Members Details
Catherine Blackford
Founding Director
Bindle
www.bindle.com.au
BNI Corporate Connections in the BNI Melbourne Region

Tell us about your business:

Bindle is a boutique gift hamper business. Bindle engages local artisans to produce Australian, hand-made, tailored gift packages that incorporate food, wine and design. There are Bindles for every occasion and every part of the creation is Australian.

What are your top 3 networking tips?

1 – Ask questions. Networking is about building connections with people and focusing on yourself and your business limits the ability to build positive relationships.
2 – Nail your elevator pitch and demonstrate enthusiasm.
3 – Be creative when it comes to connecting people, sometimes a little bit of extra effort is well worth it in the long run.

What can’t you live without?

My miniature sausage dog Walter, and good coffee.

Which Business Book Would Your Recommend & Why? 

‘The Lean Startup’ by Eric Ries is a great read for people starting a business from scratch. The Lean Startup approach fosters companies that are both more capital efficient and that leverage human creativity more effectively.

How Did Your Find Out About BNI & Why Did You Join?

I landed in BNI by complete accident as I visited to meet another visitor. I had never even heard of BNI. I joined because I viewed it as a great developmental opportunity and the perfect discipline required to factor in networking to the growth of my business.

How Long Have You Been a Member For?

1 year

What value & benefit have you or your business gained by being a BNI Member?

BNI has helped me to create great relationships with people from a diversity of industries. It has also benefited me in learning to think dynamically when pitching my business.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told Your When You First Joined BNI? 

That i would get so much energy from my experiences.

Do You Have a BNI Story to share?

I do … My second week attending a new Chapter, one of the members, Lilliana from Perfect Events, offered a referral to a high profile PR company. This referral resulted in the incredible opportunity to provide Oprah VIPS and with Bindle gifts and to meet Oprah in person. An experience to be remembered.

Your Dream Referral Is…

My dream referral is to be introduced to a leading decision maker at a large hotel chain in order to pitch a Bindle gift concept for hotel guests.

Members Details
Adam Lysle
Senior Manager
Veritas Advisory
www.veritasadvisory.com.au
BNI Opportunity in the BNI Sydney South West Region

Tell us about your business:

Led by David, Louise, Steve and Adam, Veritas Advisory ensures that you or your client will be guaranteed a premium and specialised service be it a corporate, personal, forensic or transactional matter.

After years of operating in larger firms and government departments, the Veritas Team identified a need to provide the market with honest, trustworthy, reliable and responsive advice delivered with excellent service. Having dealt with matters in all industries throughout NSW, QLD, VIC, SA and WA we are familiar with the client needs and expectations and are confident our one team approach founded on a culture of positive teamwork will deliver the best possible outcome.

With a solid experience in business, personal and government advisory there is not a solution that the Team at Veritas Advisory cannot assist with. We invite your contact and look forward to working together to achieve a successful outcome.

We measure our success on your outcome.

What are your top 3 networking tips?

1. Be constant and consistent with your presence. No matter what networking circles you choose to be in, be consistent with your attendance.

2. Remember to follow up. The power truly is in the follow up.

3. Don’t be afraid to say no. There is nothing worse than promising to do something in order to try and please someone and then fail to deliver.

What can’t you live without?

I can’t live without my family of course but I also can’t live without my business family as well.

Which Business Book Would Your Recommend & Why? 

The Author Within – by Sue Kennedy. It really does give the idea in your mind the ability to come out and be seen.

How Did Your Find Out About BNI & Why Did You Join?

I found out about BNI back in 2005 (10 years ago) and joined a new group at BNI Morningstar in Campbelltown. It was a great and vibrant group. I still refer to people I met at that Chapter and some of them still get closed business from people I referred to them to help them.

How Long Have You Been a Member For?

On and Off for 10 years. (5 years accumulatively)

What Position/s On The Leadership Team Have You Held? 

President, Vice President, Education

What value & benefit have you or your business gained by being a BNI Member?

I have gained the ability to being able to craft my message to different audiences and have the confidence to be able to stay true to my underlying values.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told Your When You First Joined BNI? 

That I would have so much fun doing it.

Do You Have a BNI Story to share?

My best BNI Story is visiting a Chapter as a substitute and being introduced to the Accountant of the Chapter who then introduced me to a client that was suffering in his business. I was able to put together a strategy that not only saved that business but also meant that the Accountant looked so good, he received a good number of referrals in the following year that he grew his business by 25% in one year.

