Polly BNI

Members of the Irish Business Women's Forum may be aware that I was recently invited to attend a meeting of the newly formed Offaly Chapter of Business Network International (more commonly known as BNI).

Of course being both curious and cynical I went along to the meeting. I'd done a little bit of research, ie Googled BNI; but still wasn't quite sure of what it was I was going along to! The early morning wake-up call was a bit of a shock to the system. Offaly members of the Chapter get up early every Thursday morning for a meeting which commences at 06.45am...

The mere fact that I woke up before the alarm had sounded at 06.10am bode well; and by the time the members of the chapter had started their meeting, I was washed, brushed and dressed. With eyes bright and an open mind I approached the meeting in much the same way I'd gone to the famous Bridal & Debs Exhibition the other week. I had little to loose, apart from a couple of hours sleep that is; and oh so much to gain.

For starters I met a girl I'd been friendly with as a young teenager in the village of Geashill. My fondest memories comprise of the two of us dancing to John Travolta and Olivia Newtronn-Bomb in a spare room above her aunts public house. Of course our energy flagged and we abandoned the black vinyl disc in search of rest and probably a coke or two! The following day the sunlight buckled the disc out of all recognition, resulting in a somewhat bumpier ride for our two hero's...

I know that my friend, with whom I'd lost contact many years ago; had pursued similar career interests to myself and took comfort from her enthusiasm and her firm handshake. There were one or two other faces which I recognized; all of which made it easier for me to integrate myself into the group comprised predominantly of men.

I even had the courage to stand up and introduce myself and my business to the meeting; for sixty seconds I took the floor while my business cards and artists trading cards circulated around the room. Phew! Sixty seconds can be a long time; but there's nothing like nursing to help you through it...

By the end of the meeting, which included a typically Irish Breakfast my only concern was the joining fees. Admittedly they are not cheap; in fact they are anything but! They do however accept Visa/Mastercard and the monthly fee can be taken by standing order...

Compared with the cost of regular advertising BNI is cheap. At a cost of €164.00 a week, I wouldn't get much change out of €2,000 per year, would I? The only problem is that it is difficult to quantify how much an investment of that type would return in terms of new business.

My investment with yourlocal.ie has proven to be an expensive mistake - after one month I haven't had a single click through as a result of advertising through them. Regarding my three month agreement; I was guaranteed business which has so far not been forthcoming, so I'm not going to worry about the other two months of the trial. There's no point in throwing good money after bad...

So; with regard to BNI, where do I stand? I'm sold on the principal; but I am very concerned about the cost involved. Also, the annual fee is non-returnable! Can I really expect a middle aged concrete pre-cast manufacturer to promote my handmade wedding stationary to his customer's? Well, maybe I can - afterall; he does run a golf club too!!!!

I do have the opportunity to visit one other meeting before committing myself. I wonder though, if I will be able to get up so early next Thursday? No doubt you'll find out later in the week; whether or not I did!!!

Polly Pierce
Vinca Hand Made Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary