Calderdale business group aims to set world record next month

The world’s leading business referral organisation, with over 300,000 members in seventy-seven countries, BNI provides weekly networking meetings for groups of businesses, who follow a structured meeting agenda that enables them to use their combined network of contacts to find business opportunities and referrals for one another.

Last year, its members in towns and cities across the UK and Ireland shared over half a billion pounds (£538m) of business between one-another, with the ten chapters in the Kirklees, Calderdale and Greater Manchester area alone providing a £18m boost to the local economy.

Executive Director Louise Eccles of BNI and Director Consultant Nick Clarke of Evolution Managed IT Solutions are aiming to launch BNI Nexus on November 3 as part of an attempt by BNI UK & Ireland to launch fifty chapters with twenty members on a single day, hoping to smash the previous record of twenty-two chapters on a single day, set by BNI Spain earlier this year.

Louise said: “The aim of the UK-wide world record attempt is not just to beat our friends in Spain, it’s about impacting fifty business communities across the country. Launching fifty new groups would support over 1,000 businesses, creating potential opportunities and business in excess of £40m.

“BNI has been shown to have a significant positive impact on the economies of the areas in which it operates, bringing together the SMEs that form the backbone of UK Plc, and helping them grow together.

“A key value for BNI, so much so it’s a registered trademark, is Givers Gain®, which reflects how our systems are entirely built on encouraging and facilitating an altruistic approach to business – if you help me, I’ll want to help you.

“We want to welcome local businesspeople, who are looking to grow their own businesses, to come along and try BNI and see if it works for them. So, all are welcome to register to attend our first meeting. Come along and help us break a world record!”