BNI

Went to a meeting once (it's by invite only) and they didn't have a specific power washing category, but they welcomed me with open arms. Take plenty of business cards and be prepared to give a brief spiel about your company and services. Seems like a good resource, but I haven't got active with it yet.

Josh Davis put me on to them, so that should be a good enough referral right there.
 
I was asked to join once. I was gung ho until I realized that the group just wanted me to come wash their cars every week, for free. I passed on that one.
 
Walker Services said:
One of the best referral sources we ever got was from our involvement at BNI. A roofer, who was all about referring work, gives us 2-3 roof cleaning jobs a month.
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Do you do windows in Ocoee? Are you still involved? I joined Victory Lane up in Daytona, the seat paid for itself already. Any tips on how to get the most out of it?

They did create a PowerWash category.
 
One of the better things I ever did for my business. I was in it about 5 yrs. It's once a week and ours started at 7am.I had so many leads from it that I had to finally stop going because I couldn't keep up. As in all things you get what you put into it.
Seriously if I could only do one thing marketing wise I'd probably do that. Pick a big group, you should go to a few different chapters in your area and make sure they have service trades.Plan to stay awhile. Its not a overnight success but I felt it was a very good investment of time and money. I still give and get referrals from some of the members of the group that I clicked with.
 
Spray Soft said:
Do you do windows in Ocoee? Are you still involved? I joined Victory Lane up in Daytona, the seat paid for itself already. Any tips on how to get the most out of it?

They did create a PowerWash category.
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Yes, we clean in Ocoee a couple times a month.

I'm by no means an expert on networking, but I don't mind sharing what's been successful for us.....

We've been associated with two different networking organizations and both were run under the same formula "give business, you'll get business." One of the traps, however, is it does take time to build credibility with the group. Just because you join doesn't mean your going to automatically get all this new business. It takes time building relationships and gaining trust.

So, my biggest tip: be patient. Schedule one-on-ones and spend time outside of the meetings with the members and see how you or your business can help them. In my opinion, the best "networking" happens before the meetings or after. So get there early and stay late.

Find your "Power Team." Some people/businesses you'll find it easier to refer to and vise versa. For us, the maid company, roofer, carpet cleaning company and relator had the easiest time referring work to each other, obviously. Think of companies you feel could help your business and if they are not in the group, invite them.

Be specific in your referrals when you talk to the group. If you want more commercial work, don't just say " I would like more commercial work." Tell the group "introductions to the general managers of Chipotle, Red Lobster, and Logan's would be great referrals as we'd like to grow our pressure washing division on the restaurant side of our business." The members of your group are also your sales team. Tell them specifically what's a great referral and what's not.


Again, these are just a few tips, nothings earth shattering that's going to transform your business, but over the years I've seen how networking can snow ball into unbelievable revenue and always recommend it to all small business owners.
 
Yeah, I love BNI. I used to be in a really great one before I moved. Brought me a TON of business. I joined a new one, but it just wasn't the same. Gotta find a group that takes it seriously, and likes to pass out referrals. A lot of chapters have people that just want to get but not give. Then nobody gets anything. I'm in a new group now, similar to BNI that I think will do well for me.
 
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