new business idea

[orion_joel]

Maybe an idea, do a website, do a road sign and do some other joint advertising projects, but that is it. Maybe not join together as a business group, but get together and form a sort of advertising coop for your group.

The primary consideration here would be to for a type of contract or agreement for the participation, for example, you dont want to start the group and have others try to bring in other friends with competing trades for other members, but also set some ground rules on if people do not pull their weight, to kick them out.

Another joint project you could do is something like a renovators guide that has a section about each of the different trades, common downfalls, and considerations when renovating, and each of you do the information for your section and places ads within pages of your section, nothing big maybe 3 or 4 pages each so 24-32 pages, could help build some interest in renovating.

[Steve B]

I started a networking group that meets monthly and we share advertising costs and marketing efforts where it makes sense.

Call me or PM me if you want details. I am the head of the group and we've been doing it for almost 2 years.

[Harold Mansfield]

I think it's a great idea, but someone has to be in charge, or the administrator, and rules and quality control have to be set in stone.
If it's just a free for all based on trust, it will likely fail faster than McPizza.

[huggytree]

our BNI group just dumped our electrician...too many complaints

now our HVAC & Painter/drywaller are threatening to quit..

perfect example on why this group idea wouldnt work....1 problem and the group would splinter...

people go into business because they have strongly held beliefs on how things should be done....how can 6-8 people come together and agree? they cant.

i never agreed w/ how the electrician ran his business...he was too cheap and he lowered his prices if the people asked.....his customers were not my customers...he had alot of lower middle class & poor and mine are mostly upper middle class & lower upper class.