The History of BNI

Dr Ivan Misner

BNI is now the world's largest referral organization with Chapters in many countries around the globe. It was started in 1985 by Dr. Ivan Misner, one of the world's leading experts in networking and word-of-mouth marketing.

Dr. Misner was a managment consultant when he started BNI. He worked with companies that needed assistance in the area of strategic planning and organizational development. As a business consultant, he received most of his business through referrals. However, he was not satisfied with the types of business groups that existed and he put together a networking group that he felt was structured, focused on doing business, and had an emphasis on positive reinforcement and support. That organization became BNI. Today, BNI has thousands of Chapters world-wide with tens of thousands of members passing millions of referrals.

Below, you will find some additional information about the organization:

Founder: Dr. Ivan R. Misner of San Dimas, CA

Established: 1985

Philosophy: "Givers Gain"

Mission: To help people increase their business through a structured, positive, and supportive word of mouth marketing program.

Unique Feature: Only one person per professional classification is eligible to join a chapter

Number of Chapters: 2,600 (as of 11/02).

Number of Members: 52,000 and growing

Number of Referrals: 2.5 million (estimated for 2002)

Total Value of Referrals: $856 million (U.S.)