Angela Kinghorn

The latest figures reveal BNI Scotland North members shared 15,776 business referrals that were worth £18,836,179 in 2021, up £4.8m on the previous year – a rise of nearly 35%.

There are 17 groups in the BNI Scotland North region, including six in Aberdeen, two in Dundee, two in the Highlands and Islands and additional groups for the Elgin, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Montrose, Perth, Stirling and Dunfermline areas, with 353 members in total.

BNI (Business Network International) is the largest face-to-face and online business networking referral organisation in the world, with more than 285,000 members in over 10,500 global chapters operating in over 70 countries.

The network allows companies the opportunity to meet weekly and help each other grow their respective businesses by referring each other for relevant opportunities. BNI Scotland North is owned by Aberdeen-based Angela Kinghorn and her husband Bryan, who are both executive directors.

Angela Kinghorn said: “We are thrilled with the increase in figures for 2021 after what has been such a challenging year during the pandemic. It has been fantastic to see our members coming together to help each other over the past 12 months.

“This is an incredible effort for all of our members and we very much look forward to building on that success in 2022.”

BNI members pay a joining fee and a monthly fee to be part of a group, which holds weekly meetings to pass on business leads and generate referrals. Each group is formed on a competitor-free basis; only one business from a specific market sector is included in each group.