Two Tyneside business entrepreneurs are giving the perfect Christmas present to other businesses in the area.
Chris Pattinson who runs Forest Hall based Tyneside Security and Morgan Stephenson from Gateshead’s HT Media are setting up a new chapter of the world’s largest referral group in a bid to help local businesses kick start a lucrative and prosperous 2015.
BNI, Business Network International, was founded in the 1980s by American management consultant, Ivan Misner who created a highly structured referral group with the philosophy of “givers gain”.
With more than 13,000 members in the UK and Ireland alone, passing nearly 680,000 referrals worth over £339 million every year, both Chris and Morgan are looking forward to sharing the secret of BNI’s success with attendees at the inaugural breakfast meeting.
Morgan said. “The first meeting of BNI Brandling will take place on Friday 12th December at 6.45am at the Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park. It’s an early start but I know from past experiences that it’ll be well worth getting up early for.“
The pair are looking for businesses of all shapes and sizes to come along to see what BNI can offer them and to hear how a good referral network can build up their business as Chris explains.
“BNI is a great organisation based on getting to know and trust people within your chapter so that it becomes second nature to refer business to each other. It’s helped us to grow our businesses by getting regular referrals and the knowledge that we have a reliable and trustworthy bank of trades people, professionals and consultants that we can call upon when we and our contacts need them.”
BNI Northumbria Executive Director, Craig Moore said.
“We have created the perfect local business environment in Northumbria to help our members exchange highly profitable business referrals and share great new ideas to build better businesses. This could be the best Christmas present ever for the Gosforth business community. I’d urge everyone to come along and see for themselves how BNI can help their business grow.”
Places for the event can be booked at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/brandling-bni-tickets-14654372623?aff=es2&rank=4