Your Dream Referral Is…

My dream referral is to be introduced to a mid-tier or secondary lender that sometimes has exposures that they need assistance with either advice or collection strategies.

Members Details
Ros Trotter
Business Consultant
HR Culture
www.hrculture.com.au
BNI Hastings Success in the BNI New England Region

Tell us about your business:

HR Culture is a regional HR Consultancy business located in glorious Port Macquarie. Our footprint ranges from Newcastle to Coffs Harbour and out to Tamworth.

We help small to medium businesses with their people by ensuring they are compliant with relevant legislation, aligning the right people with roles,identifying skill gaps, organising and/or facilitating relevant training and creating an engaged, happy workplace by implementing teamwork and communication initiatives.

What are your top 3 networking tips?

Be Authentic.

Be Enthusiastic.

Be Positive.

What can’t you live without?

A good glass of wine.

Which Business Book Would Your Recommend & Why? 

Getting out of the Dog House by Corinne Butler and Peter McLeary.

It’s a quick read that outlines the different personality types and how personal skills can be matched to organisational requirements.

How Did Your Find Out About BNI & Why Did You Join?

HR Culture were invited along to a luncheon earlier in the year as part of a membership drive. We visited the Hastings Success lunch meeting a couple of times and were impressed with the level of engagement of the existing membershipand identified the BNI model would benefit our business.

How Long Have You Been a Member For?

6 months

What Position/s On The Leadership Team Have You Held? 

Membership Committee

What value & benefit have you or your business gained by being a BNI Member?

We have definitely enjoyed increased exposure and some genuine referrals since we joined.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told Your When You First Joined BNI? 

That you can invite anyone.

Do You Have a BNI Story to share?

As an employee I was very careful to ensure I used all of my sixty seconds and would read off my spiel in an effort to fit in as much detail as possible each week on any given topic.

Malcolm, our educator queried this as it didn’t really fit with my personality. I wasn’t actually engaging the group. Now I just “tell a story” and can make eye contact and feel much more authentic in my minute.

Your Dream Referral Is…

We would like to help businesses with 10 employees or more who are looking to grow (or are growing organically) build engaging and productive workplaces.

From Christmas to 26 January, Australia turns into a different kind of  place.

The roads are deserted in the cities, people dress more casually at work, they go home earlier – and generally take life less seriously. The six or so weeks of the traditional Australian Summer Break show the country in a different light.

And the weeks leading up to Christmas are generally a madhouse of tying up loose ends at work, while juggling an endless stream of end-of-year and Christmas functions.

It’s a lot of fun, that’s for sure … but February can feel like a real hangover.

Because during the last weeks before Christmas and after up to Australia Day, we’ve mostly ignored our marketing activities. Especially our networking and relationship marketing have suffered, and now suddenly it’s February, our cash reserves have dwindled and we need to get some new customers, quick smart.

It can be a tricky time.

Here are some thoughts to make your February feel much better than it might have in previous years.

Doing Your Best In January

Firstly a couple of words about your BNI group:

Many chapters generally slow down during January. If your group is one of those, think about this: the breakfast meetings are primarily designed to impress visitors. Just because your chapter slows down during January, that doesn’t mean you need to stop doing your best for your fellow members.

So schedule in some January one-on-ones, and make a commitment to yourself to spend two hours a week during January on BNI related activities.

Remember we do one-on-ones because of the old saying “people do business with people they know, like and trust”. Business is about people who trust each other. We get to trust each other more as we get to know each other more. It’s not actually about getting to know each other’s businesses so much: it’s about getting to know each other as people. The more I get to know you as a person, the more I will get to trust you – and the more likely it is that I will want to do business with you.

Networking On The Beach

Having some one-to-ones in the summer season in a more relaxed setting and mindset may really help to foster deeper trust. Here are a few ideas:

• Go and have your one-on-one at a cafe by the beach, in your board shorts. For that matter, why not have your meeting at the beach?
• Another cool thing to do might be to organise a day at the cricket with a bunch of your BNI colleagues. Plenty of opportunity to talk about business and referrals during a day watching the red ball.
• Or, maybe you have someone in your group with a boat? Organise a few hours on the water with a bunch of your referral partners. Lots of good opportunity to get to know each other and each other’s businesses better as well.

