Windshield Repair Forum

Hi I went to a meeting yesterday with a frind who dose WSR and the meeting was with a BNI group.I found that this is a great way to get new work.The group is made up of all kinds of bussinss from auto detaling,reastaurants owners,doctors,real estate,on and on.In the meeting you tell what u do and If they know of any one who need your service They will give you a referll, My freind got 4 jobs on the spot.The group meets once a week in a restaurant for the meeting for about two hours you pass out businesses cards and the best thing is it dose not cost to join.JUst thought I would pass this along hope this will help someone.

okay- whats a BNI group

Business Network International
http://www.bni.com

If you get into a good group, you can do very well. I was in a BNI group for about 2 years. It paid for itself and I enjoyed it, but I am 60 miles from the city, so for me it was difficult to make the meetngs every single week. I made a lot of friends who still keep in touch, but to be honest, it is very expensive. There are groups like TIPS that memberships cost less but the benefits for services such as ours are just as good.

what if there are already businesses in that meeting that do repair and or replacement? how does that work? do they get more referals if they have been there longer?

Dgarza, the following excerpt comes directly from BNI.com's site:
"BNI is a business and professional networking organization that allows only one person per professional classification or specialty to join a chapter."

ohhh so if there are already people doing what your doing then you cant join! sounds like discrimination!!!!!lol

Each chapter of this type of group allows only one member per business type. For instance: One real estate company (although it may be deciced that the category may be devided to allow one residential and one commercial broker)... same with insurance companies, etc. So, if a chapter has a glass replacement company already, that happens to also do windshield repair, the chapter may vote to allow a glass repair company as well. If this happens, members refer replacement to the replacement shop, but give their repair referrals to the repair shop.

At each meeting, each member gives a 30 to 60 sec thumbnail scetch (depending on how many members in the group, how long they can talk) of their business. Also one or two members will give in in-depth presentation regarding their business, usually hilighting vital points that the group needs to know in order to make good referrals. The group I was in had breakfast meeting, but some have lunch meetings.

There are no restrictions on how many chapters may flourish in a single area. Albuquerque, NM, for example, had something close to a dozen chapters of BNI at the time I was involved. (and I hve no idea how may chapters there are of TIPS and other similar networking groups). Besides the regular weekly meetings, there are also events where all the chapters get together and network. I enjoyed them a great deal, as I was the only wsr member, I almost always picked up new work, occasionally a fleet or car dealer too.

No, it is not discrimination in the strictest sense, since there is nothing to stop you from starting your own chapter, if there is no space for you in any of the existing ones. It is actually a good thing. It allows you to establish "spheres of influence" within the group without any other same type business distracting the members away from you.

I just spoke to somebody that runs the meetings and am going to one tomorrow. Sounds like this will be a great deal. thanks.

can anybody tell me the aproximate cost of a bni membership