How to Join BNI

Joining a BNI Chapter: A Step Toward Business Growth and Networking Success

If you’re a professional looking to expand your business, build meaningful connections, and grow your client base, joining a BNI (Business Network International) chapter could be a game-changing move. BNI is the world's largest referral networking organization, and its chapters provide a structured, supportive environment for professionals to exchange quality referrals, develop their skills, and create valuable relationships.

Here’s what you need to know about a BNI Membership and how it can transform your business.

Why Join a BNI Chapter?

Expand Your Network: BNI operates with a simple but powerful concept: "Givers Gain®." By helping others succeed, you position yourself to receive support in return. Each BNI Chapter has a diverse mix of professionals who actively promote one another’s businesses, creating a dynamic environment where referrals are the norm. Your BNI Membership ensures that your business will be introduced to potential clients you might not have reached otherwise.
Build Credibility and Trust: Unlike traditional networking, BNI encourages deeper, more meaningful professional relationships. BNI Members meet weekly to ask for referrals, share updates, successes, and opportunities for collaboration. Over time, these regular interactions build trust and credibility, making it easier for others to confidently refer your services.
Exclusivity in Your Profession: Each BNI Chapter allows only one representative per professional specialty. Your exclusive BNI Membership ensures that you do not compete within a chapter, making it a highly focused environment for business growth.
Access to Training and Resources: Included with your BNI Membership is exclusive access to professional development opportunities, such as training sessions, workshops, and resources focused on networking, presentation skills, and business best practices. These tools are designed to help you refine your craft and enhance your professional value.

The Process of Joining a BNI Chapter

Visit a Chapter: The first step to joining is visiting a local BNI Chapter. You can find a list of chapters in South Central Texas here. As a visitor, you’ll have the chance to attend up to two meetings, where you can experience the chapter's culture, meet its members, and see how BNI operates.
Engage During Your Visit: Be prepared to introduce yourself and talk about your business during your visit. Share what makes your services unique and what kind of referrals you’re seeking. Bring plenty of business cards, as members and other visitors will likely ask for them.
Evaluate the Fit: Use your visits to assess whether the chapter aligns with your goals and values. Do the members seem genuinely interested in mutual success? Is your profession already represented? If so, the Chapter Director will help you locate another group or even support you in starting a new chapter.
Submit Your Application: After visiting, if you feel the chapter is a good fit, the next step is submitting an application. Each chapter has a unique application link, which can be provided by the chapter’s leadership team. Your application will include information about your profession, experience, and references.
Undergo the Membership Process: Once you apply, the chapter’s Membership Committee will review your application and conduct an interview to ensure you’re a good fit for the group. This process helps maintain the high standards and integrity of the chapter.

What to Expect with Your BNI Membership

Weekly Pro-Active Meetings: BNI chapters meet weekly to exchange referrals, share updates, and participate in structured networking activities. Meetings are high-energy and follow a specific agenda to ensure productivity.
Quality Referrals: By actively participating and helping others, you’ll receive qualified referrals from members who have already built trust with the clients they recommend.
A Supportive Community: Beyond referrals, BNI fosters a sense of camaraderie and support among its members. You’ll find peers who celebrate your wins and offer guidance during challenges.
Long-Term Growth: BNI is not a quick fix; it’s a long-term strategy for sustainable business growth. As you build trust within the chapter, your opportunities for referrals and collaboration will grow exponentially.

Is BNI Right for You?

BNI chapters thrive on commitment and active participation. If you’re willing to invest time in building relationships and helping others succeed, you’ll find immense value in being part of a chapter. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, BNI offers a platform to grow your business, refine your skills, and create a lasting impact in your community.

Start your journey today by visiting a BNI chapter near you. Take the first step toward unlocking your business’s potential through the power of trusted referrals and professional networking.

Find a BNI South Central Chapter That's Right For You!

Visiting a BNI Chapter is the first step in building your business by referrals.

Once you have visited a chapter that you believe will be a good fit for you, you can apply for membership. This process involves submitting an application and then interviewing with the Membership Committee.

About a BNI Membership

Each member of a BNI Chapter acts as a part of the marketing team for members in their chapter with the aim of getting qualified business referrals for each other. Below are the most commonly asked questions about BNI membership:

How can I get invited as a visitor to a BNI meeting?

If you know a member of BNI, be sure to ask them if you can visit their chapter. If not, don't worry. You can arrange to visit one of our BNI Chapters. Look at the list of chapters here. Click on the name of the chapter you would like to visit and then click on "Visit This Chapter".

How can I find out more about applying to join BNI?

After your visit to a BNI Chapter, a Visitor Host or other member of the chapter will provide you with a link to complete your application. By visiting a local chapter you will be able to experience the culture and structure of a BNI meeting and also get to know the business people involved in the chapter. If the chapter would be a good fit for your business and your profession is not already represented, you can apply for the seat at the end of meeting.

Where can I get a BNI Membership Application?

Each chapter has a unique application link. Reach out to the Leadership Team in the chapter you visited and they will make sure you get the link for their chapter. If you're having difficulty getting the link, you can let me know at [email protected]

Are we starting new BNI Chapters in South Central Texas?

Some professions (particularly financial advisors, property and casualty insurance, residential realtors and mortgage brokers) may find it difficult to find a chapter or forming group with an opening for their profession or there may not be a local chapter of BNI where you are. To learn how we can help you to start your own BNI Chapter, schedule a 30-minute discovery call with me here.

Can anyone be a member of a BNI chapter?

Only one person per profession is allowed in each chapter. So if your profession is already taken in the chapter you visit, we can help you find a chapter with an opening or help you start your own BNI Chapter in your city. If you're not sure if your profession is already taken, reach out to the Vice President or President of the chapter to check.

How do you know new BNI Members are reputable?

When someone submits an application to become a member of a chapter, the application asks for references and an interview is conducted. Each chapter has a Membership Committee made up of members that are trained to ensire new members are a good fit for the chapter.

What if a BNI Member gets a referral and does poor work?

We have a Code of Ethics and it's the Membership Committee's job to make sure it's respected. It is imperative that anyone who gives a referral and finds out it was not satisfactorily handled must report that to the Membership Committee, who will investigate in a professional manner.

What occupations benefit the most from networking?

It is not the occupation, it is the individual. The occupation can be anything. If you're focused and you have a dream and you're willing to take action, you are the person we want in the group.

Are members supposed to bring visitors?

Visitors are a great source of new business for the existing members and potential members to pass even more referrals. You're encouraged to bring visitors to help promote the Chapter and the Members.

Do ethical rules for certain professions prohibit participation in BNI?

BNI understands the importance of the ethical concerns governing certain professions and acknowledges that rules can differ by location. As such, BNI therefore requires its members to uphold the rules of its profession so as not to violate the professional’s ethical obligations. In the event that BNI’s general rules could potentially violate a professional’s ethical code, BNI’s rules are superseded by the dictates of the professional’s ethics code.

If I specialize in a field within my industry, am I expected to be an expert in all aspects of my industry?

BNI understands that many industries and professions are broad and that people often specialize. BNI does not expect, nor does it encourage, any person to participate in an area ouside their expertise.

My profession does not let me directly solicit business. Is BNI still right for me?

BNI’s primary objective is to assist its members in ways to improve their business and to educate them concerning how they can effectively network. Business people get business when their expertise is known and others reach a comfort level with them. BNI provides a forum that allows members to meet other business peers who need to know effective and efficient business people.