all the “slow down” threads got me to thinking.
here’s a bit more of my hard earned advice …
network and pass the work along.
I read lotsa threads where people … especially newer guys … discount the idea of not doing everything themselves … and I’m not talking about license requirements.
I can paint … I’m actually a pretty good painter … but any time anyone asks about painting … they get the name/number of “Dave, the Applied Coating Specialist”.
Joe invented that title … not Dave … Dave hates it. So we tell everyone that’s Daves title just to annoy him … anyways …
I pass each and every painting job along to Dave. He in turn, passes along jobs he thinks I’d be interrested in. He’s one part of our little happy group. He’s the only painter … there are a handful of carpenters … so he mentioned his job in Q to everyone, and who ever says they’re free first gets first dibs.
What made me think of this … the networking … was I got a voicemail message today … Mrs So and So … got my name/number from the PE I just used.
I’ve called him a coupla times before … and … for this last job … I set up an introduction between him and the company owner of a kitchen place I’m subing for. Instead of him dealing directly with me, as in the past, I thot he’d do better dealing with her … as they have more than just me as an installer … and now her whole company can use his services.
So by passing his name along … using the network … I got a nice voicemail message today.
yet one more way to get work during the slowdown(if it ever happens) ….
Don’t hog all the work yourself! Share it … spread it around ….
then someone might do the same someday.
plus … I hate painting … and I got no PE certification.
I get and give work with my plumber, electrician, HVAC guy, the other carps, painter … now the PE … my mechanic … etc
if I hear someone has a “need” … I try to send them to a buddy. I make sure that buddy does great work and deals fairly with the customers … usually they get “taken care of” when they know the source of the referal … and it makes for a happy little network.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Replies
The landscape guy I trade work with just handed me a job:
Remove & replace deck and stairs.
Build gazebo & pergola & bridge over koi pond.
Install skylight & tubelight.
Build dog run...and "do you do countertops?"
Now I owe Neal some serious landscaping leads! Networking can really build business and can be exciting at times.
I'm sending some framing to another guy and he is sending me a couple of kitchens...cool!
That's the old concept.....you know that's what Rotary clubs were started for, don't you? That's the real reason that each club can only have two members of each "classification".....It started as a networking club for businessmen.
Does anybody have any experience with BNI? It stands for Business Networking International and is a business referral organization. Here's a link:
http://www.bni.com/
I'm thinking of joining and was curious if anybody has joined as well. What were your experiences? I costs about $300.00 +/- to join but it's been said that you can recover that cost in one or two referrals. It is a time committment though that requires you to attend a two hour meeting once a week and bring in referrals to other chapter members.
BjR
Depending on your local area and your specific business, I think you'd get more mileage out of Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions Club, whatever. You know your local area, so you should be able to think about where you're more likely to run into people who will be in need of your services, or know people who are.
BNI sounds more like a way for them to make money off of you.
every insurance salesman i ever knew was big into "church" go figure...
I know my one man plumber who is also great at HVAC work... single dad, sometimes sick kid, and not in the best health himself can always use a simple high buck job... so when something pops up that i know he can do, do well and make a nice profit on... I'll set it up for him.... even pull him off my job... I know it'll get done right he'll profit and whoever i sent him to will be happy... I can't pay him what he's really worth to me just to have someone to bounce things off of that really understands every phase of construction... but this i can do...
p
I tried BNI for one year. I liked it well enough, and got a dozen good leads from BNI and another dozen leads for work I did not get.My trouble with the group was the frequency of meetings and attendance policy (I could not get away from work for 1-1/2 hours at lunch every Wednesday--not flexible enough for me).
That's what I am afraid of. Were you ever able to get somebody to stand in for you?
BjR
As for substitutes - it can be your wife, your kid, your neighbor - or someone that you think would like to visit a group.Any BNI group in the world will welcome you into the group as a visitor (if they don't already have your profession filled. It's a good way to really see what it's all about. When I first heard about it - I was initially skeptical and put it off for many months, but for me - it's been well worth it.One $30K basement client would pay for over 10 years of BNI dues...JT
I had 5 or 6 different people stand in for me, but I still missed a few too many meetings. I would only call for a sub when I knew in advance that I would miss a meeting. Then, I would be in the middle of something at work that I could not get away from and would have to miss a meeting.A chapter that had breakfast meetings, instead of lunch would be better IMO.
