Frequently Asked Questions

How many times can I visit before joining a chapter?
Is there a place to discuss BNI among other Chapters?
Is there an official website for BNI?
How do you know new members are reputable?
What if a member gets a referral and does poor work?
What occupations benefit the most from networking?
Are members supposed to bring visitors?
Do ethical rules for certain professions prohibit participation in BNI?
If I specialize in a field within my profession, am I expected to be an expert in all aspects of my profession?
My profession does not let me directly solicit business. Is BNI still right for me?

Q: How many times can I visit before joining a chapter?
A: A visitor can attend meetings a total of two times before being asked to comit to joining a chapter. The visiting peroid is for the visitors to decide if our BNI chapter is right for you.

Q: Is there a place to discuss BNI among other Chapters?
A: Yes. You can discuss BNI at the official message board here: BNI at Yahoo!.

Q: Is there an official website for BNI?
A: Yes. The official website has great information about BNI world wide. You can view it here: BNI.com.

Q: How do you know new members are reputable?
A: The application asks for references and we have a membership committee that checks them. It's word of mouth, so before they even come to a meeting they have to have spoken to someone or been invited by someone in the group. Everyone has to have a sponsor, or one is assigned to them, and they interview them.

Q: What if a member gets a referral and does poor work?
A: We have an ethics committee and it is imperative that anyone who gives a lead and finds out it was not satisfactorily handled must report that to the membership committee, who will investigate.

Q: What occupations benefit the most from networking?
A: It is not the occupation, it is the individual. The occupation can be anything. If you're focussed and you have a dream and you're willing to make a sacrifice, you are the person we want in the group.

Q: Are members supposed to bring visitors?
A: You're encouraged to bring visitors for those occupations that are open, after the visitor has been prescreened, if they're a viable candidate. It's pretty much a closed meeting except for potential members.

Q: Do ethical rules for certain professions prohibit participation in BNI?
A: BNI understands the importance of the ethical concerns governing certain professions and acknowledges that rules can differ by location. As such, BNI therefore requires its members to uphold the rules of its profession so as not to violate the professional’s ethical obligations. In the event that BNI’s general rules could potentially violate a professional’s ethical code, BNI’s rules are superceded by the dictates of the professional’s ethics’ code. Significantly, a primary objective of BNI is to educate its membership in ways to market and grow business. It is BNI’s intent to ensure that this is permitted.

Q: If I specialize in a field within my profession, am I expected to be an expert in all aspects of my profession?
A: BNI understands that many professions are broad and that people often specialize within their profession. BNI does not expect, nor does it encourage, any professional to participate in an area in which the professional does not have expertise. On the contrary, BNI prohibits professionals from acting outside of the scope of their abilities.

Q: My profession does not let me directly solicit business. Is BNI still right for me?
A: BNI’s primary objective is to assist its members in ways to improve their business and to educate them concerning how they can effectively network. Business people get business when their expertise is known and others reach a comfort level with them. BNI provides a forum that allows members to meet other business peers who need to know effective and efficient business people.