Well for 500 bucks and change I bought a year’s enrollment in my local chapter because I thought it would be a good way to market my services and develop contacts among other professionals and entrepreneurs.
To a certain degree it was beneficial, in that I met some interesting people and got a couple jobs that compensated financially for the membership fee.
But the troubling aspect was how the whole organization was run. In theory, the BNI regulates its chapters to ensure that leads and referrals are being traded consistently. In practice, their requirements just goad the group into a circlej*rk where much less is actually happening than anyone will admit.
For point of reference, I got 2 actual jobs during the 4 months I attended, one of which was for another member who turned out to be a bit of a psycho. 4 months of hour-long meetings every week at 7:30 am, for two jobs. No thanks.
Add to that how members are the ones who fulfill administrative functions at the local level, and it just seems absurd.
Oh, and they have attendance rules, too. If you are going to miss a meeting you are expected to arrange for a substitute to attend in your place and represent your business. Miss too many (like 3) and you get the chapter officers (other members, working for free) breathing down your neck to show up or get the boot.
It’s nonsense.
