Author: BNI Staff

Would you like to start a business?  Are you thinking about franchise opportunities? If so, BNI may be the answer you’ve been looking for. Let’s talk about some of the key advantages of franchising with BNI.

With BNI’s established brand comes our proven business model that has been in existence for more than three decades. Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, developed and tested his successful business model thirty-eight years ago which Franchisees now have replicated and grown in their respective countries.

Franchising with BNI brings automatic brand recognition. BNI is currently doing business across the world in 77 ─ soon to be 78 ─ countries. Franchising with BNI provides its Franchisees access to an already established system with a strong reputation with small- and medium-sized business owners looking to grow their local, regional, national, and global footprint.

Our Franchisees are given comprehensive training and ongoing support. Franchisees will also receive support from our Global Support Team and our National Directors. They will have access to resources, such as marketing material, technology, and more.

George Barlow, Head of Global Franchising with BNI, says, “Becoming a franchise owner with BNI will give you the platform needed to launch a successful business with greater confidence and unmatched support.”

To find out more about our available opportunities you can visit BNI’s Franchise Website here.

About BNI 

Supporting hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and business professionals around the globe, BNI is the world’s largest referral networking organization. With options for In-person, Online, and Hybrid Meetings, BNI Members grow their businesses in Chapters that fit their preferred networking style. To learn more, visit bni.com. 

This advertisement does not constitute an offer. In order to make an offer, you must receive a registered Franchise Disclosure Document. This advertisement does not apply to the following U.S. states: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. This advertisement does not apply to countries with franchise registration laws. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — BNI® (Business Network International), the world’s leading business referral organization, is demonstrating the power of referral networking and word-of-mouth marketing through their proven platform. BNI Members worldwide generated over $20.6 billion in revenue1 in the past twelve months alone. This incredible recorded revenue was made possible by 13.5 million referrals passed across the BNI community between Members who represent hundreds of different professions. Since inception in 1985, BNI has proudly helped 1.9 million businesses garner over $164 billion USD in revenue.2

Suzanne Elsey, a Business Consultant and BNI Member in BNI United Kingdom, shares her experience with growing her business through BNI’s referral platform. She says, “The opportunities I have received because I am a Member of BNI have changed my life. Initially, I was concerned about the weekly commitment, but in the first year alone, I had a 33% ROI, which increases each year. If you want to grow your business the easy way, you need people talking about you to others all the time, saving you effort and time. This is what being part of BNI will give you.” BNI Members, like Elsey, meet online or in-person every week in over 77 countries to build relationships, learn about each other’s businesses, and to refer valuable new clients to one another.

Small to medium-size business owners choose BNI because it is the most cost-effective, time-efficient, and powerful way to grow a successful business. In fact, BNI’s Membership investment is only ~$2 per day3 and last year, BNI Members received an average of 46 referrals.4 BNI has seen that not only do referrals close twice as often as traditional leads5, but BNI referrals convert to business 62% quicker6 than leads from other sources.

“Purpose-driven entrepreneurs and business leaders join BNI to expand their revenue,” says Graham Weihmiller, BNI’s Chairman & CEO. “Once in BNI, they find so much more – leadership opportunities, business partners, lifelong friends, and – perhaps most importantly, encouragement, meaning and fun. BNI’s commitment in helping small to medium-sized businesses succeed in today’s dynamic environment is at the heart of everything we do.”

BNI is more than just a revenue-generating membership platform, it is an opportunity for business owners to give back to others. An excellent example of how powerful referral marketing can be in today’s business environment and how this philosophy of Givers Gain® changes the way business is done around the world is displayed in this video from the team in BNI Australia. To learn more about BNI and how you can visit a free Chapter, please reach out to our Support Team at (800)-825-8286 (USA) or support@bni.com (internationally).

1.This information is based on historical BNI Member self-reported data as of February 6, 2023, and represents collective results from BNI Members worldwide over the last 12 months. 2.This information is based on historical BNI Member self-reported data and represents collective results from BNI Members worldwide from 1985 to 2023. 3. Worldwide average BNI Membership fee in USD as of September 2022 divided by 365 days in one year. ($688/365) 4. Worldwide total Member referrals for the 12 months ending Jan 31, 2023 divided by the average total Members for the same 12 month period. This information is based on historical BNI Member self-reported data as of Jan 31, 2023 and represents collective results from BNI Members worldwide over the last 12 months. 5. This information is based on a BNI Member survey conducted in December 2022 (n=10,934), and on historical BNI Member self-reported data as of December 2022 and represents collective results from BNI Members worldwide over the last 12 months. Factors influencing results for BNI Members include but are not limited to length of time in BNI, level of participation with their BNI Chapter, industry type, market location, Chapter size, and maturity of the Member business. 6. This information is based on a BNI Member survey conducted in December 2022 (n=10,934). Factors influencing results for BNI Members include but are not limited to length of time in BNI, level of participation with their BNI Chapter, industry type, market location, Chapter size, and maturity of the Member business.

