By Lisa Carolin
Chelsea Update is running a series on businesses in Chelsea beginning with those that belong to the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce. This week’s focus in on BNI.
Business Networking International (BNI) has a chapter in Chelsea called the Professional Networking Alliance. It’s a referral marketing organization that lets business professionals interact, share information about their businesses, and connect friends and family who may need services represented by BNI members.
“The goal is to help people use word of mouth marketing to build business and develop long-term, meaningful relationships with quality business professionals,” said Ann Nauts, a member of Chelsea BNI.
“Our theory is that by getting to know local businesses in many types of work, who have strong ethics and skills, we can help each other by referring those we know looking for that introduction to a service or product provider,” she said.
Those skills include finance, health care, home and personal services, and a variety of specialties.
“Our BNI chapter has about 30 members, each with a niche that no one else in the chapter is targeting,” said Nauts, who said the local chapter started meeting in 2010.
“We are open to growing the group and invite people to visit on Friday mornings from 7-8:30 a.m. at the Washington Street Education Center, in the school board room,” she said.
Nauts owns Arbor One Mortgage Group, which helps people finance new homes or refinance existing homes.
“I have been in two BNI chapters over the past 15 years, and find it to be a great way to meet friends, learn about local businesses, and have a large group watching out for people who need my services,” she said.
