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A Networking Leader Leads to Clean Compassion

When it comes to networking leaders in business and ministry, there are a few people who come to mind but one that stands out for me and that’s Bob Bowen.

Bob Bowen’s commitment to churches, ministries and non-profits has been proven within organizations like World Vision, Partners International and C3. Bob’s passion and drive to connect people together is one I have never seen before in my 27 years involved in small business.

People like Bob are rare, based on the simple fact that they really care and desire to help you and others with like or similar interests.

When we look at the world of networking, whether you are in the non-profit, public or private sectors, people like Bob can be such a blessing as they continually outreach and connect with others who can make an impact.

In my previous article BNI – A Proven Small Business Success Secret I touched on how this organization had really made an impact on us over the last 12 months. Maybe because it’s business networking with an afterburner.

Clean Compassion Brings Hope

With that said, it’s really easy to get all caught up in your day to day business or ministry and lose sight of what is really important.  Last year Bob Bowen and I met with Tom Mehrer from Clean Compassion and I must say that this was one of those memorable meetings that had an impact on me and a young man located in Monrovia, Liberia.

As you may or may not know micro finance and helping small business owners in various parts of the world is something I’m interested in and have written about since 2010.  If you haven’t heard of micro finance check out – Kiva.org and World Vision and you’ll get to see the different programs you can participate in.

Clean Compassion is an entirely different micro enterprise business model in that it provides products for the entrepreneur to sell, and these products are solar oriented. So now there are several other ways that you can support a fellow small business owner in another country or territory plus you’ll have a back up solar light and way to charge your mobile and tablet should the power go out.

Plus when you travel you’ll be prepared for an emergency and Clean Compassion can help light the way and communicate when others may be unable to.

And for those of you that are avid outdoor enthusiasts, wouldn’t it be great to bring your light and be able to check your stocks and Facebook & Linked In pages from a peak in the mountains, cabin or campsite on the lake?

Well, maybe not if you are a true diehard. 🙂Clean Compassion.org

Either way, preparedness or enthusiast, you’ll be a happy camper with your Clean Compassion solar light, plus your contribution will help a small business owner somewhere in the world to achieve his or her dreams.

So my hats off to networking leader Bob Bowen and social entrepreneur Tom Mehrer for making a difference and connecting people across the globe.

I sure hope their example shows others how they can make an impact no matter where they are located.

To your networking success,

Dave Krygier
Publisher

 

Business Development Strategies – The BNI Way

Ever heard of BNI? Well up until last year, neither had I. Well at least I hadn’t paid enough attention to know what BNI is all about.

You see, BNI, also known as Business Networking International, is a global organization that functions on the basis of referrals, with the philosophy of Givers Gain.

Up until the Spring of 2012 I’d never heard of BNI.

I had been involved in networking groups before like LeTip and even co-founded a group in the early 1990’s which was located in the Seattle area called the Northern Network.

From different Chambers to Associations, I had my share of networking and needless to say the guard was up. Networking on a local level was not a new concept to me, but a group of very successful marketers, who I met at a conference, highly recommended BNI and this caught my attention.

So I decided to visit two different BNI chapters in my neck of the woods and one of them fit me better than the other.

Yes, there are chapters all over and in my case there were several to choose from that didn’t have a business like mine. You see each BNI chapter can only have one profession or business of it’s kind as a member. This way you are not competing with another company for the same business.

BNI is very unique, at least to this publisher and small business owner who has been around networking since the start of his first little enterprise many, many years ago.

BNI has been a real blessing and in my opinion the connections one can make are well worth the time and small investment.

Look, I’m not saying that you put all of your time into networking. I’m just saying that maybe it’s worth looking into and investigating if you are in the business development mode right now looking for new business development strategies that convert prospects into clients.

Because one to two new referrals could be what makes your week, month or even your year, depending on your business.

I mean we can go back and forth about business development strategies all day long.

There are lots of them out there and plenty of people to help you implement whichever one suits your particular business. Maybe your business development strategies or ‘strategy’ are working just fine and the cash register is overflowing, but you know you need a backup plan?

Maybe BNI could fit the bill and be a part of your business development strategy over the next couple of years? The only way you’ll know is to schedule the time to check it out and evaluate for yourself.

So if you are a small business or professional on the business development path and desire to connect with other like-minded people…

BNI might just be the ticket.

But you’ll never know until you take the next step and visit a chapter in your area.

Until next time,

Dave Krygier
Publisher