By Hector Cisneros
There are many issues that a new business owner must tackle during start up. These items generally fall into three categories.
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There are many issues that a new business owner must tackle during start up. These items generally fall into three categories.
- Things that must be taken care of now (either because they are legally required or must be in place before the next item can be handled).
- Things that need to be taken care of soon, like creating short term marketing plans, creating a unique selling proposition, your ideal customer profile and goals.
- Longer term issues like creating operating procedures, having a growth plan, detailed marketing plan, an employee handbook and more are last on the list.
Obviously, my
start up list is very short and leaves out many items that must be
addressed. The focus of this article is not about all the myriad of
items and details a new business owner has to tackle. No, this article's
purpose is to guide a new business owner in finding help and support
that will expedite their businesses growth. That’s right, growing their
business and getting help at the same time. We will be killing two birds
with one stone.
Every New Business Needs a Team
Every new business needs a team of professionals to help them get off on the right foot. They need legal advice, accounting help, plus banking, marketing,
and insurance advice. You name it, they need it. A great way for a new
business to get this help is to join a successful networking group in
their area. For most areas in the world, this means joining a BNI
chapter. This is not to say that there aren’t other networks a business
owner could join. As a matter of fact, almost every city and town in
the US has a Chamber of Commerce ready and willing to help. In Jacksonville,
where I live and work, we have about a dozen viable and successful
network organizations that a new business owner can join. I point out
BNI because it is one of the oldest, most successful and profitable
organization for its members. BNI is not for everyone, but for those
businesses that like structure, a well organized leadership team, a
punctual timetable and growth through referrals, BNI is hard to beat.
So When Asked
 P question (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
When asked the question, “What do I recommend that a new business owner
do to get their business started on the right foot?” I always say, "Join a
BNI chapter." It’s the fastest way I know to build your credibility in a
new location. If they are new in business and new to an area, joining
the Chamber and a BNI chapter is a must. It’s extremely important to be
proactive if your business is new to an area. Building credibility in
your new community starts with meeting lots of other business people and
members of that community. They must see and get to know you first
before they will trust you.
I
like to steer business people towards BNI because I feel it provides
the most benefits for the money and time they will invest. Becoming a
BNI member provides them with several benefits:
- First they can build a referral partnership with the members of their chapter. Everyone knows that referrals are the best kind of business you can get, and BNI is all about referrals.
- Second they will receive training on how to improve their word of mouth marketing skills, a valuable skill needed by all business owners.
- Third, they will gain access to the BNI members’ clients, thus expanding their influence and customer base.
- Fourth they will become a member of a much larger organization connecting to much more than just their chapter. BNI connects you to thousands of members worldwide.
Because of
the bond they have as members of BNI, they will be able to connect and
meet with any BNI member in their region. A BNI member’s common culture
and camaraderie are second to none. If you ask any BNI member what is
the motto of the organization, every member will immediately say,
“Givers Gain”. Name another organization where every member immediately
knows the organization's motto! This corporate culture of “Givers Gain”
makes connecting easy for BNI members throughout their region, indeed
even throughout the world! In the Jacksonville area, there are more
than 600 BNI members. This means you have access to a large group of
businesses to network with immediately.
Hidden Benefits
 Perk (Photo credit: The Stakhanovite Twins) |
The
last benefit of BNI is almost a hidden one. A new business would gain
access to the expertise of the members in their chapter. As they build
trust, credibility and yes friendships too, they will also learn from
their referral partners. They will learn lots of useful and necessary
business skills that will help them grow their business. They will find
business people they can trust to get things done right. They're fellow
referral partners can help their new business in a multitude of ways.
They will find all the professional help that a new business normally
needs when starting. They will find CPA’s and accountants, payroll
specialist, website builders, computer technicians, marketing
specialist, insurance agents, sales trainers, legal counsel and much
more. These are the professions that every new business already needs
help with, yet in BNI they get so much more. It’s great to get referrals
to grow your business, but it’s also great to get help to grow it the
right way too. This is why I say joining BNI is like killing two birds
with one stone.
Yes,
my first advice would be to join a BNI chapter and take advantage of
all that it has to offer. When I have recommended this to proactive
business owners in the past, they have always ended up thanking me. This
is not to belittle any other organization that can also help. Nor am I
trying to slight the many important matters that have to be taken care
of during startup. It's just my opinion that joining a BNI chapter is a
great place to start, find help and achieve real growth. It’s also a
place where proactive entrepreneurs stay and prosper. I have been a
member for almost 19 years and can’t think of a better organizational
decision I’ve made during that time. If you’re not a member of BNI,
check out a chapter and see if it’s for you. If your area doesn’t have a
chapter be proactive and start one. It will be the best growing
experience you can get without having to pay a consultant.
That’s my opinion, I want to hear yours.
If you found this article useful, share it with your friends, families and co-works. If you have a comment related to this article, leave it in the comment sections below. If you would like a free copy of our book, "Internet Marketing Tips for the 21st Century", fill out the form below.
If you found this article useful, share it with your friends, families and co-works. If you have a comment related to this article, leave it in the comment sections below. If you would like a free copy of our book, "Internet Marketing Tips for the 21st Century", fill out the form below.
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