Prior to the recession, I got my business mostly from search engine rankings and few sales from strategic partnerships. 2009 was especially challenging for my business; not only were we affected by the recession but our online rankings had dropped and the leads we got per month dropped from 24 to 7 while earnings dropped from an average $15,000 to $5,000/month. After the third month like this, we had to make a decision to let go our employee who was not just our employee but part of our family. This was a heartbreaking decision as our employee was a single parent and had no relatives in NC.

After my first month at BNI during my 60 Seconds at my BNI, I shared my decision to let go our employee and how heartbreaking it was. BNI members not only rushed to my aid by referring clients that enabled me to gain 55% of our losses due to search engine rankings drop but also referred a search marketing consultant, Durdana Ricchiuto, who is the owner of www.SaleAttraction.com. She helped in regaining lost rankings and gain ranks for several new lucrative keywords that boosted monthly revenue by an average $3,500/month. This increase in our income allowed us to add Angela Marks as our part-time Virtual Assistant (owner of www.YourVirtualHelp.com) who also loves BNI as it has allowed her to build her business. Angela is a blessing as well as she recently referred two of her clients to us.

So from $5,000/month we were able to go to $8,000/month due to BNI referrals and then $18,500/month with help from SaleAttraction; also thanks to BNI. Total earnings have been: $232,500 during our first 12 months with BNI. Cost of being a BNI member: About $300 + commuting + morning coffee. This was a no brainer and we have continued our membership since then.

Aside from these financial successes, my family has gained several family friends as we were new transplants in Cary, NC from Long Island and did not know a soul here. My daughter Keira is a classmate of a fellow BNI member’s daughter and these kinds of friendships are priceless. BNI not only makes sure my business skills are working but also helps enrich personal relationships.

Thank you Steve Hand and Dr. Misner!

The goal of International Networking Week® is to celebrate the key role that networking plays in the development and success of businesses across the world. Simultaneous events will be held globally to celebrate International Networking Week. The focus of these events will be to bring together representatives of government, businesses, and the community to network with each other, to understand the concept of good networking and to listen to talks by key networking specialists from across the world.

Watch this video in which Dr. Misner discusses the theme of International Networking Week®.

Please check here for event details.

David was extremely proactive (to put it mildly) when it came to inviting his colleagues.  He also worked diligently to motivate fellow core group members to do likewise.  The entire group worked brilliantly as a team immediately establishing and strengthening their business relationships; each week becoming stronger and more dynamic.  The motivated group quickly grew to 29 and the training fun began.

Two of our dynamic BNI director consultants led the chapter training: Maggie Komar and Anne Delaney.  These ladies thoroughly and efficiently provided insightful information each week to prepare the group for their November 30^th launch.  Two months later they celebrated with a very successful chapter launch with almost 20 guests and several seriously interested candidates.  The meeting was a huge event for the Courtenay/Comox region, and as a result, lots of positive word of mouth about BNI circulated around the community.

The BNI Momentum Wednesday morning meetings are held at the beautiful Old House Restaurant in Courtenay.  This historic venue is a place any BNI member would be proud to bring a visitor (or two or three).  Adding to the chapter’s success is the fact that each of the members had already practiced or quickly adopted our Givers Gain philosophy.  This is evident in their already established or newly formed relationships and passing of great quality referrals.

In less than two month of their launch, BNI Momentum is now Vancouver Island’s largest chapter—with 38 members!  Watch out for this driving chapter: With momentum like this, they are sure to continue to be one of our region’s most successful chapters in 2012!

Congratulations to all of the members, the chapter leaders, and Maggie and Anne for the fantastic training!  Keep up the great BNI Momentum.  Be sure to visit BNI Momentum’s social media links:  http://www.facebook.com/BNIMomentum  and http://twitter.com/#!/BNIMomentum

Interested in attending a BNI meeting on beautiful Vancouver Island?  Simply visit bnibc.ca.

In 2010 a life-changing move took him to Lille, in the North of France, where he established a new branch of the business.  Determined to once again become part of BNI to help grow the new base, he found that no chapter existed in Lille.  He immediately contacted the Head Office to see about starting one.  With two chapters launched, a third kick-off on January 17, and three more core groups underway, it is only now in his new role as a director that Philippe says he recognizes the true power and efficiency of BNI as an organization.

Philippe’s objective is to become a franchisee in the Northern Region, one of the largest metropolitan areas in France.  The reason, he says, is because of the power of the BNI system and his firm belief in the benefits for those members who embrace it.  Furthermore, he enjoys working as part of a team with BNI France and the other Directors.

The Bluebells School in India, established in 2004, was supported by the BNI Misner Foundation. Last year, Dr. Misner visited the school.

At its origin, the school was comprised of three kids; it now has over 320 kids. Thanks to the Misner Foundation, the additional floor got built and completed.

Every day the kids:

• get a good education
• get clothes to wear
• get a good meal
• are taught basic health and hygiene skills
• are given a sense of self-worth
• are beaming with smiles.

“All thanks to the funding from Ivan and Beth via the Misner Foundation and thanks to the dedicated team that James Ambat has put together and to the teachers and support staff who shower their love and affection on the kids while providing them the basic skills that will take these kids far,” writes Mahesh ‘Mac’ Srinivasan, the executive director of BNI Bangalore, India.

Watch this inspiring video!

See photos of the Misner’s trip to Bluebells School.

1. Present Dr. Misner’s 2012 International Networking Week Video.
2. Utilize the special 2012 International Networking Week exercise, the details of which are outlined below:

   **SPECIAL NETWORKING EXERCISE FOR IMPLEMENTATION DURING INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING WEEK (February 6^th—10^th, 2012)**

   BNI Meeting Stimulant #41: “Bring One of Your Best Clients”

   Bring one of your best clients to your BNI meeting in order to introduce this valued client to your BNI chapter and show how and why the BNI method of networking is so effective.  This will also serve to strengthen your relationship with your client, create increased networking opportunities for everyone in attendance at the meeting, and offer you a way to show gratitude to your client by publicly recognizing them.For full details about this exercise and how to implement it, please click here.

Finally, here is a link for directors to post any big events in their regions:  http://internationalnetworkingweek.com/submit/

Click here to watch the video.

Mike Challo, chapter director of BNI Sunrise Nairobi, says, “We are all very proud to be members of the BNI family and we aspire to be the best chapter in Africa. BNI has really changed the way Sunrise members do business in Kenya.”

Another member, Michael Mwai, says of the chapter, “This is an amazing group of people.  They make the ‘sun rise’ for BNI every week.”

Watch the video here to enjoy a selection of Christmas-themed musical 60-second excerpts from the 2011 festive meeting on December 20th.

Watch the video here.