Business networking: 200 regional enterprises convene in Kampala

Summary

The Business Network International (BNI) convention in East Africa gathered over 200 businesses to foster growth through a structured, professional, and positive word-of-mouth referral marketing system. BNI, catering to SMEs ranging from single-owner businesses to those with over 50 employees, operates on a 'give and take' philosophy, encouraging members to find clients for each other. With 231 members in Uganda and seven weekly groups, BNI has facilitated over 100 billion in closed business. Globally, BNI has seen over 22.6 billion US dollars in business exchanges in the past year, highlighting its impact on helping businesses expand.

Takeaways

• 🎉 The event celebrates business owners and their efforts.
• 👥 Most attendees are business owners, focusing on networking.
• 🌍 The event is part of Business Network International (BNI), a global networking organization.
• 🎯 BNI targets SMEs ranging from solo entrepreneurs to those with over 50 employees.
• 📈 A business owner in BNI is someone seeking better marketing results and willing to collaborate with others.
• 🤝 BNI operates on a 'give and gain' philosophy, where members help find clients for each other.
• 🇺🇬 In Uganda, BNI has 231 members and seven groups that meet weekly.
• 💰 BNI Uganda has facilitated over 100 billion in closed business deals.
• 🌐 Globally, BNI has passed over 22.6 billion US dollars in business within the past 12 months.
• 📊 The BNI convention brings together businesses from East Africa to explore structured word-of-mouth marketing.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of Business Network International (BNI)?

The primary purpose of BNI is to help business owners grow their businesses through a structured, professional, and positive word-of-mouth referral marketing system.

Who are the typical members of BNI?

Typical members of BNI are business owners ranging from sole proprietors with one employee to those with up to 50 employees or more, who are seeking effective marketing strategies and are willing to collaborate with others through the 'givers gain' philosophy.

What is the 'givers gain' philosophy mentioned in the script?

The 'givers gain' philosophy refers to the BNI approach where members aim to help each other by giving business to one another, with the understanding that in doing so, they will receive business in return.

How many members does BNI have in Uganda?

BNI has 231 members in Uganda.

How often do the BNI groups in Uganda meet?

The BNI groups in Uganda meet weekly.

What is the total amount of closed business BNI has facilitated in Uganda?

BNI has facilitated over 100 billion in closed business in Uganda.

What is the global impact of BNI in terms of business passed in the past 12 months?

In the past 12 months, BNI has facilitated over 22.6 billion US dollars in business worldwide.

How many businesses from East Africa attended the BNI convention mentioned in the script?

More than 200 businesses from East Africa attended the BNI convention.

What is the main goal of the BNI convention?

The main goal of the BNI convention is to bring together business owners for the purpose of helping them grow their businesses through networking and structured referral marketing.

What kind of marketing platform does BNI offer to local SMEs?

BNI offers a platform for local SMEs to market their products through a structured professional networking system that emphasizes word-of-mouth referrals.

What is the significance of the number of employees a business owner has in relation to BNI membership?

The number of employees a business owner has is significant in BNI because it helps to define the scale of the business and the potential networking and referral opportunities within the BNI community.

Outlines

00:00

🎉 Appreciation and Purpose of Gathering

The speaker expresses gratitude to the audience, mainly business owners, for attending the event. They mention that networking is the official reason for gathering, under the Business Network International (BNI) banner. BNI brings together a range of business owners, from small enterprises with one employee to larger companies with 50 or more employees. The focus is on SMEs and fostering connections for business growth.

🤔 What Defines a Business Owner?

A business owner is characterized as someone who has tried various marketing strategies but hasn't achieved desired results. This person is also open to collaborating with others, aligning with BNI's 'giver's gain' philosophy, where members help each other by exchanging referrals and business opportunities.

📊 Facts About BNI in Uganda

The speaker shares insights about BNI in Uganda, which has 231 members across seven groups that meet weekly. Collectively, they have generated over 100 billion Ugandan Shillings in closed business. The organization’s global impact is also highlighted, having facilitated business deals worth 22.6 billion US dollars in the past year.

🌍 Global Perspective and BNI’s Annual Convention

BNI is described as a deliberate networking platform, designed to help members grow their businesses through structured and professional referrals. The annual BNI convention saw over 200 East African businesses come together to focus on mutual growth. It is presented as a platform offering local SMEs a new marketing channel for their products.

Keywords

💡Business Owners

Business owners are individuals who run their own businesses, ranging from small enterprises with one employee to larger firms with over 50 employees. In the context of the video, these owners are the primary audience, meeting under the Business Network International (BNI) to exchange ideas and grow their businesses through networking.

