Associate Membership
Associate Membership is by invitation by the BoB Committee only and cannot be applied for. The Committee may consider extending such invitations to individuals who make a valuable, ongoing contribution to BoB or the local community but are unable to attend meetings regularly.
Details of Associate Membership are as follows:
- Associate Members are asked to adopt the group's Values, Ethics and Conduct in the same way as full members, including being prepared to contribute a small amount of time to BoB business if so requested by the BoB Committee.
- Associate Membership is subject to the same one member per business type criteria as full membership. Therefore, if someone of an identical category applies to join as a full member, we may ask an associate member to choose between adopting full membership, stepping down, or joining under another category which does not overlap with the new member.
- Associate Membership is free for the first 3 months. Thereafter, Associate Members are to pay the £35 one-off joining fee and set up a monthly standing order of £12 to cover their membership fees.
- Associate Members have a profile on the website and are welcome to join the odd meeting if able to do so. If they attend twice in a month we ask them to pay an additional £10 for breakfast. If they become able to attend regularly then we would expect them to take up full membership (£30 per month) to cover costs.
- Associate Members are encouraged to attend training and social events, and also to return data on referrals passed, 121s and business received through BoB, in the same way as full members.
- Associate Members do not have voting rights.
Benefits
Business Referrals
In accordance with our Values and Ethics, members agree to be alert to referrals that might be passed to fellow members. They also agree to follow up on referrals given and to provide feedback. This is a powerful model! It means that, in effect, we are all helping to grow one another's businesses.
We believe that the commitment to follow up on referrals received, and to provide feedback, is as important as giving the referral. It demonstrates a respect for the member who gave the referral, which in turn increases the likelihood of further referrals and mutual support: a cycle of success!
One Member Per Business Type
BoB is an excellent way to help grow your business as only one member per industry category is permitted to join. Unlike some other groups, this means you can build a network within and around the group as the exclusive supplier and expert in your field. We see this as a key feature of BoB.
In accordance with our Values and Ethics, members agree to respect the exclusivity of categories.
We agree to ensure that the business of any potential visitor to be invited does not overlap with that of a fellow member; and if in doubt, to check with the member who may be compromised and accept their ruling on the matter without demur.
We also agree to ensure that we do not stray into other members' areas in our One Minute Pitches, 10 Minute Presentations, 5 Minute Education Slots and general discussions at meetings.
So, it really is just one member per business type. This makes for an interesting mix of members, vibrant meetings, and great business opportunities.
Training & Mutual Support
TRAINING
We hold a number of training events throughout the year. The programme for 2023 is as follows:
18 January: An Introduction to Financial Well-Being. A 3 hour event delivered by Karl Wiltshire, Wiltshire Wealth Management.
15 March: First Aid. An approved training event leading to a First Aid Certificate, delivered by Nigel Inseal, EFA Training.
21 June: Getting the Most Out of Your Website. A 3 hour event delivered by David Foster, Honeystone Web Design.
20 September: An Introduction to Sales. A 3 hour event delivered by Gwyn Russell, United EPoS Solutions.
15 November or 6 December: tbc
Additionally, at every BoB Meeting we have a 5 minute ‘Education Slot’ in which a Committee Member speaks on a topic of interest and value to the group.
MUTUAL SUPPORT
Mutual support is a key element of the group's ethos. Between our members, with their combined experience, there are few challenges that will not be familiar - and, in accordance with our Values and Ethics, our expectation is that all members should be as happy to offer support as they are to receive it.
We encourage members to have one to one meetings outside the group in order to get to know each other and each other's businesses better, and to build strong, mutually supportive business relationships.
Our Training and Mutual Support Committee Member, Anthony Brister CBE, is available to enable new members to receive the initial mutual support that they want/need from the appropriate member(s) of the group.
Great Fun Breakfast
The breakfast provided by the Happy Food Company is renowned and there is always good-humoured banter. This period, during which no formal group business occurs, is also an opportunity to catch up with fellow members and even explore potential business opportunities. It's amazing what can happen over bacon and eggs at 7:15 in the morning!
We also meet outside the meetings for 121s and social events. The 121s are an important aspect of BoB: in accordance with our Values and Ethos, our members agree to instigate them and to be open to invitations to attend them. Great things can follow!