In 2008, BNI's 111,000+ members located in 40+ countries, passed over 5.6 million referrals resulting in more than $2.3 billion U.S. dollars worth of business!

Belonging to BNI is like having dozens of sales people working for you because all the other members carry several copies of your business cards around with them.  When they meet someone who could use your products or service, they hand out your card and recommend your services.*  It's as simple as that!

It's simple because it's based on the proven concept of  "Givers Gain."  If I help you, you'll help me and we will both benefit as a result.  Would you like to increase your business by 20%, 30%, 50% or as much as 100%?  You can see results like this!  Many have. Some participants have added as many as 50 new clients in the first 2 years!

BNI's sole purpose is to provide a structured environment for the development and exchange of quality business referrals.  If referrals are an important part of your business, then BNI is the organization for you.

Successful businesses depend on word of mouth.  Word of mouth advertising is the best advertising there is.  BNI provides a structured and supportive system of giving and receiving business.  It does so by providing an environment in which you will develop personal relationships with dozens of other qualified business professionals.  By establishing this "formal" relationship with other people, you will have the opportunity to substantially increase your business.

For more information, please contact us by completing the online information request form.

Below you will find some additional information which you may find helpful.

Business networking requires commitment, not obligation!  The most successful chapters of BNI are comprised of as many as 50 members who are sincerely committed to helping one another through networking. They are a team.

It is important for visitors to be aware of the following BNI policies:

• Only one person from any professional specialty is permitted to join each BNI chapter.

• An individual BNI member may represent only one business category.

• Members represent their primary occupation.

• Attendance is critical.  Chapters conduct weekly 90-minute business meetings, and all members commit to weekly attendance.

• You may not join a BNI chapter if you are a current member of another referral-based networking group.**

You should note that some professions (particularly residential mortgage brokers, realtors, insurance professionals, and financial advisors) may find it extremely difficult to find a chapter or forming group with an opening for their business category.  If you are interested in starting your own chapter, please contact the BNI Mid-South Director.

As a participant in BNI you are responsible for complying with the policies and guidelines of the organization.***

1. "Am I getting as much or more business referred to me as other BNI members in similar categories, and if not, why not?"

2.  "Is the amount of business referred to me sufficient?"  BNI is a private marketing business.  Compared to other business expenses or forms of advertisement, membership in BNI's marketing program is not excessively expensive.

One reason we are asked about the destination of membership fees is that the operation seems, on the surface, to be very simple and easy.  But BNI is not a simple activity.  Word-of-mouth marketing is a performance activity that requires constant vigilance, energy, maintenance, and new growth.  Like so many performance activities, BNI staff members make the system look easy.  BNI is operated by a professional staff who initially created, and now work to maintain, a user-friendly marketing system.   Take away the BNI infrastructure and staff, and the service provided through the program will decline rapidly.

BNI is a service company.  All service organizations have the following expense lines:

Staffing: The bulk of a service organization's revenue goes toward paying staffing costs.  To hire superlative staff, the organization has to meet market demands like any other employer organization.  In the case of BNI, we benefit from the dedication and enthusiasm of our talented and experienced staff.

Marketing and Advertising: To survive, all organizations must dedicate a portion of their budget to marketing and advertising of their name, product, and benefit.  This line pays for brochures, this website (and BNI.com), flyers, publications, public relations, specialty items, consultants, public seminars, and more.

Administration: All organizations need a semblance of administration and management in order to operate smoothly and grow.  Most organizations like to keep their administrative costs streamlined, but all organizations have administrative needs.  Administration includes rent, office supplies, computers, accounting, and other items or services necessary to conduct business.

Communications: Business organizations must communicate with clients, suppliers, colleagues, advisors, consultants, and the general public.  Communication with local, national, and international organizations is a vital requirement for staying competitive and includes various networking techniques and strategies.  A portion of an overall budget is allocated to these processes, which include travel, phone, faxes, meetings, etc.

Operational Overhead: To keep abreast of the times and remain competitive, all organizations must conduct or pay for research and development of new products, trends, activities, and strategies.  In the case of a franchise organization, headquarters does most of this work.  Hired specialists who consult in specific project areas might be retained to work on special time-limited areas.  One example of BNI research and development was the development of the Member Success Program.

Training: As is said by many large multinational organizations, "Our most precious resource is our people."  Investment in the upgrading and training of staff is crucial to maintaining a competitive edge in the marketplace and, retaining staff. Training expenses represent a growing cost for all organizations.  A significant portion of BNI's budget also goes to training BNI Directors, Leadership Team members, and their committees.

Special Projects: To stay current and competitive, organizations must look for new programs to continually offer value and service to their existing clientele, maintain market share, and to attract new clients.  One example of a special project is SuccessNet Online.

Beyond this statement about "Where the Money Goes," each member, as an independent businessperson, must make his or her own decisions about where best to place revenue against expenses in order to meet business goals and objectives.  Whether a BNI membership is a favorable expense is an individual business decision and should be made within the private confines of each businessperson's management team.  One method for evaluating one's growth potential within BNI is to carefully interview other successful members in the same business category.  These contacts may be arranged through consultation with the BNI Mid-South Director.

*Some professionals specifically attorneys and certain health care professionals, may not be permitted to seek direct referrals through in person solicitation through the use of business cards pursuant to their ethical code.  Members of BNI that belong to these professions are directed to follow their profession's own ethical guidelines.

**A referral-based networking group is defined as one which requires the following of its membership:

1. Members are expected to find business referrals for other members.

2. Only one person from any professional specialty is permitted to join a individual group/club/chapter.

*** In the event that BNI's general rules could potentially violate a professional's ethical code, the professional's ethics code shall govern.