The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Referral operation BNI is a hit with Scots firms
Successful franchises come in all shapes and sizes and operate in a variety of different markets around the world.
Business networking referral group BNI is a leader in its field.
It was founded in the US in the mid-1980s and now has chapters in 70-plus countries across the globe and more than 220,000 members.
There are more than 12,500 members in the UK and Ireland alone — passing more than 676,000 referrals worth more than £497 million every year.
The organisation is proving very popular in Scotland.
Husband and wife Bryan and Angela Kinghorn are the two executive directors of BNI Scotland North, which covers the country from Dunfermline northwards. There are three other regions in southern Scotland.
The Kinghorns acquired the two franchises for the north area in 2016 and 2017, and have put in place ambitious expansion plans.
“We have groups throughout the area and have just launched our 14th in Aberdeen and now have more than 400 members in total,” Mr Kinghorn said. “We are targeting 1,000 members and 20-25 groups by 2021.”
BNI Scotland North generated £19m of business for members in 2016, a 65% rise on the year before and Bryan is expecting the 2017 figure to exceed £20m.
It won six honours at the recent BNI directors’ conference in England, including the UK award for region of the year – beating 69 others.
“There is a great deal of enthusiasm among people in the business community in the area to build new connections and win more business,” Mr Kinghorn said.
“They are finding BNI is the perfect place to do that.
“Angela and I are delighted how things have gone to date.”
The BNI organisation says it has grown internationally because it solves a fundamental challenge all professionals face, which is “what is the best way for me to generate word-of-mouth referrals and generate more sales?”
In 2016 alone, millions of BNI referrals are said to have led to $11.17billion in sales worldwide.
Franchisees help start and grow chapters, earning revenue from members who pay a modest membership to join an organisation that essentially adds a roomful of new sales people to their team.
Since members benefit by expanding the number of people in their chapter — and thus increasing the number of potential referrals — they also double as recruiters, which helps chapters grow.
Graham Weihmiller, chief executive of BNI, said: “Business people are always looking to increase sales and BNI helps them achieve that in a unique, fun way.
“Everyone speaks the language of referrals and BNI is uniquely positioned to build bridges in a world that needs bridges.”