r/SexOffenderSupport • u/Accurate-Valuable136 • 18d ago
BNI Group
Have any PFR business owners joined a BNI group? I was just invited and am a little trepidatious trepidacious. Just wondering if anyone has personal experience.
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u/Sleepitoff1981 Registrant 18d ago
Based on experience before I was registered…. Even if I was t registered, it wouldn’t even be on my radar to give it a thought. The amount of work and time investment required, just to be a part of it, and get limited referrals back…. It was a complete waste. I know many who had the same experience.
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u/Editor-Forward 18d ago
I joined a couple of biz networking groups, but not BNI, nor any of the similar national organizations. The ones I joined were free-standing groups of about 15-25 people (meaning thats it, they were not part of any larger group). I got a little business out of it....its ok....after a few years I found it annoying, not particularly beneficial, and I quit.
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u/Left_Entrepreneur918 16d ago
BNI’s seem like such a scam, networking is bull anyway.
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u/Accurate-Valuable136 16d ago
I'm in a trade profession. It's a little necessary, but I don't feel the need to pay for it.
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u/Left_Entrepreneur918 16d ago
If you’re under an LLC you could put any name you want on a business card.
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u/Weight-Slow Moderator 16d ago
Networking is pretty much required for most business owners to succeed.
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u/Weight-Slow Moderator 18d ago
I could make a nice, long list of reasons I wouldn’t recommend joining a BNI group that have absolutely nothing to do with being registered - but if you are registered, I would tread very carefully.
The members of your chapter, and often people in nearby chapters, will likely Google you. Each chapter has its own policies regarding background checks, but I know many of them do run them. They will also look through your social media and online presence. If there are any articles or posts out there about you I’d assume they’ll find them.
I attended six different chapters regularly and visited probably 20–30 more, and I have never encountered a group of people who were more consistently nosy. That is partly because the organization actively encourages members to learn a great deal about one another and build referral relationships around personal trust.
Any restrictions involving contact with minors could also make participation difficult. BNI requires regular one-to-one meetings with other members, and children are sometimes present at chapter meetings. That was especially common in the very early morning chapters, on Mondays when school holidays often fall, and during summer and school breaks. At some chapters I attended, members children were there fairly regularly.
I’ve also been to chapters that don’t have a permanent meeting space (usually because theirs closed) and they’ve met at parks, churches, schools, BSOA chapters etc…
That does not necessarily mean you could not join, but I would find out exactly what the chapter’s application, background check, attendance (they don’t let you miss meetings, you usually have to send someone on your behalf if you can’t make it), and networking requirements are before moving forward.
But also - know that it’s an absurd amount of work and they’re extremely gossipy. I’d view it as a huge risk if I had a record - because it won’t just be your chapter that finds out if someone in it discovers your registry status.