Referral marketing always starts with one word: Trust.Building trust is rewarding … And there’s no reason you can’t build trust while having fun in the sun.

More Free Time

Besides continuing to build trust in your BNI group, here are some other things to think about during the summer period to keep some good energy in your marketing activities.

• Most businesses still operate during the break, sometimes on a skeleton staff, and business doesn’t cease during January (although it can sometimes feel that way). So there is actually no reason to slow down too much in your marketing activities.
• What’s more, people have more time to read what you send them and more opportunities to take time to talk with you.
• So make sure you send them some good stuff to read, stuff that gives them something to think about – and call a couple of your prospects or clients every week and invite them to have lunch or breakfast.

You’ll be surprised how effective it will be …

I promise you.

This article was written by Roland Hanekroot from New Perspectives Business Coaching.

Roland is the owner of New Perspectives Business Coaching, and the author of “The Ten Truths Trilogy” Business books for business owners who don’t like reading business books, but know that they should. Along with being a 9 year BNI veteran he helps small business owners have more fun in their business and build a business that will sustain them for many years to come.

Columnist Details
Roland Hanekroot
Owner
New Perspectives Business Coaching
http://newperspectives.com.au
BNI All About Business in the BNI Sydney Region

Tell us about your business:

Small business coach, mentor and adviser

What are your top 3 networking tips?

Teach yourself to give without expectation of return. Build referral relationships that are truly two-way

What can’t you live without?

Well constructed living one-page business plan

Which Business Book Would Your Recommend & Why?

Blue Ocean Strategy… it really explains how to set yourself apart from the competition

How Did Your Find Out About BNI & Why Did You Join?

My former business coach suggested it

How Long Have You Been a Member For?

9 Years

What Position/s On The Leadership Team Have You Held? 

President, Vice President, Membership Committee, Education, Visitors Host

What value & benefit have you or your business gained by being a BNI Member?

lots of referrals and personal growth

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told Your When You First Joined BNI? 

If you’re not getting the referrals you want, it means you are not making it easy enough for your fellow members to refer to you

Do You Have a BNI Story to share?

I became a grandfather through BNI

Your Dream Referral Is…

Small business owners who are overwhelmed and want to have more Fun in their Business

Members Details
Louise Jamieson
Owner
Taste of the Country
www.facebook.com/TasteoftheCountry
BNI Express in the BNI Lower Hunter Region

Tell us about your business:

Taste of the Country is a country style café located at Hunter Valley Gardens Shopping Village in Pokolbin, NSW. We are open 7 days a week (closed Christmas Day) and offer hearty breakfast, lunch and afternoon teas to hungry people. Taste of the Country is like walking into your grandmas kitchen. It smells great, it looks like you have walked into a home and the hospitality matches the impression you get as you come through the door. Open for the past 15 years, Taste of the Country is renowned for it’s Big Country Breakfasts and it’s Ploughman’s Platter for two. Inside or outside Alfresco dinning available with a view to match.

What are your top 3 networking tips?

Listen – don’t talk.
Be present throughout the whole engagement.
Make sure that you follow up on any commitment you might make during networking.

What can’t you live without?

My family and friends

Which Business Book Would Your Recommend & Why? 

The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – business basics classic that always brings you back to earth and reminds you of why you are in business.

How Did Your Find Out About BNI & Why Did You Join?

I was invited to a BNI meeting – loved what I saw and have been a member ever since. After years of networking – this referral based marketing and relationship model was exactly what me and my business needed.

How Long Have You Been a Member For?

7 years

What Position/s On The Leadership Team Have You Held? 

Vice President, Membership Committee, Education, Visitors Host

What value & benefit have you or your business gained by being a BNI Member?

Aside from the monetary value – BNI provides a variety of education, great relationships, support from other business members, and a great Givers Gain attitude that breathes new life into a business. The buzz that you get from helping other businesses succeed is amazing and watching other members achieve their dreams makes it all worthwhile. I can recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new way to grow their business.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told Your When You First Joined BNI? 

That the more you put into working the system, the more you would get out of it. The possibilities are endless. It’s just that until you develop a close relationship and are committed to help another business grow – that you realise the power of BNI.

Do You Have a BNI Story to share?

Start up businesses always do exceptionally well at BNI. In our Chapter our security business had only been operating for 6 months when he joined the chapter. Seven years on and he has taken the business to a multi vehicle business employing 6 staff and has just merged it with a larger competitor.

