BNI Kenya holds visitors day as it seeks to make business referrals as easy as snapping a finger (photos)

BNI, (Business Networking International) which was founded in 1985 by Dr. Ivan R. Misner and has been in operations in Kenya and Tanzania for the last ten years and four years in Uganda, is a global business and professional networking organization which brings together entrepreneurs and business leaders under one roof to exchange qualified business referrals to each other.

Viral Gorrrila CEO and BNI achievers chapter President, Joyce Muthoni who spoke exclusively to Business Insider Sub Sharan Africa said the visitor’s day sought to give potential members a feel of what to expect once they join BNI.

“BNI is a global networking forum, I would say it is the most professional and most efficient business networking forum in the entire world, we are represented in every continent of the world and in Kenya we have thirteen chapters and overall we are just shy of 300 members, here at achievers chapter which is actually the leading chapter in the country we have 38 members”

Ms Muthoni, explained that the chapter also hoped to sign up new members and attain their target numbers before her presidential term comes to an end.

“BNI has a presidential or leadership team term of six months, so every six months the leadership changes, I have been the president for the past five months and so I have one more month to go, at the beginning of our term our target were to reach 45 members by the time we finished our term and we are currently at 38 members”

Also read: KENYAN CEO WHOSE COMPANY WENT DOWN SHARES 3 MISTAKES TO AVOID

BNI hopes to grow to over 600 members across the country in the next two years and close to 200 people attended the BNI visitors day.

“Today we had our visitors day which is one of our biggest events of the year and it is also one of our recruitment platforms, we had over 180 people attending the meeting and out of these we only need eight people to sign up and become members so has to has attain our target"

BNI Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania National director, Elizaphan Muraguri urged entrepreneurs and companies out there wishing to grow their businesses and social capital to join BNI as it is the best business club in town and comes with several benefits and perks.

“One of the benefits of joining BNI is personal developments because we train our members how to achieve that, when people come to BNI they normally come with an outside mindset of hunting for business we change that into farming for relationship which turns into businesses” he said.

Also read: TOP 10 MOST EXCLUSIVE CLUBS IN NAIROBI AND THEIR MEMBERSHIP FEE

BNI trains their members how to navigate around and form relationships with different entrepreneurs sourced from a diverse pool of talents and sectors which comes in hardy when looking for business.

However, the biggest benefit is perhaps the targeted marketing BNI offers which gives entrepreneurs an edge over their competitors.

“There is also the exclusive marketing price because we allow only one profession per chapter say for instance one doctor per chapter or one supplier per chapter and therefore they are able to market their companies without fear of competition”

As the meeting draws to a close and business cards are exchanged, one gets the feeling that they may have just stumbled into the ‘farm’ where millionaires are planted, plowed and harvested.

“The way the chapter is run, the way the meetings are run, the way we conduct, monitor and track performances of the members because everyone is here to give businesses, our philosophy is give and gain so we encourage people to give and not to just chase for business and in giving you are able to receive so it is everything around how the BNI forum has been crafted, what is stands for and the opportunities it gives every member” said Ms. Muthoni.