November 18, 2014 /MM-PressAdvantage/ —
Kevin Jordan, a small business marketing consultant, is leading an effort to start a new chapter of Business Networking International in the central Virginia region. The new chapter, based in Farmville, would serve a six-county area including Prince Edward, Buckingham, Appomattox, Charlotte, Cumberland, and Lunenburg counties.
Farmville, VA, November 18th, 2014: In an effort to provide new networking opportunities for local business owners and bring a prestigious organization to Farmville, Kevin Jordan, a local small business marketing consultant, is helping to start a new chapter of Business Networking International (BNI) in the heart of central Virginia.
BNI is the world’s largest networking and business referral organization, with over 5,500 chapters and 170,000 members located on every populated continent. The organization was started in 1985 by Dr. Ivan Misner, who is often referred to as the father of modern networking. The purpose of BNI is to provide a structured environment in which local business owners can refer new customers to each other and support each other as they grow their businesses. A typical BNI chapter has between 16-30 members, with only one member allowed per business category. On average, in the central Virginia region, a BNI member can expect to receive over $30,000 in new business per year as a direct result of their participation in the organization.
“It’s like having an unpaid sales force for your business,” said Jordan. “BNI is all about providing high-quality referrals to other business owners, in the expectation that they will do the same in return. That’s the philosophy of ‘giver’s gain’ that BNI was founded on.”
Jordan first became familiar with BNI after watching an interview in which Dr. Misner explained how the organization worked, and why it was so effective. He was so impressed by what he heard that he visited the BNI website to find out if there was a chapter in the town of Farmville, VA where his business is based. He was surprised to discover that not only was there no chapter in Farmville, but there wasn’t a chapter in any of the surrounding six counties either.
Not one to be discouraged easily, Jordan decided that if there was no chapter in his area, he would just have to start one himself. First, he visited seven existing chapters in the central Virginia region to research the organization and get a sense of what made a chapter successful. Then, he approached Dawne Brooks-Gulla, the co-owner and Chief Networking Officer of the Central Virginia BNI franchise, about starting a chapter in Farmville.
“At first, Dawne did her best to discourage me,” Jordan said. “However, once she saw I was serious, and was willing to put in the significant time and effort required to make a new chapter successful, she gave the approval to start the chapter formation process.” That process began in late September with a kick-off meeting, which has been followed by weekly meetings every Thursday morning since. The chapter formation process will end when the new chapter has sixteen members, the minimum required to charter. At that point, it will operate as a normal BNI chapter.
Currently, the new chapter (which is called a “core group” up until it charters) has five members. Other than Kevin Jordan, those member businesses include a bridal salon, an insurance agent, a landscape company, and a printer. Right now chapter is actively seeking a real estate agent, attorney, financial advisor, and accountant, and expects to have all of those seats filled within the next few weeks. Once a business from one category joins, all of their competitors are locked out—which is one of the reasons BNI is so effective.
The Farmville BNI core group meets every Thursday morning from 8—9:30 am at the Moton Museum, a civil rights landmark in the town. Anyone can visit the meeting, but should RSVP first by contacting Kevin Jordan at 540-815-0060, or by registering to visit the chapter on the Central Virginia BNI website (www.bniva.com).
About Kevin Jordan:
Kevin Jordan is the owner of Redpoint Marketing Consultants, which offers marketing training and coaching programs to small business owners in central Virginia, including the Farmville area. He focuses on helping businesses develop a marketing strategy, and implementing a plan that serves that strategy. He is an authorized Duct Tape Marketing Consultant and Constant Contact Solution Provider.
Contact Info
Kevin Jordan
Redpoint Marketing Consultants
www.redpointmarketingconsultants.com
kevin@redpointmarketingconsultants.com
540-815-0060
Source: http://www.pressadvantage.com/story/477
Release ID: 68634
