I know people usually associate networking groups like BNI with white collar businesspeople like accountants or real estate agents. Perhaps they also realise that businesses in the service space – like plumbers or electricians – use BNI too. These people are unlikely to connect more novel small businesses with a networking organisation, but that’s where a business like mine fits in.
I am the owner of In 2 Hula; a business that makes and sells hula hoops and also runs hula hoop classes. The story of In 2 Hula began in 2008 with my daughter Korina who had achieved an amazing personal goal, losing 25 kilograms through the Weight Watchers programme.
To maintain and keep her fitness levels, she decided to try hooping. She’d been told that this was a great form of exercise and that it would help trim her waistline and tighten her tummy. Following the birth of her two children this was great news because she was looking for something to help her lose the mummy tummy.
She searched a number of outlets, only to find small, thin, child sized hoops. Not large or heavy enough to do the job. My husband Grant made a hoop and away she went. We were surprised to learn that in the next three weeks she was feeling trimmer and was having fun doing it.
We researched hula hooping online and found it was fast growing around the world, as a fitness and dance workout. This re-emergence of the hula hoop had not yet made it to New Zealand.
We jumped right in and began manufacturing hoops in our home town of Christchurch. Today we sell hoops all around New Zealand. The next step was to offer hula hoop classes. We now run several hoop classes in Christchurch. We teach new beginners to hoop, while offering those more advanced the opportunity to learn some slick moves and do tricks. I started my business part time but now it has gone full time and I’m focusing on building it significantly.
BNI helps me to do this by connecting me with other businesses that can support me through referrals and with their expertise. I’ve had a referral through BNI for the Christchurch Star and through my chapter I’ve been able to introduce people to my business and spread the word about hula hooping. For me the cost of joining and participating in BNI is an investment in my business – one that has already paid off.
As far as I’m concerned business is all about making connections – business to business and person to person. BNI lets you do this. Businesses are always looking for something new to bring to their clients and staff and I’ve had a great response to my business’s novel offering. I encourage other members to consider inviting unique or novel business to join BNI – it brings a whole new energy to a chapter.
Bernadette Smith, Owner of Hula Hoops, BNI Kinesis (Christchurch), with her 10 year old granddaughter
