Small business owners were invited to join a worldwide networking organization that keeps Fayetteville business owners first through its local chapter. 

The “Hall-of-FAYmers, Business Network International’s Fayetteville chapter hosted their very first “Visitor's Day” event to invite perspective members to learn more about the organization and the benefits of becoming one of their 29 members. 

According to their website, BNI is the world’s largest networking organization, working with referral networking to help direct customers to member businesses to help them meet their needs and chapter goals. 

Owner of Advanced Home Inspections Chad Sullo has been a BNI member for five years and said he’s had a great experience so far. 

“ I was actually invited by the residential realtor, DD Burger who holds that seat. She invited me to a visitor's day and I was very impressed with what I saw, the numbers and everything,” said Sullo. “ The experience is great, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t still be here. I pull about 40 percent of my business from this group.” 

The Fayetteville Chapter is led by Secretary and Treasurer Kathryn Locklear of KatKares Accounting, Vice President Libby Woolcock of Comparion Insurance Agency and President Tracy Huff, owner of Family Martial Arts Academy in Fayetteville. 

Woolcock has been a member of BNI for the past three years, and originally began as a member in Elizabethtown Kentucky where she was a founding member of her chapter. After relocating to FOrt Bragg for her husband’s military career, Woolcock said it was the requirements and uniformity of BNI chapters across the globe that made her confident enough to reconnect in a new area. 

“I immediately looked up the Hall of Fay-mers chapter here when we got orders and realized that they had a chapter here so I jumped on the Zoom meeting as quickly as possible, and found out that this chapter here had an opening for a property and casualty agent and loved the chapter loves their energy, love their vibe,” said Woolcock. “And as soon as I got off of the chapter, Zoom meeting, I put in my application and waited 10 days on pins and needles, hoping and praying, they would accept my application, and they did.” 

The Fayetteville BNI chapter of today was started in the mid 2000s, after combining with another chapter in the area, today’s group has 29 members across multiple industries. Members of a BNI chapter are the only representatives from their industry, meaning members aren’t competing for the same customer bases and are the only ones  having their services  recommended by other members. 

“When you're in the chapter, like we dedicate our referrals to you, now you have to earn that right. So there was like a process that's what the one to ones helped create. So with all the new members, we all meet them and meet them and introduce ourselves  to them.” said Huff. 

Huff said that while the meetings are usually Zoom based, it was important to try to connect with new business owners to share their message, report on the chapter’s progress and try to fill a new membership spot for Health and Wellness for the chapter. 

“The purpose of Visitors Day is to give people an experience of what the power of the group can be. It's a modified meeting like during the regular meeting, we have more accountability,” said Huff. “ 

The Chapter is accepting applications for new members, more information can be found on the groups “BNI Hall of Fay-mers, Fayetteville NC” Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/BNIHallOfFaymers/