Andrew,

I am the President of the High Desert Business to Business Chapter and we are having our kick-off on April 25th. What are the biggest challenges you are finding in getting people to the meetings?

Hi John Caylor,

One of the bigger challenges is that people can get ill, they can have job commitments that preclude their ability to come -- tax season is tough on accountants and lawyers -- but our attendance has been rather steady as of late.   We only have seven members but that is from about two months of working on it.  We're having our "Kick-Off" meeting this week, and we have about 20 committed to come visit.  I will work at it until the last minute because I know we'll have some no-shows.  However, in order to reach our goals for membership, it does take a concerted effort. 

I heard of a men's reciprocity group here in our city that has been in existance since 1966 - 41 years!   My attorney is in that group and I wish he would have invited me decades ago.  :^)  T'was not to be, but it does point out that many groups do get started and stay going for a very long time.  They have about 65 people in their group, so that is a good benchmark for me in our group.  I think when you have that many in a group, referrals occur every meeting to many people so it helps keep the enthusiasm level high. 

Some businesses are probably not well suited to BNI, or similar groups, but real estate is certainly not one of them.   MD's could be one example.  Realtors bring a lot of referrals to the group. I've heard that they do come back to you, if you're patient!

Good Luck!   Keep the enthusiasm going by continually growing the group. 

Since the original post, on April 6, we've added 6 new members -- we're now at 13. 

We still need to fill a large number of slots.  The Electrician Slot is still up for grabs.  I'm hoping that the electrician to whom I refer most of my leads will take a second look at joining, although their business is still small enough that it is hard to find a person available to attend a meeting! 

This is a bit of a challenge for many of the building trades professions -- having enough people in the business that you have someone who can focus on building the business to achieve long term success. 

As with many small businesses, our Chapter's growth is indeed a mark of success, but it can also bring many challenges with it.  The first place we were meeting, we quickly outgrew.  The second setting, the Cub Club, is already feeling some strain -- they're just not well suited for 25 people around a table, ordering off a menu. 

In the meantime, I'm patiently waiting for my first legitimate lead.  It will happen, and I know it will.  "Giver's Gain" so my goal is to keep giving, knowing that in the long term, I will be remembered.

Anyone else have any BNI experiences?  BTW, we're actively seeking a Commercial Real Estate Professional.  Any one know a good one in Des Moines?