About BNI®

BNI (Business Network International) is the world’s largest and most successful business networking organization. Today, BNI has over 298,000+ Member-businesses participating in over 10,900+ BNI Chapters that meet in-person, online, or in a hybrid format each week in 77+ countries around the globe. Since inception in 1985, BNI has proudly helped 1.9 million businesses garner over $164 billion USD in revenue. To learn more about BNI and how you can visit a chapter, go to www.bni.com. BNI’s philosophy is centered on Givers Gain® and BNI’s motto is Changing the Way the World Does Business®. To connect with the support team, please reach out to (800)-825-8286 or support@bni.com.

Franchising is an effective business model. The successes come from a strong relationship between the franchisor and franchisees. Some of the strategies for managing franchise relationships effectively include communication, responsibilities, support, and others.

BNI encourages franchisees to share their ideas, feedback and/or concerns. Regular communication between the franchise and franchisees is an essential part of your success. Constant communication with team members, National Directors, Executive Directors, and Members is an important part of BNI’s business model. Open and honest communication is critical for your business to thrive.

Both the franchisor and franchisees have specific roles and responsibilities that must be clearly defined. This is to ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them and that there is a clear understanding of how decisions will be made and how conflicts will be resolved.

Here at BNI we can’t say it enough: BNI provides franchisees with the tools and resources they need to succeed, such as training programs, marketing materials, and operational support. BNI is with you every step of the way to help guide you through your franchise with our proven business model.

We not only expect but encourage our franchisees to network and build relationships with each other. There are numerous ways franchisees can build a network if they don’t have an established network prior to coming on board as a franchisee. We encourage organizing events, training sessions, social media posts, etc.  

It is important that the franchisor maintains control over certain aspects of the franchise, such as branding and quality control. It is also important to appreciate differences and opinions. Therefore, franchisees are encouraged to run their businesses as they see fit, within BNI’s established model.

You may notice early on that at BNI we constantly celebrate the successes of individual franchisees and the company. BNI recognizes achievements and milestones as we communicate the positive impact that the franchise is having on the surrounding communities across the world.

 Recognition is one of BNI’s Core Values. It creates a supportive and collaborative environment that benefits everyone involved.

About BNI 

Supporting hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and business professionals around the globe, BNI is the world’s largest referral networking organization. With options for In-person, Online, and Hybrid Meetings, BNI Members grow their businesses in Chapters that fit their preferred networking style. To learn more, visit bni.com. 

This advertisement does not constitute an offer. In order to make an offer, you must receive a registered Franchise Disclosure Document. This advertisement does not apply to the following U.S. states: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. This advertisement does not apply to countries with franchise registration laws. 

BNI’s Core Values are tied into everything we do.  Often, there will be more than one Core Value that correlates with something and/or someone here at BNI. If you aren’t familiar with our Core Values, we encourage you to check out our blog from June 27^th, 2022, here.

Our Franchise Development Team often refers to BNI’s Core Values during conversations with Master Franchise candidates. The Core Values we talk about below are Traditions + Innovation and Building Relationships.

Building Relationships is all about people wanting to do business with people they know, like and trust and then cultivating those relationships. Therefore, the Franchise Development Team really strives for a lasting first impression. We ensure a great experience with not only our team members but with those doing business within BNI for years to come.

Our traditions at BNI allow our team to ensure that the first impression you have of us lasts and that you have a great experience throughout your time spent with BNI. Of course, we are always looking for ways to improve on those impressions. It is crucial that our Development Team uses Traditions + Innovations while working with future and current Master Franchisees. The traditions at BNI are very important to the organization but also to our team members. It is important that the team recognizes the specific areas where it’s okay to introduce and develop new ideas on the franchise side.

When candidates have conversations with our Development Team it is important to them that their passion for franchising and the BNI organization is witnessed. Our team hold high standards of one another and that shows through their personalities and their qualifications, and we want to ensure that our prospects get a sense of that. The team always ensures that they are well prepared to meet with candidates and make a lasting impression.

If you know of someone who would qualify for a Master Franchise opportunity in one or more of our open countries, please email Ashlee Ranaudo-Blanc at ashlee@bni.com. We are happy to answer questions and share more information about these exciting franchising opportunities.

To learn more about BNI Franchising, visit bnifranchise.com or email us at franchise@bni.com.

About BNI 

Supporting hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and business professionals around the globe, BNI is the world’s largest referral networking organization. With options for In-person, Online, and Hybrid Meetings, BNI Members grow their businesses in Chapters that fit their preferred networking style. To learn more, visit bni.com. 

This advertisement does not constitute an offer. In order to make an offer, you must receive a registered Franchise Disclosure Document. This advertisement does not apply to the following U.S. states: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. This advertisement does not apply to countries with franchise registration laws. 

2023 is here, and it’s time to start thinking about business networking and franchising opportunities. The world of business is becoming more and more globalized.

As 2022 comes to an end, we want to thank each one of you for another successful year in Franchise Development and across BNI.

