Recipro-City - London Bridge Business Group Proves that Giving is as Good as Receiving

London, June 2, 2012 – BNI London Bridge Enterprise, the fastest growing business networking and referral group, has today released its best monthly figures after launching their Power Team Portal, and ahead of its  specialist event for businesses within Event Management as well as Health and Wellbeing.

The significant improvement in results for BNI Enterprise comes at a time when the group, unlike any other of its kind, have been driving their team of local businesses to adopt a new online system. The “Power Team Portal” has been designed around their specialised events aimed at inviting key categories of businesses to learn how the BNI structure works, and the philosophy of givers gain.

Tim Holmes of Phoenix Training & Development, Project Lead for BNI Enterprise

“It was Einstein who said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.  We agree the same applies to business development: with slow-to-no growth, the need for a different approach to create the opportunities is even more pressing.”

Douglas Breaks of VEN Systems, Power Team Portal Developer

“Having embraced the Power Team Portal, BNI Enterprise members and their guests have experienced the best Power Team event to date, with business well over £30,000 being referred within the meeting, and much more in the pipeline. The Portal adds a professionalism which, over the month, helped attract four new members, with several in application… the newest member, a gas engineer, received four referrals day one!”

At the event, over 40 businesses follow a structured agenda, with opportunities to network either side of a round table meeting, followed up by a breakfast and the chance to discuss business with the other members. Starting at 07:00, and finishing by 08:30, the facilities and organisation provided by BNI is well thought through, ensuring all parties have a chance to introduce themselves, how others might help introduce business to them, with each member taking a 10-minute slot to present their business in more depth.

Members adhere to the simple but effective motto, 'Givers Gain'. Quite simply, members recommend other members when they meet someone needing a product or service and pass on these business opportunities. "If I give you business you'll give me business in return, and we'll both benefit”, expanded Tim Holmes of Phoenix Training & Development, “Effectively, each of us in the group now has over 25 additional salespeople out there promoting what we do.”  And it seems to work, with one of their members accumulating £180,000 of business in the pipeline through referrals; not bad considering the group is just a few months into its existence.

“We’re just getting started”, stated Oliver Hanrahan, Chapter Director, a solicitor from the West End firm Fuglers.  “We want to grow the membership up to at least 35 members, as greater numbers around the table means more relationships and a wider variety of specialisms”. An important rule BNI has in place is that only one person from any particular profession or industry can join so ensuring there are no conflicts of interest.  “Right now, we are seeking to recruit in several categories, such as events management, PR, health and wellbeing, the trades and print services - as good opportunities are being presented to the group, with no one in place to take them.”


Every six weeks the group holds a Visitors Day for prospective new members to attend – an opportunity to network, to see how the group works, and join up for a piece of the action.  Because they meet early, all the members view it as an addition to their normal business generation activities.  “As well as the business passed, it’s a great support network to have” commented Douglas Breaks.  “We all share each other’s challenges, and I value the relationships and advice I receive through them. It’s great to be working together in the team, with the portal helping to remind us of our activities…and our performance!”

The next Visitors Day, the Events and Health Power Team Day, is on the 26^th June, and they are expecting upwards of 45 businesses in the room, vying for the opportunity to take one of the seats on offer.  For further information or to register to attend, please contact Nicola@bniselondon.co.uk or visit www.bni-londonbridge-enterprise.co.uk

About BNI and BNI Enterprise London Bridge:

BNI is a business referral organisation whose primary purpose is to assist its members to find and exchange qualified business referrals for one another. Its uniqueness is that large numbers of qualified business is passed between members weekly and it has only one member of each profession or trade in each group. The organisation was started over 25-years ago, and has developed a training programme for its members. Last year the members referred over $2.8 billion dollars (U.S.) of business.

BNI Enterprise London Bridge, has been meeting at the Novotel on Southwark Bridge Road every Thursday at 06:45 since September 2011. Due to its City-based location, the business referrals tend to be of a higher value of similar groups. The group maintain a high calibre of member by thoroughly researching applications to join, promoting an even higher confidence to refer business within the group.