Local entrepreneurs gain through networking groups

The weekly meetings for the Whitefish chapter of the international business networking organization BNI are, as the saying goes, all business.

“This is for very serious people who want to have a team of people behind them focused on helping them build their businesses,” Jill Evans, president of the group, said. “We’re still a fun group, and we’re happy to get to know each other, but we’re really there to network.”

The monthly meetings at Dos Amigos restaurant for Women of Whitefish, a group Evans founded seven years ago for women entrepreneurs, have a decidedly looser feel.

“Our whole purpose is not just for referrals, but to mentor younger business women and to foster camaraderie and support,” Evans said. “There are no formal requirements or even time to give referrals in the meeting.”

Though they are two very different models for business networking groups, Evans said both have their place. Evans, a marketing distributor for SendOut Cards, an online greeting card company, said she believes they can work wonders for almost any business owner.

“We’re in a real challenging time for businesses in our country right now,” Evans said. “It’s very important to me that we know more about each other’s businesses and we become aware that giving a referral can change someone’s business life.”

In Kalispell, the Flathead Business Group has been helping its members spread the word about its members for seven years. Chris Burgess of JBUR Solutions, a computer and network support firm, is the current president of the Flathead Business Group.

He also believes that all small businesses should consider belonging to a networking organization.

“If they don’t, they should,” he said. “Any small business can benefit from being in a lead-sharing group like ours. The only ones who couldn’t are those who already have more work then they can handle.”

Montana Auto Center’s Debe Miller, vice president of the Biz to Biz Network chapter in Kalispell, has taken to heart something she once heard from the first Biz to Biz member in Kalispell, Chris Noel of No Doubt Land Co.

“She said, ‘Where else can you get a sales team of 30-plus people for less than $1 a day?’”

Joining a networking group, however, is not to be taken lightly. Attendance is usually mandatory for a high percentage of the meetings. Whitefish BNI members who miss more than three meetings in a six-month period can lose their spots. At least 50 percent attendance is required for the 9 a.m. Wednesday meetings of the Flathead Business Group.

The meeting requirement can make it hard to attract certain kinds of professionals, such as building contractors, Burgess said.

“It would be really nice to have an electrician back in the group, nice to have a good general contractor,” he said. “But it’s difficult for them to allocate that kind of time.”

Business networking groups usually allow only one representative per profession so there is no competition for similar referrals within the group. Most have a membership committee to judge whether or not a business will make the cut.

“Anyone who wants to find a good business can rest assured that if the business is a member [of Flathead Business Group], they’ve been vetted and checked out on how they take care of customers,” Burgess said.

Evans said confidence in her fellow BNI members is cultivated through the frequent meetings and the culture of commitment.

“You have an hour and a half with them every week, and you realize that you can truly trust those people,” she said. “It’s very easy as you go about your day, for example, if you see your neighbor limping through the grocery store, you can say, ‘I really know a great chiropractor.’ It just becomes part of your life to weave people together who you feel can help each other.”

The meetings for BNI are “very structured,” Evans said.

Members are given time to share information about their businesses through 60-second “commercials.” The group hears from a speaker, generally one of the group members, followed by referral-passing time and a discussion of networking opportunities.

“Everyone is pretty much expected to have referrals,” Evans said. “They’re supposed to be as close as we can get to closed deals. We attempt to be salespeople for the other people in BNI.

“The theme for BNI is ‘Givers Gain.’ That means that I’m going there every Thursday to figure out how I can get a lead for someone else or give them a referral.”

Biz to Biz meetings, held weekly at 9 a.m. Thursdays at the group’s office on U.S. 2 West, are similar, opening with a short presention by each member. Their meetings also feature announcements, updates, training, testimonials and referrals. There are referral requirements, but Miller said it’s not hard to meet the target numbers, as each business has a well-rounded understanding of what the others offer.

“They help you to sell them,” she said.

Flathead Business Group’s referral goals are not stringent, Burgess said. The meetings devote time to a member presentation, and they’re often likely to focus on topics such as what makes a good lead, or bring in guest speakers from outside the group, such as people running for office.

“We’re not high pressure about sharing leads,” he said. “We don’t say you have to pass X amount of leads per week.”

Burgess said Flathead Business Group is always open to adding new businesses. Entrepreneurs of any stripe are invited to attend a few meetings before deciding whether or not to apply for membership.

“We’ve had pet groomers, seamstresses, you name it,” he said.

For more information:

www.flatheadbusinessgroup.com

www.biztobizinc.com/Chapter.php?chaptername=Kalispell

www.bni.com

Business reporter Heidi Gaiser may be reached at 758-4439 or by email at hgaiser@dailyinterlake.com.