Your Dream Referral Is…

A small tour operator that is looking for a regular café for lunch for his patrons.

Members Details
David Markus
Founder & Managing Director
Combo
www.combo.com.au
BNI Corporate Connections in the BNI Melbourne CBD Region

Tell us about your business:

Combo provides managed IT services where we become the IT department and help desk or assist the internal IT department of established companies with over 20 staff.

We provide consulting services, implementation or cloud migration services as projects and ongoing support. Projects we do include, technology updates or refreshes, office relocations, network design for internal or national networks.

What are your top 3 networking tips?

1) Understand what a perfect referral is for fellow members
2) Get firm permission to refer from the target client.
3) After passing the referral follow up with your BNI fellow member and the target to make sure every chance for business to be done has been taken. Then your referrals especially into larger more complex clients can drive real value.

What can’t you live without?

My family, gym workouts and my creature comforts. I have two awesome boys 9 and 12 who keep me on my toes. My wife who is also the joint managing director of Combo. Without her every aspect of my personal and business world would crumble and lose all meaning.

Which Business Book Would Your Recommend & Why? 

My first book in Business was E-Myth and it is a great first book. Good to Great is good too but then Blue Sky thinking and so many others come to mind after that.

How Did Your Find Out About BNI & Why Did You Join?

My good friend Peter Cook introduced me to BNI in Essendon over 10 years ago and I then kept an ear to the ground for a group that offered me connections to larger businesses. Corporate Connections in Melbourne offered me that chance.

How Long Have You Been a Member For?

6 years

What Position/s On The Leadership Team Have You Held? 

Membership Committee, Education

What value & benefit have you or your business gained by being a BNI Member?

The value on a personal level has been in building a group of fellow business builders as well as connections who help me solve all sorts of problems in my property investments. For my business it has been a number of very good clients who have grown and in turn supported the growth of my business. Over 6 years the seat has returned over $2.5 Million in revenue.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told Your When You First Joined BNI? 

The support comes in ways you least expect it when you stop trying to sell yourself and just relax into the group.

Do You Have a BNI Story to share?

I do business in both directions with members of my BNI group. They support my financial services, video needs, investment advice, mortgage broking, printing needs, architectural advice and so much more when I need them and I provide IT support to many of them who run larger businesses. Meeting regularly has allowed us to build the most solid relationships of any I have built in 13 years in business.

Your Dream Referral Is…

An organisation with over 100 staff on computers who just realised their departing IT manager was hiding his incompetence and they need our help right now. This is where we can deliver fantastic value with ready to go solutions that we have delivered many times. We can then do in weeks what has not been achieved in years. We love to make businesses work better by giving them IT systems that work better.

Members Details
Anita Humphreys
Principal/Licensee
Terreno Management Pty Ltd
www.terrenogroup.com
BNI Team Momentum Buderim in the BNI Sunshine Coast Region

Tell us about your business:

I run a Property Management business covering the Sunshine Coast and hinterland.
I have 20 years experience in Property Management and love matching prospective tenants with their perfect home and matching property owners with their ideal tenants.
Happy Tenants = Happy Owners = Happy Property Manager.

What are your top 3 networking tips?

1) Always be on the lookout for a future opportunity.

2) Communication is the key

3) Always try and find a referral for an existing member. Remember Givers GAIN.

What can’t you live without?

Chocolate

Which Business Book Would Your Recommend & Why? 

Anything by Robert Kiyosaki

How Did Your Find Out About BNI & Why Did You Join?

Saw it advertised on a local facebook page attended a meeting, liked the dynamic people in the group and saw that this could work for me and joined.

How Long Have You Been a Member For?

6 months

What Position/s On The Leadership Team Have You Held?

Visitors Host

What value & benefit have you or your business gained by being a BNI Member?

I have gained many new valuable business associates and friends and my business has started to grow since joining BNI.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told Your When You First Joined BNI? 

It is important to have a mentor help you through the first few months.

Do You Have a BNI Story to share?

I was extremely proud to receive an award for the most number of external referrals in our recent regional awards and also to receive the award for the highest CATS score within our chapter.

Your Dream Referral Is…

A property developer with lots of rental properties to find new tenants for.

