Doing Business the Old Fashioned Way in a High Tech World

Every Wednesday morning a group of East Greenwich business people start their day with a 7:00 BNI meeting at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.   

Only one person from a profession can join a chapter, so a similar meeting is taking place in an adjacent room and similar meetings take place daily around the world.

BNI says it is the largest business-networking organization in the world. Members share ideas, contacts and business referrals and live by the goal that givers gain, believing the more business they give others the more will be returned to them.

Jody Sceery, a real estate attorney who works out of her East Greenwich home says she wouldn’t get up for a meeting this early if it wasn’t worth it.  She has been a BNI member for two years.

In spite of a sluggish real estate market she says she is doing well. “The perception is bad,” she says, “but rates are very competitive, people are refinancing and there are still purchases and sales.”

She credits her BNI connections for generating business. She has done work for other members as well as getting referrals from a member who is a realtor and from East Greenwich resident David Johansen who works for Homestar Mortgage.

Johansen also says BNI works for him and his business is doing well.  “There is still business,” he says, “a lot of buyers and right now a lot of inventory.” 

A BNI benefit is that he can direct customers with specific needs back to BNI members who are electricians, painters, sell floor covering and provide other home related services. He says it is important to be able to send his contacts to people he can trust.

Harry Waterman’s employer, owner Ken Mills, belongs to a BNI group and got him involved in the organization.  

Waterman says he has to work harder and smarter in this economy and has found a wealth of strong, warm referrals as a BNI member. In 2010 those contacts generated him an additional $14,000 in business.

The 19-member group keeps track of business generated by referrals, which so far this year totals over $360,000.

Sceery brought current president Kim Elliott-Peterson into the group. At one time Elliott-Peterson operated Lady Fingers nail salon on Main Street in East Greenwich, but now is focused on KEP Designs, her interior-design business.

This chapter’s last meeting was open to potential members, with about a dozen people looking them over. After opening ceremonies each member spoke for 60 seconds about what they do and how they network. As they spoke, a collection of business cards was passed around the room so guests and members could follow up if they saw a connection.

All the guests liked the organization and about half seemed to feel the timing was right for them and they would be joining.