with any questions you have, or even to just say hi! :D