Monday 15 September 2008

Testimonial for BNI for Architects

Architects are not like normal people, they are trained to think in three dimensions, how to draw and how to communicate visually, they are not trained to express themselves in words, how to run there own businesses, how to network with ordinary people (people other than architects) and they are certainly not taught how to Market themselves.

Personally, I have found BNI immensely useful, in giving me the confidence to stand up in front of a general audience and to explain myself, in giving me exposure to business people, and introducing me to many great ideas. I have learned about cash-flow, and how to deal with distractions and I have learned how to put my own challenges in a wider context. Being in BNI has given me the confidence and skills to break-away from my previous employer and start my own practice as an Architect. Most of all I have learned about Networking.

Architects are good givers, they find BNI useful for sourcing reliable products and trades, they find BNI useful for expanding their services, fining like-minded reliable professionals they can work with in related fields, interiors, landscape, lighting designers. With the growth of the internet, this has become truly global, enabling me to offer a 24 hour office, with people working away on my behalf or rush jobs while I am sleeping, and enabling me to offer a wider range of services to my clients such as 3d modelling.

Finally, my BNI chapter has given me many great referrals, they have found me people who have been grateful for my expertise, projects that are worthy of my talents, and the work I have won as a result has paid my membership fees many times over.

Mark Horner, RIBA
Chartered Architect

Saturday 30 August 2008

Lüscher Colour Test




ColorQuiz.comMark+Horner took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

"Hopes that ties of affection and good-fellowship w..."


Click here to read the rest of the results.


Sunday 10 August 2008

The best Architect in the Weald

I am the best Architect in the Weald. But where is the Weald? Lets find out.

Sunday 3 August 2008

110% Solution

This is a placeholder for the 110% Solution

Where to Blog?

Hi

I have been doing a lot of web 2.0 stuff recently, signing up to lots of sites, twittering, trying out various blogging sites, using my iPhone to blog, uploading pictures.

It seems to me there are lots of sites, but not one site that does everything.

Is there a point to this? If there is a point, it is that I am still looking.

Besides finding the perfect site, or sites, I need to think about tagging. Do I need to blog to different sites about different topics?

Also, is it acceptable to go back and edit blogs after they are written?

I will let you know when I have answers.

Mark

Sunday 6 July 2008

Testimonial for BNI World Conference - May 2008

Testimonial for BNI World Conference - May 2008

As a successful architect and a long-time BNI member, I was delighted to be asked to represent the Maidstone Pioneer chapter at the BNI world conference in Kuala Lumpur.

I was very impressed by the world class venue, and the world class speakers that Robert French, Avryl Au and their team had put together.

The theme of the conference, the two challenges facing business today – globalisation and the internet – was set out in clear terms. The way in which networking is the best way to meet these challenges was powerfully delivered, as were the subtle ways that the traditional face-to-face networking of BNI and the modern keyboard-to-keyboard networking of the internet can be combined. Again and again, the phrase ‘Visibility + Credibility = Profitability’ was demonstrated in action. Practical steps were shared.

I was heartened to hear of the focus within BNI at the top level; about using the new technologies to connect the members and to empower them in an even greater way through initiatives such as BNI Connect.

So far, as a direct result of the contacts I made at the conference, with Thomas and Penny Power the founders of ecademy.com, and the internet-based networking methods I learned, I have been commissioned to design a major new Health Centre in Kazakhstan. With the strategic partnerships I have made I shall be taking my skills worldwide, offering a 24-hour office and a world class service to my clients.

On a personal level, I found the conference motivating and invigorating and as a result I am now actively writing a book to explore my philosophical ideas and to help explain these to others. In the three weeks since I returned I have lost half a stone and have been working much more effectively. I have been seeking out further information from the speakers, as well as finding out more about the speakers of sessions I missed. I have started going through the business cards I brought back in order to keep in contact, and to link them to other businesses within BNI where both parties might benefit.

BNI is certainly changing the way I do business. I am actively promoting it to my fellow chapter members to enhance the ways that they operate, and I am confident the strategies being adopted by BNI will ensure that as an International organisation we really will change the way the world does business.

Mark Horner, RIBA

Sunday 1 June 2008

Countries I have visited

As you can see, there is a lot of the world I have not yet seen.



create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

BNI One-To-One

Why do we do one-to-ones? We do them because it builds relationships between the members. Remember, Visibility + Credibility = Success. Well-conducted one-to-ones help build credibility.

Why do we track one-to-ones? Firstly to encourage members to do more networking. Secondly, so we can spot members that may not be networking. Thirdly, as a reminder to make sure that their are not people we have missed.

What counts as a one-to-one? This is up to the members to decide, but if it is a social occasion or Organised BNI event our chapter tracks these separately. We count up to two one-to-ones with the same person, so you can have a meeting at each others location, for a six month period, and award a prize to the person completing the most one-to-ones.