Big breakfast

It is 6.45am on a sunny March morning in York and already a cheerful queue is beginning to form in the reception hall of the Churchill Hotel in Bootham. Only the British could queue at this time in the morning; and only a dedicated band of British business people could do it while shaking hands, making introductions and swapping business cards.

Everyone is remarkably perky. Maybe it is the smell of coffee brewing in the meeting room; maybe it is the promise of a full English breakfast; or maybe it is the fact that most of them do this every week.

Meeting a group of besuited business people at a time when most sane folk are still snoozing under their duvet might not be everybody's idea of fun, but for the Knavesmire chapter of Business Network International (BNI) it is a weekly ritual. And, while they certainly have their fair share of fun and laughs, their meetings are not purely social - they mean business.

BNI is one of the world's leading networking organisations, with more than 2,000 chapters across the globe. It works on the principle that word-of-mouth is the most cost effective form of advertising and provides a structured environment for business people - men and women - to develop contacts and exchange quality referrals.

"When you are out with a client and they say, for instance, that their accountant has cocked up, you immediately have the name of a good accountant to hand," says John Turnbull, director of the Knavesmire chapter. "It's not about selling or promoting someone else's business, it's about making an introduction and paving the way for potential business opportunities.

"These meetings help us to get to know each other, to learn about each other's business and, perhaps most importantly, to trust our fellow members enough to recommend them to others. That trust is absolutely vital because we put our own reputations on the line by referring others."

The average BNI chapter provides more than 60 referrals a month and each member passes on an average of £11,000 of potential business to other members every year.

York's Friday morning chapter, which meets from 7-8.30am every week, now has 30 members, five of whom are women. But they want more. Hence, the queue of invited guests - all women bar one - waiting to join members around the breakfast table for bacon, sausage, scrambled egg, hash browns and a pep talk about what BNI has to offer.

"It's a circular process; it's reciprocal," John tells the munching throng. "Our motto is 'givers gain', which basically means that while you are working for your fellow BNI members, you know they are also working for you.

"We are not a competitive organisation, so only one person from each line of work is allowed to join. This means there is no chance that you could be in a chapter with two solicitors, which is probably a blessing."

After a mass frenzy of business card swapping, guests at the meet-and-greet were given a 15-second spiel by each member about their business, complete with advertising slogans such as "your success is our business", before being invited to talk about their own venture.

Then came the weekly referrals. This is when it became crystal clear that this was not a talking shop - even though everyone there was obviously not averse to working their jaws.

This was a networking group that meant business, and lots of it. Tips, leads and phone numbers were soon flying across the room, each carefully documented so a prize could be presented at the end of the month to the member who had passed on the most referrals.

"I don't know whether women are natural networkers, but we do tend to win most of the prizes," says Julie Dodsworth, who has been a member of the Knavesmire chapter for just over a year. "I think we tend to be better communicators because we are observant and are very good listeners. Most of us can now spot a potential referral at 50 yards."

She was sceptical about BNI at first, thinking it was little more than a boys business club, but after being invited along to a meeting by a member, she was converted.

"I have never been comfortable with straightforward networking," she says. "But the atmosphere at the meeting was relaxed and informal enough for me to feel comfortable and confident about it.

"My confidence has come on in leaps and bounds in the last year. I am not a natural public speaker, but I can now happily stand up and talk in front of an audience."

That is what the BNI can do for you, but what do you have to do for the BNI? There are yearly fees to pay, but these are usually recouped in referrals within a matter of weeks. You also have to show your commitment by turning up for the weekly meetings. You can ask someone from a published substitutes list to take your place, but basically a "three strikes and you're out" rule applies. And of course you have to bring in those referrals, but you can help yourself achieve this by arranging a one-to-one session with another member, which involves visiting them at work to find out more about them, their business and how you can help each other.

"After a while I realised that being a member of the BNI meant I didn't have to do any cold calling anymore, which is not much fun at the best of times," says Julie. "As I helped other members, they helped me. Frankly, it's a really nice way of doing business."

For more details about the Knavesmire chapter of Business Network International, ring membership co-ordinator Eric Richards on 01757 249249.

Updated: 12:20 Tuesday, March 18, 2003