Tell us about Masterminds of Biz, founded in summer 2009 in Springfield. We have 16 chapters and more than 300 members now. We’ve kind of controlled our growth on purpose so we have a good, strong foundation (but) Bolivar, Joplin, Oregon, Georgia and Arkansas all want the MOB. Membership is industry-exclusive for each chapter, which has a themed name. Each chapter has … a boss, a right-hand man and a bookkeeper. Our main (goal) is exposure for businesses. We want you to make money. We want you to survive, thrive, whatever you want to do; $100 a year is what the cost is per company. If (co-workers) want to be in different chapters, it costs $100 per chapter. And we do not like any weekly meeting charges to be more than $5.
Why did you decide to launch the MOB? There were some other networking groups around, but we saw a lot of money that, instead of going into the local market, was leaving our state. Some of the head offices were in different states. … That’s why we made ours a little more affordable, just for the competition factor, keeping the cash here and giving people somewhere they could go, and they don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to grow their business. Why did you choose a mob theme? We themed with the mob on purpose, because you can have some fun and still do business. At our events, like the networking extravaganza, there is no alcohol. And there are no pictures or references to real gangsters. So it’s not glorifying cold-blooded killers. And for the costumes at the extravaganza, we don’t even let them wear toy guns.
How are members selected? (Potential members) fill an application out, and it talks about their history, how many years they’ve been with their company (with) two or three references on the back. We have a membership committee in each chapter, and they check references. Then the whole chapter votes (with) little pieces of paper that have a white marble and a black marble. And we tell them that only if there’s a reason that you would not refer a client to this person would you ever black-ball somebody. It doesn’t mean that they’re out. It just means that that the membership committee has to do a little more research. If (members) aren’t treating clients right, they won’t be in the MOB very long.
How does the MOB help its members? We have new member orientation, and chapters meet once a week, and we try to do what we call our M and Ms. That’s where members meet together outside of the weekly meeting environment. Every quarter, we have a gentleman come and do training on how to network. We have a big event, the MOB Networking Extravaganza, that happens twice a year, and we bring all the chapters together. Members will dress up in 1920s and ‘30s gear, and we’ll bring in old cars, and each chapter designs a booth. We also have Meet the Members videos on our Web site, which members can add for $20. And we have the MOB Branson Getaway.
What are some common networking mistakes? (People) hand out a card and call it a job well done. And a lot of people think a lead and referral are the same thing, and they’re not. A referral is basically an introduction to a decision-maker by someone who has influence over that person. … A lead (is) when I’m driving down the street and I see a new business and I call somebody and say, “Hey, there’s a new business on Campbell. You might go talk to them.” It’s not an introduction to a decision-maker (who) already has been warmed up for you. The biggest mistake people make with a referral group is that they walk in and think, “There’s nobody in here that would be a good client for me.” These aren’t the people you’re selling to, though they might do business directly with you. These are the people who, on a daily basis when they’re talking to their clients and hear something that might pertain to you, they say, “I know somebody who could handle that.” They’re making a smooth introduction, which is worth its weight in gold.
A new and improved Reed Academy is being constructed on the middle school’s original site to preserve a neighborhood connection that goes back a century.