BNI Meet

CHAPTER: BNI AMPLIFIER
“ Network is equivalent to Networth”

The Bhawanipur Education Society College organised a LIVE BNI event with BNI Kolkata CBDB Region showcasing Chapter BNI Amplifier on 26th and 27th September 2023 at the Jubilee Hall. BNI stands for Business Network International, which is the world’s largest business networking and business referral organization. The event started at 10:00 a.m. and continued till 1:00 p.m. on 26th September which was mainly a discussion on BNI & its members talking. The budding entrepreneurs and lead people from Chapter BNI Amplifier visited the college to discuss the infinite possibilities of growing yourself & your business through BNI. Miss Runjhun Gupta, the Regional Director of CBDB was the one who conducted the seminar with her excellent attention-grabbing tactic of storytelling and riveting insights about her journey with BNI.

BNI Network was first started by Iven Misner in 1985 and the delightful idea of networking struck his mind when he lost a very important client. He thought of setting up a breakfast meeting with all his friends to acquire knowledge about their business and get connected further. The discussion took place in his own garage and that’s how he went from ‘Garage to Global’. With more than 3 lakh members today, comprising business owners, entrepreneurs, and learners, BNI is thriving in today’s world with a profit of 21 billion dollars, currently run by Graham Weihmiller.

 

Miss Runjhun shared information about India having more than 53,000 members where people believe in building strong human relations through referrals, supporting each other, and assisting each other to be world-class business leaders through connections. BNI is based on “Giver’s Gain” and “no cuts or commissions”. One of the most important values she quoted for BNI is building relationships and helping each other out, as she called it ‘The World’s Largest Referral Networking Organisation.’

 

Miss Runjhun further elaborated on her own journey of joining BNI in 2007 as an architect and made students in awe of how she won some of the most prestigious awards, one of them being the ‘Atmanirbhar’ award for helping students cross the borders in Ukraine during crisis through her worldwide connections. Besides her illuminating achievements, she was the only woman who represented India at the Global Convention and also won the BUFFALO award. She has helped countries like Cyprus, South Korea, and Uganda with her expertise & BNI network, as she broke the myth that “Women can’t do business.”

 

Apart from Miss Runjhun Gupta, Miss Kanchan Sarda, Mr. Kunal Das, and Mr. Kausshal Dugarr also shared their experiences with BNI and how human connections helped them become the successful business owners that they are today. The session ended with Miss Runjhun inviting the students the following day for a BNI meet to be held at the college campus itself.

 

The next day, 27th September, from 10:00 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. the students witnessed a “laboratory session after the theory class”, as Prof. Dilip Shah quoted. The students were invited to be a part of a weekly BNI meet held in the Jubilee Hall to let them comprehend how BNI functions. Many entrepreneurs shared their stories and details about their businesses, all in a 30-second window given to each. All the members of BNI were open to discussions with each other and the students were present as the attendees. Miss Runjhun then continued the meeting by informing how BNI works beyond the idea of Language Barrier, Cutthroat Competition, and “NO business without commission.” The session concluded with feedback, and the process of joining BNI, and with it the students got a chance to talk to all the entrepreneurs present & network themselves about their own businesses.

With approximately 25 entrepreneurs in attendance and a packed house of eager students, this captivating session proved to be a resounding success. The event underscored the significance of human relationships in a world increasingly dominated by technology.
The event reached its culmination as Professor Dilip Shah honoured Miss Runjhun Gupta. In her parting words, she beautifully encapsulated the essence of the gathering by stating, “The best way to predict a great future is to let the children create it. Believe in them to shape the world as beautifully as they envision it through the eyes of their imagination.”

Reporter: Heeya Pabari
Photographer: Priyanshu Chatterjee