BNI Member success stories.

The Personal Development People first held a BNI membership nearly 10 years ago through my wife Emma Stanton. Following a highly successful period of referrals demand was such that as a sole trader, rather than turn down work that couldn’t be serviced Emma gave up our seat to focus on delivering high quality service to her clients. Many of those clients are still with us today.

Last year our circumstances changed, and I joined PDP, and we made an instant decision to rejoin. Since December 2022 we have received a steady increase in referrals and paid our membership and two-year renewal in just the first 6 months.

As a new member I also benefitted from the mentoring programme that Emma created and had pioneered for BNI Cheshire East all those years ago.

After never being involved with any networking events before, my accountant invited me to come to his breakfast meeting which was BNI Silk Macclesfield. At the time our current work stream was stalling due to the pandemic, with only essential/emergency works being required and this was beginning to impact on us as a business. So, as they say nothing ventured nothing gained and I decided to go along.

 I met some amazing and friendly people and quickly realised that this was a great place to pass and receive business along with gaining great business advice and friends.

Within a few weeks, I’d engaged the web designer to revamp our long-forgotten website in a last ditched attempt to build a new client base. Over the next few months, I passed a few referrals and received the odd one but realised in our line of work this was a long game whilst people understood what we did, got to know you, and felt confident to refer people to you.

It was a couple of months later that I received a golden goose referral – a “here is a company I think you could both mutually benefit from an introduction”. This ended up being the financial saviour of our business – from that one introduction we have completed over £100k of work and in the next 8 months I was invited to consult on a full-time basis into the company and be involved in a joint venture.

It’s helped me realise that you cannot do everything in business yourself, so I have also engaged numerous business’ from BNI to build my business. I’ve even been approached by nationwide members to quote and provide our services.

All this from “do you fancy coming along to a breakfast meeting – there’s no pressure to join come and see and if you like it?” who says business’ can’t help each other?

Looking back, I would have been foolish not to have given it a go and I can only recommend it.

The charity joined BNI Warrington over five years ago now which in itself speaks volume, my expectations were high and the chapter did not disappoint, it sounds cliché but we are a family supporting through good and hard times in both business and personal experiences. A small sample of engagement and impact of the support received:-

• Chapter members have taken part in an annual WHH Charity Extreme Challenge & Charity
• Events
• Appeals & Campaigns
• Sponsorship & Gifts in Kind

Having raised in donations over £15K helping purchase a birthing couch, funded WHH Youth Worker activity days, create a Stroke Ward Garden and much more. Sponsorship and Gifts in Kind totals over £20k.

But as important in a very small team, one fundraiser and one P/T administrator, being able to grow the charity is hugely challenging. However, with an additional 23 Charity BNI Ambassadors in the room, who are as passionate about making a difference as we are, having them make introductions & connections as well as in general speaking of our successes! Certainly helps the charity to grow locally in both awareness and support. #togetherwearreamazing

Joining BNI has been a game-changer for my business. Within the first two weeks, I saw an immediate return on my investment. By the 8-month mark, BNI’s network had played a pivotal role in boosting my annual revenue by a whopping 40%.

One of the highlights was securing my largest contract to date and the biggest installation we will have singlehandedly done, all thanks to a timely referral from a fellow member. But beyond these tangible benefits, the camaraderie and unwavering support from my chapter members have been truly heartening.

It’s not just about business; it’s about genuine relationships and a community that’s genuinely invested in your success.