Over the past two years, BNI has been innovating and conducting business almost exclusively online. Everything from online Chapter meetings to large regional and international networking events has been presented virtually. Last year’s BNI Global Convention pivoted from in-person to Online. BNI was able to conduct both live and on-demand sessions successfully, to the delight of our Members. However, there was a missing component of natural human interaction that everyone was longing to get back to, and we were so excited to reconnect in-person for our incredibly successful 2022 BNI Global Convention in Singapore.

We would like to take this time to thank each BNI Team Member for working tirelessly to make this year’s convention bigger, better, and stronger. We truly appreciate your efforts as we hosted another successful Global Convention, this time at the Hard Rock Hotel on the beautiful island of Sentosa.

Global Convention included over 2,500 attendees this year that included National Directors, Director Consultants, Executive Directors, Members, Global/National Staff, and Visitors. The four days were filled with top-tier networking, engaging events, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Attending the Global Convention allowed its attendees the opportunity to learn from other successful business leaders/owners from all over the world. It also allowed for more referrals to be passed from Member to Member while networking.

“Our BNI Global Convention was exhilarating and filled with enthusiastic spirits from 77 countries around the world,” said, George Barlow, Head of Global Franchise Development.  “We were able to connect in-person once again in more familiar ways.  It was great to see high-fives, handshakes, and hugs permeate throughout the entire event.” We hope that all attendees were able to gain value in their experience and we look forward to you joining us for our next Global Convention in Madrid, Spain!

About BNI

Supporting hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and business professionals around the globe, BNI is the world’s largest referral networking organization. With options for In-person, Online, and Hybrid Meetings, BNI Members grow their businesses in Chapters that fit their preferred networking style. To learn more, visit bni.com.

This advertisement does not constitute an offer. In order to make an offer, you must receive a registered Franchise Disclosure Document. This advertisement does not apply to the following U.S. states: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. This advertisement does not apply to countries with franchise registration laws.

BNI is pleased to announce a new franchise owner in Oman. We are excited to welcome Mr. Saleem Althaf to the BNI family. Mr. Althaf has a Master’s degree in computer applications from the Indira Gandhi National Open University, India. He is a technologist by profession and an entrepreneur at heart. Currently, he is the Director of Technology Solutions at Intelsyn, Oman, helping customers modernize their business by embracing futuristic technologies and starting their journey with Open-Source Software & Cloud adoption. He comes to BNI with the understanding and the ability to help entrepreneurs scale their businesses, and he has shown a great amount of interest in bringing others together.

Oman is an economically growth-oriented country, and lies at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, making it a strong hub for business. The country is increasingly investing in developing new business opportunities and BNI will be a great addition to Omani business community.

“In the last few months in my experience in acquiring BNI franchise business for Oman, I have been learning the art of living personally as well as professionally. BNI rejuvenates businesses using globally proven practices developed by the beautiful minds. It helps to discover the hidden talents of each individual and optimize to deliver the best possible business outcome.,” said Saleem Althaf. “I would strongly recommend BNI, to explore endless possibilities and a world of opportunities to grow your business.” 

BNI’s Director and Head of Global Franchise Development, George Barlow, is pleased to welcome Saleem as their newest Franchise Owner for Oman. “I am extremely happy to welcome our friend to the BNI Family.  Saleem shares in our philosophy of Givers Gain® being willing to give first, before you expect to gain.”

About BNI

Supporting hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and business professionals around the globe, BNI is the world’s largest referral networking organization. With options for In-person, Online, and Hybrid Meetings, BNI Members grow their businesses in Chapters that fit their preferred networking style. To learn more, visit bni.com.

This advertisement does not constitute an offer. In order to make an offer, you must receive a registered Franchise Disclosure Document. This advertisement does not apply to the following U.S. states: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. This advertisement does not apply to countries with franchise registration laws.

Have you ever heard the saying “all good things take time”? Well, the most common question asked to the Development Team is: “How long does the process take to become a franchisee within the organization?” We take pride in the processes we use in developing a franchisee’s new country.

Our franchisees are coached throughout the whole process and never feel like they must go it alone. We are there every step of the way. Please refer to our blog from December 9th, 2021 for our process on becoming a franchisee owner. Once that is completed, there is still an estimated timeframe to develop that country successfully.

First, there is work within the business that needs to be done, which consists of building the home Region. This step can take an estimated of six-to-eight months, consisting of learning how to launch BNI Chapters and learning how to support those Chapters.

Second, there is work on the business. This includes recruiting the Leadership Team, coaching them to launch Chapters, and. finally, coaching them to support those Chapters. The duration of this step is between twelve and eighteen months.

Finally, once the franchise has run successfully for 24 months, you will have the opportunity to sub-franchise.

You can contact our Development Team here to find out more information related to BNI Franchising.

About BNI

The BNI system is comprised of approximately 288,000 members and more than 10,600 chapters operating in 75 different countries and territories worldwide.  BNI has multiple websites to help answer specific questions.  Please visit us at bnifranchise.com, bni.com, and bnipodcast.com.

This advertisement does not constitute an offer. In order to make an offer, you must receive a registered Franchise Disclosure Document. This advertisement does not apply to the following U.S. states: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. This advertisement does not apply to countries with franchise registration laws.