The Southeast Tennessee Regional BNI has been awarded the Small Business Award for 1 to 20 employees by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. There were three finalists in this category, and during the chamber’s annual awards luncheon, BNI was announced as the winner. The economic impact BNI has contributed to the local businesses last year was $33 million.
“This is a huge accomplishment for past, current and future members of BNI,” said BNI Executive Director Elaine Zambos.
“BNI was started by Dr. Ivan Misner in 1985 as a new and improved way of doing business using a warm referral system. Dr. Misner wanted to help businesses grow and succeed by getting other business owners and managers to come together as a group and pass referrals,” Mrs. Zambos continued.
“There’s a good reason why there are nearly 11,000 chapters and over 300,000 members worldwide that have, to date, generated over $20 billion in new business for its members.”
Each BNI chapters’ members hold seats in their particular business category exclusively.
“It works. That’s it. The system is in place, and while it has evolved over the years, the basic premise remains the same. And that premise is Givers Gain,” she concluded.