by Monica

For several years now I’ve been attending a weekly business networking meeting at a local restaurant. Fortunately for the group they have found a restaurant that allows them to meet there without any charge. The hope is that the participants will actually order and pay for something, but I’ve noticed that most of the time the participants only order a cup of coffee. (Which really is too bad, I think that people should eat a meal there too, there is good food and the prices are very reasonable.)

The organization is loosely modeled after an organization called BNI, but there are several differences. One difference is the fact that there are no dues charged. Another is that the group welcomes more than one business of the same type. And the people who run the group frequently remind everyone that attends that there are “no rules.”

Normally at the meetings one of the members shares an educational moment with the group, someone stands up and explains the purpose of the group, and everyone takes a minute to introduce themselves to the entire group and give a very brief description of their business and state what they are looking for from the group that day. Also as part of the meeting one of the members has a ten minute presentation to talk about themselves and their product. Last week’s speaker was a really great presentation by a businessman who sells customized top of the line business apparel. Next week’s speaker is a person who owns an Advertising Agency. The week after that is a woman who works for the area’s Chamber of Commerce. I’ve learned a lot from these meetings!

---

• At the Office
• Business
• Life
• Local