Recently a business co-directed by one of our members from BNI Parnell Dave Rouse picked up the Excellence in Strategy and Planning prize at the Westpac Business Awards. It was a huge honour for the team at his business EasyForms and one that Dave feels BNI contributed to significantly.
Dave’s journey with BNI didn’t start with EasyForms however; he’s been a member for more than 10 years and across multiple businesses. He first heard about BNI when he owned a mechanic business and after one meeting he was hooked.
Why BNI?
Dave notes that there are many reasons for him sticking with BNI. The key ones are great to keep in mind when telling your visitors about the value of BNI and to remind yourself:
- People buy based on trust in NZ and you can’t build that trust based entirely on brand recognition. It’s two degrees of separation so BNI is perfect in terms of connecting with people, building trust and growing your business.
- Along with the networking that goes on in weekly meetings, one thing Dave and other members really appreciate about BNI is how there are a range of businesspeople represented; many of whom have significant experience in their chosen field. This means there are a lot of people to turn to when you have issues with your business. As you mature as a businessperson it’s great knowing this support is available.
Like many others, after some experience working for other people, Dave decided to buy into his own business.
With his positive experience of BNI, and knowing how it helps businesses to grow, Dave brought EasyForms to BNI. The company which streamlines processes for businesses like 2degrees and ASB through paperless solutions, now has three employees in various chapters of BNI and as a business they’ve gone from strength to strength. They’ve tripled their staff and business is booming.
Westpac Business Awards
Dave says it was humbling just making it to the finals of the Westpac Business Awards considering the calibre of businesses represented. Applying for the awards provided the company with a big reality check in terms of seeing where the business was at and what it was moving towards.
All in all it was a fantastic experience for EasyForms. The win will lead to great publicity for the business and exposure to leaders in the industry that can help guide the team to even greater success. Why not take a leaf out of Dave’s book and give the Westpac Business Awards a go in 2016? It worked brilliantly for EasyForms and it would be fantastic to see other businesses with BNI members achieving in this way.
