The Tyne Bridge Chapter of BNI (Business Network International) meets over breakfast every Wednesday at the Valley Farm on Gateshead’s Team Valley to generate business amongst the group. By passing referrals and attracting new business, the group has gone from strength to strength and in the last two years has grown from 18 members to more than 30. A huge variety of trades, skills and professions are represented including insurance, accountancy, therapists and a plumber.
BNI was founded in the late 1980’s by Dr Ivan Misner, and came to the UK & Ireland in 1996 bringing with it the proven structure that is now used in over 60 countries around the world. BNI is a highly structured referral organisation with the core philosophy of “givers gain. The UK and Ireland alone has over 500 groups in operation with over 12,000 members passing nearly 680,000 referrals worth over £400 million of business for its members every year.
BNI Tyne Bridge’s Membership Coordinator, Neil Aitchison from Ouseburn based stationers, Lowes Hall said,
“Our group is very dynamic and focused on helping each other achieve realistic goals for our respective businesses, we don’t get up this early simply to have breakfast and a chat and that’s why we are so successful.
We have more than 30 local business’s meeting each week to pass on quality business referrals which have led to more than £1 million worth of business for the group in the last 12 months. Our aim is to replicate that figure for our members this year too. “
Tyne Bridge Chapter is particularly keen to welcome visitors and currently has vacancies for businesses such as a florist, a joiner, a bookkeeper, an architect and a car mechanic. For more information contact Neil Aitchison on 07887 249 298