Three Years of BNI

It was at exactly this meeting that I filled in a membership application form, and that completely changed the way I began working on attracting clients to my business. It was a shift away from cold calls and email marketing - towards only referral and relationship marketing, as well as activity on social networks and active attendance at networking events.

BNI entrepreneur business clubs in Latvia

The first group - BNI Wagner - was opened on 1 July 2015. It is the oldest and, arguably, the most serious group in BNI's history to date. On 10 March 2016 it was followed by BNI Vivaldi - currently Latvia's largest, most energetic, and fastest-growing group. It is also the one where I have purchased my business's seat. As a reminder of BNI's conditions - a group may have only one representative from any given sector, as the non-competition rule applies.

Photo: BNI referral cards used in the group's early days, later replaced by registration in the BNI Connect electronic system

Later, in the summer of 2016, another group was launched - this time with Russian as the working language - BNI Artmane; and on 1 March 2018, a third Latvian-language group - BNI Zapp. The total turnover generated for members across all groups currently exceeds five million euros.

What attracts entrepreneurs to these business clubs?

Firstly, the emotional experience - the openness of group members, positivity, non-competition, and collaboration. The BNI club rules must also be mentioned - they push every member out of their comfort zone. These include early rising, mandatory attendance, discipline, brief 30-second self-presentations every week, sharing of experience and valuable contacts, mutual assistance, and consultations on various professional matters. The sense of having a fellow member by your side.

Photo from a BNI Vivaldi morning at the "Osta" restaurant

Secondly, the opportunity to grow your business turnover by helping others with "warm" business contacts, taking on pro bono responsibilities within the group, and increasing your own visibility and credibility. This is also a question of the entrepreneur's quality. Trustworthiness - contacts that will not let you down.

Thirdly, personal growth as an individual. Invaluable experience of collaborating with representatives of many different industries, different characters, and different personality types. Leadership and management experience. Experience in building business relationships. BNI training that is useful both for strengthening the group's activities and for each member's own analysis and improvement of their business processes.

Photo from BNI training

For example, I had previously heard and read about the value of specialisation, but had never carried out an analysis of client types and income based on that. Working through three years of accumulated experience and data, I realised that I represent not only the personnel recruitment and consultancy field in general, but have more narrowly specialised specifically in technical vacancy recruitment for companies. That is my strong suit and what I must develop, pitch, and invest in. On the principle that what suits everyone suits no one in particular. Be specific, be unique!

New contacts take you where you never thought you'd end up

In these three years I have met and got to know more people than in the previous ten years. I have learned about so many different large and small businesses in Latvia. I have published a book on recruiting through social networks and networking events - "How to Recruit More Successfully" - with the support of BNI member Jānis Oga (Mansards publishing house). I have led several masterclasses and participated in conferences, because I have been recommended to their organisers. I have spoken in front of large and small audiences, overcoming self-doubt and developing my public speaking. I have led working groups.

Photo: Jānis Oga, Mansards director and publisher; me at a BNI morning, holding for the first time copies of my newly published book; Aiga Veckalne, tulkot.lv director and the book's text editor

And best of all - being part of this organisation, I understand that the most interesting part is still ahead. The many challenges that allow not a moment of complacency. Maintaining oneself in top form and self-discipline. The main thing is not to stand on the sidelines - to say "yes" to new responsibilities, new situations, and new relationships. Perhaps I idealise the BNI concept a little, but so far there has been nothing better for entrepreneurs specifically in Latvia.

Offerings to the BNI gods

Being a BNI member is not an inexpensive proposition. The group membership fee is around one thousand euros per year, plus the cost of breakfasts and the cost of training - that is, around EUR 1,608.50. The current value of a seat in the group I belong to is around EUR 26,000 - that is, the average amount of turnover each member has generated. In my case, that is a very realistic figure.

Photo from a BNI morning at Park Inn hotel

But money is not even the greatest initial investment that each member devotes to the BNI entrepreneur club. The greatest and today the most precious resource is time. It is the weekly morning meetings from 6:45 to 9:30, it is one-to-one meetings once or twice a week, it is three-hour training sessions once a month, it is leadership forums once a month, it is one-and-a-half-hour power team meetings once a month, it is member committee or management group meetings.

It is being "online" almost 24 hours a day, because you constantly receive messages in the WhatsApp app on your phone, in closed and open Facebook groups, by email, and in the BNI Connect app. It becomes your lifestyle, your daily routine, an integral part of your existing business.

BNI changes

In a BNI group, it is not only the personalities that change (some members do not renew their membership after a year, or are asked to leave the group due to inactivity), but also the internal structural and procedural conditions. For example, at the beginning, BNI training was included in the member's participation fee; now each training session attended costs at least an additional EUR 5. As a reminder - if you want to be a member, attendance is mandatory.

Similarly, starting this year, stratification is being introduced in BNI Latvia - small and medium-sized businesses in some groups, and top industry players in others (the latter group is still in the formation stage). A VIP club (leadership forums) was also established, to which each group's former and current management team, gold club members, and top performers or revenue generators can belong. It is worth striving to be among the best, because visibility and credibility-building are no longer limited to a single group but operate at the level of all - currently four - groups. Oh, and if you commit to being part of this leadership group, monthly participation in forums is mandatory.

One further development recently announced at a BNI Vivaldi group morning: membership will henceforth only be renewed for members who have generated at least EUR 10,000 for others within the year. In practical terms, to guarantee the realisation of deals, you must either purchase at least EUR 10,000 worth of goods or services from fellow members over the year, or be skilled enough as a salesperson to recommend another member's business so effectively that it results 100% in a closed deal.

Photo from a BNI morning; speaker - Aiga Veckalne, who together with Gatis Zāmurs introduced Latvia to the BNI concept in the spring of 2015

Endlessly interesting to see how all this will grow and develop further. The concept is simply fantastic - I sincerely admire its creator - it contains much of business management, leadership, relationship marketing, religion, cult, financial schemes, Mafia families, and cartels. Did my choice of words alarm you? Then BNI is not for you. A BNI person is someone outside their comfort zone, who is never satisfied, who is always ready to go the extra mile.

See you at one of the BNI early mornings!