The founder of First Class Loans in Richmond recently received the top award from Business Network International (BNI) – Australia’s largest global referral networking group that has been helping businesses thrive.
Mr Donnelly said he was “surprised but humble” to be named Business Network International Sydney Northwest’s region member of the year and credited the Northwest chapter for helping him become a better businessman.
He said BNI had helped grow his business through networking and he has built many valuable professional relationships along the way.
At the suggestion of a friend, Mr Donnelly attended his first BNI meeting three years ago. A year later he applied to join the group which only accepts one person from a business specialty into a chapter.
Fortunately for him, there was a vacancy in the Norwest chapter for someone in the finance industry.
“Because there is only one person from each industry in the group, you get to understand them and their business very well, that way you can confidently refer them to someone,” Mr Donnelly said.
“Initially I got into BNI to refer but also to get more business out of it but really I gained so much more.”
Making connections is key to BNI and it helped Mr Donnelly make the move from his home office to working alongside others.
“There’s no way I would have crossed paths with the people working for me now if it weren’t for BNI,” he said.
“Our office is a 160-year-old heritage house which, again through BNI, was offered to us. If it weren’t for BNI I would probably still be working from home.”
BNI Sydney Northwest executive director, Glenn Anthoney, said more than $16 million worth of business was passed between members in the region last year - such is the power of BNI.
“Unlike other business networking groups, BNI is about educating its members on how to market themselves better to get referrals,” he said.
“It’s about building trust and credibility to become referrable.”
Of his award, Mr Donnelly said: “There are about 300 members in our region who are successful and at the top of their game in their field so to be picked amongst them is a real honour.”
Mr Donnelly, who has been in the lending industry since 1999 and is also deputy captain of the East Kurrajong Rural Fire Service, said his true passion was helping people, and
in particular helping first home buyers enter the housing market.
“I love helping make things happen for people,” he said.
To learn more about BNI, visit www.bni.com.au
