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I had the pleasure of chatting with the current chair Paul Carvill recently to get the lowdown on DBN. Here’s the latest network review: Dublin Business Network – A Network Overview.
The Background:
It was established 20 years ago by ex BNI members, Adrian Power Kelly and Michael Henry.
Type of Network:
This is a referral network. There is a one seat per profession policy aimed at SME business owner/managers.
It’s open to B2B and B2C businesses, i.e. business to business and business to consumer.
There are currently 28 members in the groups and they are advertising (as of August 2021) for an architect, flooring, florist, landscaper, interior designer, mechanic, plumber, electrician, insurance broker, copywriting, wine merchant and telephony supplier.
What to Expect:
The set up is pretty standard and follows a routine schedule. The aim of DBN is to be more relaxed than BNI, but it follows a similar format.
- The meetings start with a thank you for the business.
- Education slot – this lasts 5-10 minutes and is focussed on helping people get the most out of the Dublin Business Network.
- The members then do their 60 second elevator pitch. Guests are also permitted to introduce themselves and their business.
- One member, on rotation, then does 5-10 minutes focussing on their business.
Accountability:
In any good network, there needs to be a level of accountability. 1-2-1s are logged, as are referrals and business won. All stats and business generated are published on the Dublin Business Network website.
When and Where:
At the moment the meetings run online every Friday from 8.30am – 9.30am.
Pre Covid, the meetings were run in the Irish Management Institute (IMI). Timings were slightly earlier with coffee and chats from 7.15am and then the meetings ran until 8.30am.
As with all networks, it remains to be seen whether they’ll remain online or revert to in person meetings.
Visitors:
Visitors are welcome to attend up to 6 times in order to get a feel for how the network runs.
This is by far the most ‘free’ visits of any of the networks I’ve showcased on my blog heretofore. Some networks allow one visit, others two, which is the norm. I applaud DBN for supporting up to 6 visits, as it really does take time to understand the dynamic of a group, the vibe, how people interact with each other etc. This is very hard to establish with one visit.
If you’d like to visit, you can reach out to the guest coordiantor, Niamh O’Brien.
Investment:
In ‘normal’ times, the membership of Dublin Business Network is €496 annually or €55 per month which covers refreshments and room hire.
At the moment, and while online, it’s €20 per month.
Connecting with Dublin Business Network:
As always, all the contact details are below. You can reach out directly or feel free to email me and ask me to connect you.
Click here for their website and follow them on social on Linkedin.
Email is info@dublinbusinessnetwork.com or they can be reached by phone at 01 4942912.
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