Annette Hassell has owned her own administrative consulting firm for 20 years and has concentrated on the business full-time since 1995. The North Bergen resident handles the typing of major documents for law firms and medical practices, and also offers advice in setting up professional offices. However, there’s only so much work one can receive by word of mouth. So Hassell, a member of the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners, accepted an invitation from a member of NJAWBO to attend a meeting of the Business Network International in Hackensack. BNI is a business and professional networking organization whose purpose is to exchange qualified business referrals. It is the most successful organization of its kind in the world, with 1,650 chapters operating in 43 states, as well as England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Malaysia and recently Israel. In 1999 alone, BNI members passed on nearly 1.5 million business referrals, which generated approximately $484 million in business for the members. Hassell liked the idea of attending BNI’s meeting, but there was only one problem. “I work at all hours of the night typing, and it was tough for me to go all the way to Hackensack,” Hassell said. “But now, it’s going to be easy for me.” That’s because a new chapter of BNI has been formed in North Hudson. The members of the Hudson-1 Chapter will meet weekly at the Green Kitchen, in the Galaxy Shopping Mall in Guttenberg, from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. every Friday. There are 21 BNI chapters in operation in New Jersey, but this is the first chapter located in Hudson County. Because of her eager approach and willingness to participate, Hassell has been named president of the Hudson-1 Chapter. “It’s the new version of the Breakfast Club,” Hassell said of the chapter. “We’re just starting out, but the response has already been positive. I figure that anyone who is willing to get up at 7 a.m. and go to a meeting before the business day begins has to be a very serious referral. And I can tell that these people take their business seriously.” One per profession BNI allows only one person per profession to join a chapter. Therefore, once a business becomes a chapter, there is no conflict in giving the members referrals and there is no competition within the chapter. “The idea is to make money from each other, referring our businesses to each other,” Hassell said. “We make friendships and educate other members about what we do and hopefully, that will lead to more business. At the meetings, we tell exactly what we do and everyone comes from all different professions. It’s been quite handy and it’s been nice to get to know new people.” Since the chapter began, many of the initial members have already received referrals. “I think about 10 of us have received referrals,” Hassell said. “I got one. And it’s just starting. We’re meeting every Friday. That’s the commitment we’ve made. And if they’re willing to get out of bed, then they’re the kinds of people I want to deal with. We’re limited to the time we have, so we are done by 8:30 and people are able to start the day.” Some of the other organizing members hail from North Bergen as well. Sheetal Sawhney, along with her husband, Munish, are Realtors. Ileana Montes is an attorney from Jersey City. Hassell has even recruited her friends. “I have one friend who is an accountant and I’ve told him that he has to join,” Hassell said. “His mother lives in the area, so he can visit his mother after the meetings.” Hassell said that the BNI Breakfast Club is always looking for new members. “There are no limits to the size of the chapter,” Hassell said. “I’m pretty psyched, because we’ve had so much interest in such little time. It really can go a long way. If we get a really good group, the more referrals we will receive.” Anyone interested in joining the Business Network International chapter in Hudson County can write to Chapter President Annette Hassell at 40 74th Street, Suite 1B, North Bergen, NJ 07047.
Business breakfasts; New group, headed by resident, forms network
