Butcher, baker, candlestick maker … from the beginning of time, there have been entrepreneurs — those people who have an idea, start their own business, work for themselves and wear all hats in their business. They do the marketing, the selling, the educating and the actual conducting of the business. Today, they are known as sole proprietors, “S” corporations or individuals who are “doing business as” — dba’s.

As a small business owner, especially of a home-based business, there is a need to get out and meet other people, share ideas and get support and help from others. At times, a small business owner can feel like he is alone on a deserted island.

There are a few organizations in our community that can come to the aid of an entrepreneur: the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce, the La Grange Business Association, the La Grange Park Business Association and a recently formed group in Brookfield for the businesses on Grand Boulevard. There also  is an organization called Business Networking International.

According to their Web site, BNI is the largest business networking organization in the world. Founded in 1985, there are currently more than 5,000 chapters in the world. Last year alone, BNI generated 5.5 million referrals, resulting in $2.2 billion dollars worth of business for its members. Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder and chairman of BNI, has written many books on the art of being an entrepreneur and writes a monthly column for Entrepreneur.com.

Here in our community, the local chapter of BNI meets at 7:30 a.m. every Tuesday at Blueberry Hill Restaurant, 49 S. La Grange Road in downtown La Grange. The agenda consists of announcements and what is going to happen in the morning’s session. Since the chapter membership is the sales force for the members, each person in attendance has 60 seconds in which to describe his or her product in hopes of getting referrals for his or her business. The art of referrals is finely tuned.

There are currently 29 active members of the BNI La Grange chapter. There can be only one representative per industry in the membership, so there is no competition among members for business. After the 60-second introduction to one’s business, anyone at the meeting who has a referral for that person writes it down and passes it around. Members include a florist, a dentist, an attorney, a financial planner, an architect, a wellness consultant, a home inspector, a real estate agent, a construction contractor, a confectionery shop owner, a computer troubleshooting consultant, a counselor, a graphic house, a jeweler, a mortgage banker and a full-service professional uniform business owner.

Also during the meeting, one of the members has a 10-minute presentation of his business. After the presentation, the floor is open for questions.

Testimonials and referrals are then exchanged from the entire group.

Karen Hanrahan is the chapter mentor and the education coordinator. She is an independent distributor for Shaklee Productions and serves as a wellness educator/consultant in helping clients achieve health success. She has been involved with BNI for six years.

“We first started with 12 people and we each had the assignment to bring in one other person so that we could grow the organization. We made a united effort to grow the group and we have a great group — we are funny, warm and welcoming.”

The group serves as a great resource for people — and they subscribe to the ‘givers gain’ philosophy.

According to Hanrahan, the “best way to find out about BNI is to attend a meeting. We will treat you to breakfast, and you can attend two meetings as a guest, then you make your decision as to whether you will join or not. It is an experiential thing.”

The cost of membership is about the same as a good business suit, and there are monthly fees for breakfast and for the rental of the meeting venue. Having attended this past Tuesday, I can agree with Hanrahan that the meeting is fun, informative and supportive. It is a great opportunity to introduce others to your business and meet new people. So, whether you are baker, butcher or candlestick maker, there is something for everyone at BNI.