No way I'd be able to make a lunch meeting consistantly either.JT
Julian, I've been to a couple of BNI meetings and I'm familiar with how they proceed. It is very intriguing and I can certainly see the networking benefits. But I also have the same issue as Basswood had of making myself available for 11:30 am -1:00pm meetings once a week on tuesdays. The ideal time for me would be a friday at noon. That way I'd have mornings to do my administrations stuff and sales/ bids etc. that kinda stuff in the mornings then go to the meetings then schedule more meetings for the afternoon or say heck with it all and go fishing early.
Another fly in the ointment is I'm currently on tap to landing a pretty good sized project that could easily take me into late October or November to complete. It's a 10,000 sqft mansion that was built in 1904 and is owned by the principle of a very well known and successful architectural firm here in Seattle. He's doing a renovation back to the original architectural intent and quality to the building. On one hand it's a pretty plum project and it would certainly be a feather in my contractors cap to do a spankin nice job here and that it would open up other doors to the high end kind of work I would like my company to be known for. On the other hand......one of the first things I heard at one of the BNI meetings was sort of a discouragement to putting all your eggs in one basket so to speak.
I'll be going to one more BNI meeting to check it out before I commit.
BjR
I've been a member for a little over a year now, I do remodeling and some handyman work.
This may be a bit long...Anyone that owns a home is my target customer. All BNI groups allow only one of each type of profession in the group. Those 20 or so other people in the group are my sales force - they hear or know of anyone needing my type of service and they'll recommend me. In turn, I look at those other folks as my personal resource - I have a lawyer, CPA, insurance, etc. that I meet with once a week and can ask questions and get personalized service.My group has comm and res. realestate, CPA, lawyer, spa, jewlry, house cleaner, massage, weight loss, financial adviser, catering, morgage, etc.. The folks I come into contact with may not always be a good fit for referrals to members of my group, but everyone they know is a great prospect for my services.The meetings are very structured - they don't want folks feeling like they've wasted their time - but they are only 1 1/2 hours long - and in my area -most meet at 7am once a week and are done at 8:30am on the dot. They only allow 3 absences per 6 months - but allow anyone to substitute for you. It's important to have all the members of one group be dedicated to the group's success - otherwise we'd be better off getting another representive of that type of business in the group.The meetings are structured like this:1st 15 minutes- open networking - get to know, discuss, etc.Then comes 60 second commercials - sounds cheesy, but really just a way to state who and what you do and what would be the best referral for you that week.Then, a member gives a more detailed 10 minute presentation that gives the group more insight into what or how you do.Then chapter business, then the referrals, etc.I signed up for a year and just renewed for 2 years (save $150). it costs $15 a month on top of the yearly charge. All membership apps are reviewed and references thoroughly checked before accepting a member.Once you develop a "synergy" group - like our real estate/lawyer/banker, etc - the referrals will really fly.If I had a painter, plumber, electrician, etc. in the group - there's be a ton of work passed around.Can you do this independent of a group that costs money - sure - but I don't have the connections to pull that off.I've done at least $14K in work from referrals from the group in the last year and am building a mantle this week thru referral and installing the kitchen for another in few weeks.A $5K project I just finished last week in a super nice neiborhood was the neihbor of a previous repeat client who I had met doing a simple drywall repair in their business last year. This recent project will more than likely result in me doing another similar $6k laundry room for a friend of the client as well as possibly a $30K basement for a neighbor up the street.For someone like me - BNI is a good fit and helps me to stay focused on my business at least once a week. We have a good easy going group and the trust and relationships that I've built up over the last year is quite valuable and will pay off even better as time goes by.Get past the pyramid feel and the hokey terms - it's just a bunch of real folks trying to grow their business by giving and getting referrals.JT
We're in BNI now and it costs $370 for the year and $8. per meeting. Been in it for two months and have gotten one totally dead end referral. We won't be renewing next year esepcially due to having to go each week.
But you don't know if you don't try.
We do the BNI thing and it has been great for us. But we do small jobs up to kitchen remodels. Dant