By James Shillaker, Director, Incorpore – The Health Club Company, West Sussex
Putting official BNI policy to one side for a minute, I think it is unethical to allow part-time / second income members into your chapter.
1) It is almost impossible to do this honestly. I am dedicated to finding referral opportunities as part of my working week, that’s the way I do things. However, if I thought one of my employees was using ‘my company time’ to find referrals for another networking group and / or leads for their ‘other’ business I wouldn’t be very happy. They are employed to find referrals for this business – not their own. So if they carry on doing it they are being dishonest to me, if they stop doing it then they are not effectively finding referrals for the chapter and being dishonest to them. No win situation?Your employer is you primary responsibility. How can you pledge an oath about the BNI’s code of ethics to your chapter if you have already pledged the same oath to your employer?
2) I would rather give my support to somebody dedicated to making that business work rather than just earning extra pocket money. We have a MLM member and we decided to keep it to just one in the chapter – she is passionate and dedicated to her Aloe Vera products and like all the other members she lives, breathes and sleeps her business. If I thought for one minute she had a comfort blanket of a full time job she’d lose my support in a flash. There is a special bond between all entrepreneurs and business owners – we put our balls on the line for what we believe in, dream of and want to achieve. Can you look that part-time member in the eye and know they are made of the same stuff?
Got a rather week analogy, but going to say it anyway. It’s all or nothing for me. If you ask to borrow $200 from the bank to buy enough water to survive a forthcoming trip across the Sahara Dessert there is no point the bank turning around on the morning of the expedition and saying we’ll only give you $100, because you’ll die. Likewise there is no point going into BNI half-cocked – because it won’t be a success for you or the chapter. Simple really.
Oh and BNI is not a stepping stone . . . you don’t dip your feet in to see if it will help you get enough business to ‘go it alone’ later. That is about as much use to the chapter as a blind lifeguard!
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