BNI Lancashire celebrates multi-million year

Lancashire members of global networking organisation BNI are celebrating after generating more than £12m of business for each other over the last 12 months.

The world’s leading business referral organisation, with over 300,000 members in 77 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 & Ireland shared over half a billion pounds (£538m) of business between one-another.

Its nine established chapters in Lancashire hold weekly breakfast or brunch-time meetings in Chorley, Preston, Longridge, Blackburn, Accrington, Lancaster and Burnley, all of which aim to generate in excess of one million pounds annually for members.

The organisation is also currently in the process of launching its first hybrid brunch chapter, combining online and in-person events, in Preston, as well as new fully face-to-face chapters in Leyland and Lancaster, the latter of which will be the region’s first ever evening group.

Celebrating the multi-million pound achievement at the organisation’s recent leadership training event, Louise Eccles, Executive Director for BNI Lancashire, Greater Manchester East, Kirklees and Calderdale, said: “All our Lancashire members can be so proud of what they have achieved together in the last year.

“It shows just how vital face-to-face networking is to the local economy. Prior to Covid-19, BNI in Lancashire was celebrating hitting over ten million pounds in business, so to have now smashed that record in the post-pandemic environment is a fantastic achievement.

“Our members’ success comes from their commitment to helping one another, and our systems are entirely built on encouraging and facilitating an altruistic approach to business – if you help me, I’ll want to help you. It’s a case of tapping into and supporting a natural urge that humans have to help one another, and the success of BNI members across the world shows it works.

“As a member of BNI for over 13 years, I’ve seen so many people build the businesses of their dreams by committing to that ethos, while thriving personally in the community of likeminded people that BNI provides.

“BNI itself has undergone many changes in recent years. We’ve updated our systems and introduced new technologies that mean BNI members are now better connected with peers across the globe than ever before.

“We have such a fantastic community now, my message is, if you’ve never tried BNI, come along and see what we’re about. If you haven’t tried it for a while, come along and see what’s changed. Our doors are always open to people who want to prosper and grow through a teamwork approach to building their business.”

For more information about BNI, go to www.bnionline.co.uk.