Another Thursday morning at BNI Surrey Hills showed exactly why the chapter continues to be such a strong place for local businesses to grow, build relationships and generate genuine opportunities.
Meeting at Reigate Manor, members were joined by substitutes and visitors from a wide range of professions. From construction and property to finance, health, marketing and professional services, the room once again demonstrated the value of having trusted local businesses working together.
And the results speak for themselves.
Number One in Surrey
BNI Surrey Hills is currently ranked number one in Surrey and 20th across the whole of the UK and Ireland, from around 450 chapters.
The chapter has its sights firmly set on breaking into the UK top ten.
One of the biggest measures of success in BNI is “Thank You for the Business”, where members record business generated through relationships and referrals within the group.
For July alone, Surrey Hills recorded an impressive £272,582 of business.
With an annual target of £2 million, the chapter is currently performing well ahead of where it needs to be.
But BNI Surrey Hills is about more than simply passing leads.
The underlying principle is Givers Gain – helping other people first and building strong, trusted relationships that naturally lead to business.
That message was reinforced during Martin Bullock’s education slot, where he encouraged members to make better use of one-to-one meetings.
The more you understand another member’s business, the easier it becomes to recognise opportunities for them.
Businesses Helping Businesses
Every week, members have the opportunity to explain exactly who they help and the introductions they are looking for.
This week included everything from homeowners needing roofing, drainage, windows or landscaping to businesses looking for finance, HR support, social media, accounting and commercial property services.
There were also some excellent examples of members already working together.
Jack Caffyn of Logody Creative Studios shared how social media work for Harry Wood of Kent Fencing and Landscaping had generated more than 65,000 organic views in just 22 days.
Dean Slade of Book The World also revealed that more than 50% of his business comes through the chapter – a powerful endorsement of what can happen when members become part of the BNI community and actively build relationships.
Feature Presentation: Michael Walker of RLR Leadwork and Roofing
This week’s feature presentation came from Michael Walker of RLR Leadwork and Roofing.
Michael shared the story behind the business, his motivation and his ambition to build RLR into one of the leading roofing companies in the UK.
What stood out was how much the business has developed.
RLR now has a team of 13 roofers and five chargehands, covering both domestic and commercial roofing and specialist leadwork.
Around 40% of its current workload is now commercial, with the company becoming increasingly involved in larger projects.
Michael showed examples ranging from specialist leadwork and slate repairs to major roof refurbishment programmes.
Current and recent work includes projects at Putney High School and a multi-year programme refurbishing roofs across 12 care homes.
It was also another good example of BNI collaboration.
RLR is already working alongside fellow Surrey Hills members including Jamie Harkness of Professional Roof Cleaning and Ray Turner of R & M Turner & Co.
Michael is now particularly looking to build relationships with Quantity Surveyors, building contractors, facilities managers, commercial property owners and property developers.
So if you hear somebody talking about a commercial roofing project, school or care home refurbishment, slate repairs or specialist leadwork, Michael and the RLR team would be a great introduction.
A Growing Chapter
BNI Surrey Hills currently has 37 members, with the goal of reaching 40 by the end of September.
The group is particularly interested in meeting businesses from professions including architecture, structural engineering, surveying, removals and several other currently available categories.
Visitors this week also included businesses in quantity surveying, technology support and property development, creating further opportunities for collaboration.
That is one of the strengths of BNI Surrey Hills.
It isn’t simply about turning up on a Thursday morning and exchanging business cards.
It is about building a network of trusted local professionals who understand each other’s businesses, recommend each other with confidence and actively look for opportunities to help one another grow.
With more than £272,000 of business recorded in July and a number one ranking in Surrey, something is clearly working.
If you are a local business owner looking to grow your network, generate more introductions and become part of a supportive business community, visiting BNI Surrey Hills could be a very productive way to spend a Thursday morning.