Linking Kuching’s networking scene

OOI See Bee is no stranger to Kuching’s corporate scene. Having moved here in 2013 to work for Astro Malaysia as part of their corporate communications team, she constantly keeps in touch with the local media for corporate events, press releases and media updates.

In 2015, she started her own local business – an ice cream parlour named Cloud-99 Ice Cream Cafe – and since last year, she started her own public relations (PR) agency based here in Kuching.

Since then, she began to see the need for networking to take her business further. This was when she decided to join a local chapter of the Business Network International (BNI) in December last year.

“Networking is important in all aspects or for any industries. I guess I did well in media, but I am ‘blank’ in terms of the other industries,” she enthused to BizHive Weekly.

“As a person doing PR – especially for a non-local like me – it is very important to understand Sarawak’s market and its people. I need to build my visibility locally in order to get quality referrals and more importantly, maintain relationship via network sessions.

“Some friends been talking about it (BNI) and finally, a customer of mine – who is also a member of BNI – invited me for their Visitor Day,” she said. “The rest is history.” Being a non-Sarawakian was a minor handicap for Ooi running both her ice cream business and PR business as she does not know the people, places and businesses necessary to aid in the future when the need arises.

“If I do not grow my network locally, it maybe be harder to grow my business,” she added. “Hence, I find this to be a great platform

for me to grow my network and contacts.” Standing out amongst the crowd Ooi’s story is one of many that enforces the need for networking to climb up the corporate ladder. As an entrepreneur, networking is critical to one’s professional growth and business development, especially for small businesses who depend on referrals for income.

In Malaysia, such a practice is necessary to make one’s business stand out from the rest – and that is on growing figure.

According to data from the Companies Commission of Malaysia, more than 6.37 million companies are registered in Malaysia as of December 31, 2016. The latest number of new companies registered between January to July 2017 adds on 249,061 firms which includes both local and foreign companies. This is not including a total number of limited liability partnerships nationwide which amounts to 12,052 as of July 31, 2017.

Building a successful business takes plenty lot of energy, time and drive, so it is good to have a network of associates to draw energy from and keep you going. By surrounding yourself with people who share a similar drive and ambition, you are more likely to move forward as a group. Such was Ooi’s mindset towards joining BNI Sarawak.

“Also, it is a good platform to reach out if you want to grow your business out of this market,” she added.

“What I’m saying is, if you are a BNI member, you can do business through BNI anywhere and every where around the world.”

Since joining BNI, Ooi said she has made quality friends and business partners locally and my contacts have grown larger.

“I’ve gotten more support where BNI partners will always have your back. BNI is not for one hit wonder or for anyone to hardsell. It’s a platform to share your services to your partners and eventually you will get quality referrals. Word of mouth publicity is always the best!”

One cannot talk about networking without mentioning BNI, specifically BNI Sarawak, spearheaded by founders and executive directors Kenny Voon and Nicole Yeoh.

Since its first BizHive feature back in 2014, BNI Sarawak has expanded its coverage to having five active chapters – BNI Pioneer, BNI Signature, BNI Power and BNI Eminence in Kuching – and one in Sibu (BNI Energy).

“We currently have over 160 active members in these five chapters. We are inducting new member every other week,” Voon and Yeoh enthused to BizHive Weekly in an interview.”

Other than the existing chapters and 160 members, our directors team are also setting up new chapters in Kuching, Sibu and Miri.

“We already have over 50 applicants who meet on regular basis to form these new chapters. The next new chapter we are definitely launching very soon is a Mandarin speaking chapter in Sibu called BNI Vision.

“The other new chapters we are initiating are BNI Distinction (English) and BNI Excellence (Mandarin) in Kuching, and BNI Pristine in Miri.”

It is exciting to note these growths over the years have generated business within and outside these BNI circles.

This is thanks to its online platform, BNI Connect, whereby every BNI member around the world has access to. Each chapter and member tracks referrals and revenues via this system.

“Since the beginning of BNI in Sarawak, members have passed a total of 20,813 referrals,” the directors revealed.

“Members in each chapter pass at least 80 to 200 referrals a month, depending the size of the chapter. From these 20,813 referrals, members (in Sarawak) have generated more than RM49.89 million worth of business for each other.”

These figures are lower than the actual referrals and revenues generated by members, they said, as they could not track spin-off business – defined as business generated when a member receives referrals from customers who were orignally referred by members.

“We call these referrals of Tier 3 and beyond. Our goal is by the end of 2020, we are generating at least RM100 million worth of business anually among members.” Important to grow local communities

“We believe that networking is not something new. We have seen businesses at all levels benefit from networking activities – especially in a closely knit community like we have here in Sarawak – it is even more important for business owners and professionals to take part in business networking.

“It is typically easier to close a deal with someone being referred to us than a stranger. This is because a referral has an element of trust by the referrer.

“When we receive referral, we are actually borrowing the trust of the referrer. When our friend refer us a service provider for a service that we need, we instantly trust the service provider compare to any other service provider cold call us.

“However it is not how wide our network or how many people we know that matters. In BNI, we always say look beyond those present in the room. Each person in the room has a network behind them. It’s who knows who in the room that matters.

“We don’t need our prospects to be in the room, we need someone who knows our prospects in the room. This is the key to success in networking. It’s all about who can connect us to the person we desire to meet or do business with.

“This is the reason we have seen a number of our BNI members who hustled for years to meet their dream customers only ended up being referred to their dream customers through other members in BNI.

“Having said that, BNI is not a networking organization per se. We are a referral organisation. We help members increase their business through a structured, positive, and professional ‘word-of-mouth’ business referral program. Diversity in professions

Voon and Yeoh revealed that professionals joining BNI Sarawak come from a diverse pick. BNI has a unique policy of allowing only person from one profession or classifiication to join in a chapter.

For example, if a member joins as an conveyancing lawyer, another conveyancing lawyer cannot join the same the chapter. Thanks to this arrangement, there is a very diversed industries and professions in BNI.

If I do not grow my network locally, it maybe be harder to grow my business. Hence, I find this to be a great platform for me to grow my network and contacts. Ooi See Bee, PR business owner