How many times have you asked somebody for a referral? Knowingly or unknowingly, we all do this, all the time within our network. A company thought of making it a business practice and today generates over $11 billion through referrals. Founded in 1985, US based Business Network International (BNI) claims to be the world’s leading referral chain. Chairman and CEO, Graham Weihmiller who joined BNI in 2014 and is currently executing BNI’s strategic plan in its 73 operating countries speaks on entrepreneurship, franchising, and operational excellence.
Is this your first visit to India?
No, I had come here almost 20 years ago. With BNI, it’s my third or fourth travel.
How is India shaping up as a part of the Asian market for BNI?
It’s a very significant market. We are very excited about the developments in India and will continue with those. We have opened a new office in Bengaluru. I am very excited about the new leaders coming in.
Initially, were you aware of the vastness of the market or whether you were sure about entering into the country?
We felt confident for a number of reasons. First of all, tier II cities in India tend to be very large as per global standards and they are developing rapidly. By opening up BNI chapters in all these cities, we are giving them a chance to grow up and connect with them across India and world.
Was there any tweaking done with regards to the Indian chapter?
Sometimes, the franchise organizations need to customize their model when they enter a new country. In case of BNI, not much customization has been done in terms of the business model.
In terms of the popular franchises, where does India fit in?
This story is from the November 2017 edition of Entrepreneur magazine.
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This story is from the November 2017 edition of Entrepreneur magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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