Interesting business notes from the Shoreline East BNI meeting at the Madison Beach Hotel on January 8, 2013:

New/Prospective Members

We welcomed the following visitors to our chapter:
• Pete Woods from New Haven Wood Flooring
• Chris Serino from Shoreline Masonry

Education Segment

• Take advantage of 1-to-1 meetings.  Look for people in the group that you can help most.   Find out in detail what they do, and what referrals they need

Club News/Tips/Promotions

The following is a sample of BNI “30 Second Commercials” in which members have 30 seconds to talk about their businesses and what kind of sales lead they are looking for
• Dave O’Connor at Edward Jones is looking for people retiring soon, people who have recently left a  job, and parents saving for college
• Guy Esposito at Repellapest is i the business of restoring quality of life
• Peggy Van Antwerp cited additional research, this time out of Yale, that supports the healthful benefit of Juice Plus.
• Despite the continued growth of the firm, at Balzano & Tropiano, you get personal attention to assist with all wrongful injury claims
• Higher marginal tax rates and continued bonus depreciation deductions this year add to the potential benefits or restructuring companys’ asset depreciation strategies.  Find out more at Commercial Property Consulting.
• Maler Photography will be offering workshops on proper use of digital cameras.
• Jerryann Mafeo at Maffeo Cleaning Services has been in business for 17 years for one reason: she has the same passion for cleaning now that  she had on day one.
• Halagan Design Group does branding, design, and Web.  Plan now for Spring promotions.
• Painting by Page is looking to referrals to people who care about properly maintaining their property
• Scott Tax Advisory Group notes that because of the last-minute fiscal cliff negotiations, wage statements may be delayed until mid-February.  That means that this is an ideal the time to consult with an accountant.
• Lindsay Suter Architects reminds us that designing spaces for special needs people is fully consistent with the principles of ‘green’ design.
• Equitable Divorce Solutions is 100% focused on after-tax cash flow in divorces
• Car Care Clinic is offering free brake checks.
• Don’t take your skiis and golf clubs with you on vacation and deal with TSA hassles.  Let  the UPS Store ship them for you.
• Andy Steven's Nationwide Insurance provides free insurance second opinions to ensure that you don’t pay for insurance you don’t need and go have the insurance you do need.
• Protect U Services people aware of the recent run of burglaries in Essex would be good referrals for Kevin Miles.
• Rollins Group/Coldwell Banker adds value at the pre-listing stage, by planning “staging” and other strategies to increase property values.
• Re-Thinc LLC is the source for sales consulting, leadership training, team development, and business consulting.
• Shoreline Masonry is a full-service masonry: restoration, renovation, walks, low-rise construction, terraces, walls, and more.
• New Haven Wood Flooring is an “Enhance Wood Renewal” local franchise.  Hardwood treatments with no sanding, mess, or odor.

Stats

• Last year, Shoreline East BNI closed 293 of 341 referrals (80% close ratio) passed since October 1, worth an amazing $490,000!   For all of 2012, we closed 1,116 of 1,465 referrals, for a 76% close ratio.
• Scott Vertucci was the 1-to-1 leader with an amazing 24 1-to-1’s conducted in just one month!

Coming Up

• Joe Sarfaty of Celebration Development Group is the scheduled speaker at our next meeting on 01/15.  Visitors are welcome!

About BNI

BNI is the world’s largest referral network.  In 2010, Business Network Int'l passed over 6.5 million referrals in 5500+ chapters with over 135,000 members in 45 countries resulting in more than $2.8 billion in business! BNI membership in CT now stands at 2,027 and growing.

If you’d like to visit the Shoreline East BNI, just fill out the contact form under “Join Shoreline East” on our website (shorelineeastbni.com) and a representative from our membership team will contact you.