Members Details
Gary Lisbon
Owner
GOLFSelect
www.golfselect.com.au
BNI Corporate Connections in the BNI Melbourne Region

Tell us about your business:

GOLFSelect specialises in client entertainment on the golf course. In addition to organising single day corporate golf days for small and large companies and charities Australia wide, our GOLFSelect Business Network is a series of professionally managed golf days held on the top private Melbourne Sandbelt golf courses every 4 to 6 weeks. Furthermore our GolfDayPro Event Management software provides a way for companies to facilitate and manage their own golf days including the very popular mobile scoring and live leaderboard functionality we have incorporated into the system. Our golf holiday division organises customised golf holidays throughout Australia and the World and we have just returned from hosting 20 clients at the Open Championship in St Andrews and playing the best courses in Scotland. Tough job but someone has to do it…

What are your top 3 networking tips?

1. show genuine interest when talking to someone
2. do what you say you are going to do
3. think about how you can help someone first rather than just trying to benefit yourself

What can’t you live without?

My family (3 girls and a wonderfully supportive wife), my MacBook computer, my bible and my set of golf clubs!

Which Business Book Would Your Recommend & Why? 

The E-Myth revisited. A great reminder that as small business owners we need to work ON our business and not IN our businesses – something which is not always easy to do and needs constant reinforcement.

How Did Your Find Out About BNI & Why Did You Join?

The mother of one of my daughters school friends was pestering me (nicely) for about 18 months to join and one day I decided to come along. I was immediately attracted by the professional approach to the meetings and the niche I felt I was filling in my particular chapter.

How Long Have You Been a Member For?

1 year

What value & benefit have you or your business gained by being a BNI Member?

Attending BNI meetings on a weekly basis instils a sense of structure and discipline into my business week. It always has me thinking about the importance of referrals and I love giving referrals and having it turn into closed business. It is a great feeling to be able to bless someone with a strong referral.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told Your When You First Joined BNI? 

To give real thought to what your business is all about and how best to articulate that (in 45 seconds).

Do You Have a BNI Story to share?

After being in BNI for less than 6 months I floated the idea to our executive about running a BNI golf day for Melbourne chapters. This was well received, well attended and is a blueprint for future events. Golf is popular amongst BNI members!

Your Dream Referral Is…

Running a series of golf events for a National company in each state of Australia culminating in a National or International final.

Members Details
Pippa Hanson
Managing Director
The Sports Injury Clinic
www.tsic.com.au
BNI Mornington Peninsula in the BNI South East Region

Tell us about your business:

The Sports Injury Clinic’s multidisciplinary team is dedicated to providing you, your family and your team with immediate pain, injury and health care advice so you can achieve the best possible health and fitness outcomes.

We are committed to giving you answers and direction for your recovery and work closely with the local Medical and Specialist community in your management.

Our Mission is to provide a proactive approach to achieve answers and results for you, your family, and your team.

What are your top 3 networking tips?

1. Make Real Connections to build trust and relationships.
2. Networking takes consistency and time by attending regular events
3. Don’t dismiss someone because of their business it is their personality and their connections that will enable you to work together or assist each other.

What can’t you live without?

My family, friends and home comforts. Some might say my mobile phone!

Which Business Book Would Your Recommend & Why? 

I must say I couldn’t list one book. I am a business book junky! Love Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki. It’s important to keep learning new information all the time and taking snippets from each.

How Did Your Find Out About BNI & Why Did You Join?

I must say I couldn’t list one book. I am a business book junky! Love Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki. It’s important to keep learning new information all the time and taking snippets from each.

How Long Have You Been a Member For?

8 years!

What Position/s On The Leadership Team Have You Held?

President, Membership Committee, Education, Visitors Host

What value & benefit have you or your business gained by being a BNI Member?

The business connections have been fantastic and led to some great personal and business opportunities.

The referrals are of course always a benefit.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told Your When You First Joined BNI? 

I am happy that everything I was told I listened to and followed through with. My message to new members is that it can take time to get referrals as you still have to build trust and relationships with people in the group. My other message is the one year mark is not the time to leave this is often the point where the relationships are now turning into consistent referrals.

Do You Have a BNI Story to share?

In 2014 I visited a BNI meeting in Cheltenham, England and was overwhelmed at how welcoming everyone was. A fabulous experience.

Your Dream Referral Is…

Building and Manufacturing work places that have staff on sick leave as a result of work place injuries who are committed to getting their workers pain free, injury free, rehabilitated and fit for their roles.