💡Networking

Networking refers to the process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. The video emphasizes this as the core reason for the BNI meeting, where business owners gather to build relationships and share business opportunities, following a structured, referral-based system.

💡SMEs

SMEs, or small and medium-sized enterprises, are businesses with a limited number of employees and revenue, often targeted by networking organizations like BNI. The video highlights how BNI connects SMEs, providing them with a platform to market their products and expand their client base.

💡BNI

BNI (Business Network International) is an organization that facilitates structured networking among business owners with the goal of helping members grow their businesses through referrals. The video discusses BNI’s significant role in connecting business owners globally, including its presence in Uganda, where it boasts 231 members and has closed over 100 billion in business deals.

💡Give Us Game Philosophy

The 'Give Us Game' philosophy in the video represents a mutual support system where members of BNI help each other by referring business. In this approach, individuals work together by giving business opportunities to others, expecting that their own businesses will benefit in return.

💡Word of Mouth Referral Marketing

Word of mouth referral marketing is a marketing strategy where satisfied customers recommend a business to others, generating new business through personal referrals. The video highlights how BNI uses this method as a structured system to help business owners grow by sharing client referrals within the network.

💡Closed Business

Closed business refers to completed business transactions or deals that have been finalized. In the video, it is mentioned that BNI members in Uganda have achieved over 100 billion in closed business, illustrating the effectiveness of the networking and referral system in generating tangible results for members.

💡BNI Convention

The BNI Convention is an annual gathering where business owners from different regions meet to network and exchange ideas. The video refers to a convention where more than 200 businesses from East Africa convened, underscoring the event's importance in building connections and fostering business growth across the region.

💡Referral Marketing System

A referral marketing system is a structured process where businesses generate new customers by encouraging their existing customers or partners to refer others. In the video, BNI’s referral marketing system is highlighted as a key strategy that members use to grow their businesses through trusted recommendations.

💡Uganda Business Network

The Uganda Business Network refers to the specific chapter of BNI operating within Uganda. The video notes that this network has 231 members and 7 groups that meet weekly, playing a vital role in supporting local SMEs and promoting economic growth through structured networking and business referrals.

Highlights

The event celebrates business owners and recognizes their efforts.

Most of the audience consists of business owners interested in networking.

The meeting is part of the Business Network International (BNI), which focuses on structured business networking.

BNI targets small and medium enterprises (SMEs) ranging from single-employee businesses to those with over 50 employees.

A business owner is defined as someone who has tried various marketing tools but is still looking for results.

The 'Give Us Gain' philosophy encourages business owners to exchange business opportunities for mutual benefit.

BNI Uganda has 231 members and seven groups that meet weekly to facilitate business networking.

Over 100 billion Ugandan shillings worth of business has been closed through BNI Uganda.

Globally, BNI has passed over 22.6 billion US dollars in business in the last 12 months.

BNI is compared to a club where members deliberately network to support each other’s businesses.

The 2023 BNI convention brought together over 200 businesses from East Africa for networking and collaboration.

BNI uses a professional, positive, and structured referral marketing system to help businesses grow.

SMEs in Uganda may find BNI to be an effective platform for marketing their products.

BNI encourages word-of-mouth marketing as a key tool for business growth.

NTV Business covered the event, showcasing the potential of BNI for local and regional business growth.

Transcripts

we celebrate you thank you very much for

taking our time most of the people in

this crowd are business owners and while

the word networking is sometimes used

Loosely it's the official reason they

are meeting under the business Network

International or BNI based on the number

of members that we have and the caliber

of members that you have are we

accurately Target smes from one business

owner with one employee all the way to

people who have 50 employees and above

but who exactly is a business owner it

is someone who has been trying all

marketing tools and they're still not

getting results it is someone who is

willing to work with others through the

give us game philosophy that I want to

give you business in return go out there

and find a client for me a bit of facts

about Uganda we have 231 members we have

seven groups which meet weekly and we've

done over 100 billion in closed business

a bit about global in the past 12 months

across the world we've passed business

of over

22.6 billion US dollars in business

if you like business Network

International is a club with members

intent on deliberately networking to

help one another's business in the BNI

convention this year more than 200

businesses from East Africa convened for

their annual convention this

organization brings together business

owners solely for the purpose of helping

them grow their business through a very

structured professional positive a word

of mouth referral Marketing System the

local smes might just discover another

platform for marketing their products

NTV business