Frequently Asked Questions
BNI’s philosophy is Givers Gain. What goes around comes around. If I give business to the members in my chapter, members of my chapter will, in return, send business to me. This happens once we all take the time to get to know, like, and trust each other.
1. I will provide the quality of services at the prices that I have quoted.
2. I will be truthful with the members and their referrals.
3. I will build goodwill and trust among members and their referrals.
4. I will take responsibility for following up on the referrals I receive.
5. I will display a positive and supportive attitude.
6. I will live up to the ethical standards of my profession.
Note: Professional standards outlined in a formal Code of Ethics supersede the above standards.
BNI General Policies
***The most current BNI Member Policies Brochures will override anything noted here.***
1. Only one person from each professional classification is permitted to join a chapter of BNI. Membership Committee members of each chapter have final authority relating to classification conflicts.
2. Members must represent their primary occupation, not a part-time business.
3. The weekly meetings last for 90 minutes. Members need to arrive on time and stay for the entire meeting.
4. An individual may be a member of only one chapter of BNI at any given time.
5. Attendance is critical to the group. If a member cannot attend, you may send a substitute (not a member of your chapter) to the meeting. This will not count as an absence. A member is allowed three absences every six months (April through September and October through March). More than this and the member’s classification is subject to being opened by the chapter’s Leadership Team or Membership Committee.
6. Members are required to bring bona-fide referrals and/or visitors to their chapter of BNI. Chapters may establish a minimum number of referrals and/or visitors that is acceptable to maintain membership.
7. Visitors may attend chapter meetings up to two times.
8. Speakers must bring a door prize. Only members bringing a visitor or a referral are eligible for the door prize.
9. There are no leaves of absence except for medical leaves. A member may take up to eight weeks medical leave with the Membership Committee’s prior approval if fees are prepaid for that period of time and an attempt is made to have someone “fill-in” during the leave.
10. It is the member’s responsibility to file a concern with the Membership Committee of the chapter if a visitor who submits an application in any way conflicts with their classification. This should be done before the visitor is approved for membership. If there are no complaints, the Membership Committee will “assume their consent.”
11. Members who wish to change their classification must submit a new application and get approval from the Membership Committee for that classification change.
12. In case of problems with a member, Membership Committees may, at their sole discretion, put a member on probation relating to the member’s business practices or commitment to the chapter.
13. A member’s classification may be opened for failure to comply with the policies and/or the Code of Ethics of BNI. Membership Committees of any chapter may open classifications. In the absence of a Membership Committee, the Leadership Team may fulfill that responsibility.
14. If the Leadership Team fulfills all responsibilities throughout their term, they will receive compensation for their fees. The Leadership Team must agree to the terms outlined in the Leadership Team Agreement in order to hold a position and must go through training before participating.
15. In the absence of a Membership Committee, the Leadership Team may act as an ad hoc Membership Committee until one is established.
16. An individual member cannot be in a second BNI chapter nor in any other group that allows only one person per profession and whose primary purpose is to pass referrals to one another because it substantially reduces their commitment to the chapter members.
17. BNI membership lists are for the purpose of giving referrals, not for soliciting (via email, direct mail or otherwise) BNI members without their prior approval.
18. All new members must attend Member Success Program (MSP) training in their region within the first 60 days of their participation. Only after attending the Member Success training may a new member be added to the speaker rotation for the chapter. Any new members not attending the Member Success training within the first 60 days after being inducted into the chapter will be subject to having their classification opened by the Membership Committee. Chapters should highly encourage members to attend MSP training upon renewal of their membership.
19. Policies are subject to change. All proposed policy changes need to be reviewed first by the Board of Advisors.
BNI Administrative Policies
***The most current BNI Member Policies Brochures will override anything noted here.***
- There is an initial application fee. Fees are paid annually or biannually. Fees may be paid by check, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.
- BNI may establish chapters in every city or community with people interested in developing a referral-based business. In addition, BNI reserves the right to open more than one chapter per community or city where demand for BNI’s services are requested.
- Membership fees are payable 30 days prior to the due date. Members not paid by the first meeting of the month they are due, are considered late and will be assessed a late charge. If fees are not paid within 15 days, the member will be officially dropped by BNI.
- Fees are non-refundable. A Letter of Credit will be given, upon request, to members in good standing for the unused portion of their time.
- Fees cannot be transferred from one person to another unless the fees are from the same company.
- BNI has a strict policy on checks returned for non-sufficient funds (NSF). A member has three working days in which to contact the BNI office to resolve the matter. Any returned checks not resolved within this period will be turned over to collections. ALL returned checks will be assessed a minimum $25 returned check fee. If a member passes a second NSF check, that member will be subject to immediate termination.
- BNI is a marketing service provided by BNI Enterprises, Inc. BNI or any of its franchisees reserves the right to discontinue a member’s participation in the program.
- A member requesting a transfer from their current chapter to a new chapter will be required to submit a completed new member application to the Membership Committee of the new chapter. In addition, if the member has less than 12 months of paid membership credit, they must submit a renewal payment. Or, if the member has more than 12 months of membership, no additional investment is required. Upon acceptance into the new chapter, the credit from their previous chapter will be added to their membership in the new chapter as well as the renewal time, if applicable.
There is an initial registration fee. For current annual dues, please visit a chapter near you. Meal and/or room dues vary by chapter.
Chapters meet on a weekly basis to pass business referrals. Meeting on a weekly basis allows members to get to know, like, and trust each other. It encourages the building of relationships which ultimately leads to more business for everyone.
Yes. We focus on developing relationships. To do this, we must be in attendance every week to show that we are committed to helping others grow their business. In return, the other members will do the same.
If you know you're going to be gone, arrange for a substitute to represent your business that week. By having someone there in your seat, your business continues to be represented even though you're not there. It's like paying for advertising time on the radio. If you didn't provide a commercial, there would be dead air space. You've paid for this advertising time, why not use it?
We only allow one person per professional specialty in each chapter. So if you are a residential real estate professional and our chapter already has one, then we would refer you to another chapter or allow you to open another chapter.
Each chapter has a Membership Committee that reviews each application and applicant thoroughly. The Membership Committee will check two business references, complete an interview with the applicant, meet with the applicant, and conduct business research. BNI is based on word-of-mouth, so before they even come to a meeting they have either already spoken with a member or have been invited by someone in the chapter.
It is not the occupation but the individual that determines if they will benefit from membership. If you are focused and you have a dream and are willing to work your network appropriately, you may be a good fit for a BNI chapter.
All members are encouraged to bring visitors for the occupations that are open. In order to build a quality network of professionals we first seek to expand our contacts by inviting people that we know, like, and trust.
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