Michael Cheney - behind the I.M. curtain

I used to be part of a networking organization that had at its core the philosophy of ‘givers gain’.

The organization (if you’re interested, and if you’re not close your eyes now) was called Business Network International.

Anyway, the whole theory behind it is that if you help another fellow business owner out with a lead or assistance in some way they will scratch your back in return.

"But I can’t be arsed.."

It all works well in theory until you are actually faced with the prospect of having to go out of your way to help someone. Too many people take the line that it’s too difficult to run ONE successful business never mind having to go out of your way to help someone else’s.

But that’s where the lazy layabouts lose out.  It’s only when you start thinking outside your own office that your business really starts to grow.

I learned this with my time at Business Network International and now I’m applying the same principles to my online networking efforts - help others first and think of what you can do to move their businesses forward..

So what happened to me and BNI?

Simple really - it helped my business massively back then as it was local, physical world contacts I needed for my one-to-one consultancy.  But for years all my business has come from the Internet so the need to meet local business owners became a lower priority than networking with like-minded people on the Internet..

</sermon ends>  ;o)