Get Invited
Your first step is to find a local Chapter and register for a meeting. We have chapters across all of Northwest Ohio and over 9,000 across the world. The registration process is easy. You will receive emails from the local Chapter leadership with information about the meeting.
What to Expect
Visitors like you attend online chapter meetings all the time. Members are excited to meet you and make every effort to make the experience fun and productive for you. There is a proven agenda used worldwide to make the most of your time.
Proven Agenda
During the meeting, you’ll have time to share your name, your business, and how you help your clients. It’s that easy and is only a few mouse clicks away from building new referral relationships.
Relationships & Referrals
You will see networking in action. Members will be building relationship and sharing referrals to help each other grow their businesses.
Experience our proven referral system in action. People just like you working together,
helping each other grow their businesses and improve their business skills.
FAQs
Q: Can anyone join a chapter?
BNI is exclusive: only one person per professional specialty is permitted to join a chapter. If your specific "seat" is no longer available, we can refer you to another chapter.
Q: How do you know new members are reputable?
BNI membership application requires interviews, references and background checks performed by each chapter's membership committee. Additionally, everyone applying must be sponsored by an existing member.
Q: What if a member receives a referral, but performs their work poorly?
BNI chapters maintain a high code of ethics that all members agree to uphold. Any member unsatisfactorily handling referrals must be reported to the membership committee, for investigation.
Q: What occupations benefit the most from networking?
BNI is relationship-building. Therefore, membership focus is on the individual, not the occupation. Have a dream? Are you focused? Are you willing to make the sacrifices necessary to be successful? You will be very attractive to BNI chapters.
Q: Is my network large enough to bring consistent referrals?
This is one of the most common concerns of visitors and new members. We are all standing in the middle of ideal referrals for each other every day, however, we don't act upon them. Once your fellow members train you on how to recognize those opportunities, the referring process becomes much easier!
Q: Are members supposed to bring visitors?
Members are encouraged to bring visitors to the chapter. Visitors bring fresh, new energy, they pass referrals, and they expand the chapter's network.
Q: Do ethical rules for certain professions prohibit participation in BNI?
BNI understands the importance of the ethical concerns governing certain professions and acknowledges that rules can differ by location. As such, BNI, therefore, requires its members to uphold the standards of its trade so as not to violate the professional's ethical obligations. If BNI's general rules could potentially violate a professional's ethical code, the professional's code of ethics supersedes BNI's rules. A primary objective of BNI is to educate members in ways that will market and grow a business. BNI intends to ensure this is permitted.
Q: In my profession, my area of specialty is more narrowed. Am I expected to be an expert in all aspects of my trade?
BNI understands that many professions are broad and that people often specialize in their profession. BNI does not expect, nor does it encourage, any professional to participate in an area in which the professional does not have expertise. On the contrary, BNI prohibits professionals from acting outside of the scope of their abilities.
Q: My profession does not let me directly solicit business. Is BNI still right for me?
BNI's primary objectives: assist members in ways to improve their business, and educate them to become more proficient at networking. Professionals earn business when their expertise is known, and when others reach a level of trust with them. BNI provides a valuable forum that can facilitate introductions, build credibility, and increase profitability.
Experience our proven referral system in action. People just like you working together,
helping each other grow their businesses and improve their business skills.
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