Statement of Purpose
BIZ-Links is a business to business referral group. BIZ-Links is dedicated to the positive development of purposeful referral generation for its members within the business community in which it has direct influence and/or association by virtue of past experience or current knowledge. Members must remember to network THROUGH other members NOT TO other members.
Membership Qualification
Procedure of membership: candidate must be a current GMA member, must not compete with another BIZ-Links member business, must understand BIZ-Links Governing Rules, and must submit BIZ-Links dues payment once approved. Applications for membership will be submitted to the group via email for review upon completion by candidate. If no objections are raised, the leadership team will inform the applicant of their acceptance. Should any group member raise a legitimate objection to the application, the GMA Liaison shall bring the application before the group for a vote at the next meeting, with a simple majority deciding. If a majority isn’t achieved, or if the issue cannot be resolved by a vote, the matter shall be escalated to the GMA Networking Advisory Committee for a final decision. GMA has responsibility to maintain decorum within all groups and thus has ultimate authority over operations of all of its networking groups. Guests are permitted to attend BIZ-Links meetings twice.
Attendance Policy
Your continued presence and active participation are essential for the success of BIZ-Links. You may send a replacement to represent you and your business without loss of attendance. However, each member is advised not to abuse his or her privileges by:
Group members are allowed twelve absences per year, distributed as 6 absences during 1st and 2nd quarter and 6 absences during 3rd and 4th quarters.
More than four consecutive absences without prior leadership team approval, will result in a loss of membership. A $25 fee will be required to reinstate a member who is otherwise in good standing. The member will have ten days notice to pay the reinstatement fee before his/her position in the group is forfeited. The $25 fee will be assessed upon each absence over twelve in a calendar year.
Program Procedure
At the beginning of each meeting, the leadership team will make announcements. Then each member will give a commercial, stating name, company affiliation, location, responsibilities, and the lead request they desire. Any person arriving after the first commercial has commenced, must sit in the “penalty box” area by the door and present themselves through name and affiliation only, after all commercials have been presented. Our predetermined speaker(s) selected from the roster of members will give one or two presentations. The vice-president will maintain a calendar of presenters and will strive to make sure that all group members present at least once per year. It is the responsibility of the presenter to notify the vice-president at least one week prior if s/he will be unable to present on the scheduled date in order to find a replacement.
Referrals
Members are asked to share any qualified referrals they might have for a member by filling out a referral form and passing information along to another member. All referrals are to be treated in confidence among the membership and to be acted upon as soon as possible with ethical standards and consideration for the person who gave the referral. Referrals are tallied per person per term and displayed on the group roster.
Social Functions
On a quarterly basis and at the discretion of the membership, a social function may be planned for the express purpose of getting to know other members better on a casual basis, as well as meeting prospective members who are invited guests of current members.
Management
BIZ-Links membership will elect a President and Vice President for terms of six months. The terms will commence with the first meetings in January and July. Duties of each leadership team member will be provided to members before each election and anytime in between at member’s request. Any expenditure totaling more than $250.00 requires the majority vote of the group.
Business Category
There is to be only one member per business category. The business category that is listed on your GMA and BIZ-Links application is the only activity that you may promote. Example: “Insurance Salesperson (life and health insurance).” This designation will allow other insurance people, i.e., commercial casualty insurance or private mortgage insurance or other specialty sales, to join BIZ-Links. In stating your category, please be specific, relative to your primary duties, responsibilities and marketing territory. In order to change your stated business category, members must submit a new application, subject to approval by the leadership team. The content of your Commercials and your Presentations will relate only to the GMA member business you represent in BIZ-Links.
Dues and Fees
Dues are paid according to the member’s payment schedule. Dues are $80 per quarter term, $155 per semi-annual term, and $305 annually. Checks are to be made payable to GMA. A penalty fee of $15 will be assessed if dues are not paid by the fifteenth of the first month of the quarter. If dues and late fees are not paid in full by the following meeting after the fifteenth, BIZ-Links membership will be terminated to allow entrance for those on GMA waiting list. All BIZ-Links members must be members of GMA. The President and Vice President will receive one quarter of complimentary dues and must pay one quarter during their term. Officers may elect to change dues structure as needed to maintain a healthy budget. There is a $25.00 returned check fee.
Inclement Weather Policy
If the Guilford County School System is closed, delayed or goes remote due to inclement weather, the group meeting will thus be cancelled.
Dissolution of the Group
If for any reason BIZ-Links networking group is dissolved, any current member who has pre-paid dues for a period greater than three months beyond the date of dissolution shall receive a pro-rated refund of his or her dues. Any funds left in the treasury after the distribution of pre-paid dues shall be contributed to a charitable organization. The charity shall be selected by current group members' majority vote. If the group is unable to decide on a charity, the funds shall be donated to the United Way.