FAQs

FAQs

Before contacting the office regarding attending events or joining, please read our responses to the most commonly asked questions we receive.

If your answer is not here, please email your query to admin@businessjunction.co.uk and we will respond.

And before you leave the site, add your name to the events invitations database.

How many members does Business Junction have?

Membership is by company and we have over 400 company members. We are currently adding around 5 companies per week. In size, this makes us London's largest independent business network and the second largest after the London Chamber of Commerce.

The vast majority of attendees at our events are directors, senior managers and owner-entrepreneurs. So you will be speaking to decision-makers at our events, making our events more effective and a better use of your money and time.

What types of companies join Business Junction?

Our membership is varied and represents the breadth and range of London companies. We have large PLCs to one-person start-ups, across all business sectors. Members are based predominantly in London, but we have members from places as far afield as Dublin, Bristol, Leicester, Oxford, Surrey, Kent and Essex.

Look at our online directory to see the range and number of current member companies.  Over 125 business sectors are represented.

Does it matter than I am not based in a specific area?

Business Junction is a borderless network, recognising no geographical restriction on membership or event attendance.

We hold our events across central London, including Docklands.  Our guests and members come from all over London and increasingly from further afield, such as the Thames Gateway, Kent, Essex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. The only thing they all have in common is they want to do business in London with London-based companies.

How many events do you hold each year?

Business Junction holds approximately 50 events a year including a weekly lunch (12.30-2.30pm), a monthly Champagne networking breakfasts (8-10am) and a monthly networking and social evening event (5.30-9pm).

Can I come to your event as a non-member?

Yes! Most member companies attend events as a non-member before joining. The non-member cost is £30+VAT per event.

By meeting members, you can discuss your company and its services, but also find out about how the network helps its members find new business opportunities. They can tell you what proves effective for them and how elements like Alerts work.

Any company can attend two events as a non-member, then we ask them to join. This means two representatives from the same company, so it can be different people. This rule is the same for any company, regardless of size.

If your company is a franchise, tell us and we will treat you as an individual company with regards event attendance as a guest and membership.

Non-members pay £30+VAT per event attendance.

Are you just a network for SMEs?

Smaller companies make up around 80% of our membership, but by the government's own measures, that includes companies with fewer than 250 employees, turning over less than £5M.

We have member companies who are larger, including professional service companies, chains of hotels, professional and creative companies, and membership for them is especially useful when looking for smaller, quality suppliers.

However, networking is especially useful for smaller companies, where decision-making is a relatively less-involved process, and it is decision-makers who attend our network.

How much does it cost?

£300+VAT for a calendar year's membership. And it is the same for all companies.  This can also be paid on a monthly basis at £25+VAT but the committment is for the whole year.

Our total annual costs for members to regularly attend events are substantially lower than the annual costs of BNI and BRX membership (over £1,000 per year) and membership represents a huge saving over the costs of joining the London Chamber of Commerce, especially for larger companies.

And we don't charge a joining/registration/training fee.

And with our network, which we like to think has unique benefits over all other London-based networks, your level of commitment to attend events is yours to choose depending on what is right for you and your company.

* The only exceptions are PLCs in the banking, telecoms and financial sectors, where we offer a special corporate package and 'support' agencies delivering government-funded projects, where we work with selected organisations to ensure the quality of delivery matches our own high standards.

Is it the same fee for every company?

We have a flat fee for every company to encourage a diverse range of companies to join.

The membership fee shows everyone within the network is serious about business but is affordable even to the newest start-up company. It also means larger companies get to meet smaller companies and vice versa, established firms meet fresh and challenging new businesses, exchanging ideas, information and contracts.

The only companies which pay more are banks, other financial PLCs, insurance companies, telecoms companies and support/project agencies delivering public sector contracts.

How is your network different from others like the London Chamber and breakfast clubs?

Around 30% of our membership are either members of or attend other networks. In fact, we would encourage all businesses to find networking opportunities wherever they can. We have designed Business Junction to combine the best elements of other networks but there are important differences:

The biggest difference is our concept of 'open networking'. You are not limited to an area or a table of referrers. Our size and reach means companies in places like Putney, Docklands, Enfield, Clerkenwell and Kensington can meet at an event in London Bridge - as they did recently.

Borderless networking means no limits on size, area, sector or ambition. And here are some other differences:

  • We are relaxed - no chains of office, no committees, no hierarchy
  • We are modern - we understand modern marketing and Web 2.0, but we are not slaves to the latest fashion; we examine what works and doesn't work - and use it
  • We like variety - different venues each week, different faces at every event. Members make their own rules - we don't ban people for not attending, but we do encourage you to attend at least one event per month because you will find more business
  • We are independent - we are only judged by our members. We (sometimes) work with quality external organisations when we feel it benefits our network and its membership, but we are not limited by artificial or political restrictions like borough boundaries
  • We are not a project - we are funded by our members and are growing fast because we tell the truth and help each other. Ask how your local network is funded and what its plans are for the next 3-5 years
  • With inter-member Alerts and the size of our network, we offer a greater variety of companies that you will find at smaller breakfast meetings
  • Our events are good fun!

What are 'Alerts'?

Alerts allow our members to network with one another 24/7, signposting opportunities in between events.

Members can use Alerts to send out their own supplier requests, referrals and recommendations, provided they start with "I need..", "I want..." or "Does anyone know...?".

On average, each Alert sent gets around 10 quality replies - the majority within an hour of sending out the Alert. Replies are sent direct to the Alert's originator.

We estimate that around £1M of new business opportunities are distributed via Alerts per month, from small website commissions to hedge-fund investment advice, building services required to legal advice needed on contracts, from employees wanted to office space required.

For a list of some of the latest Alerts, click here

what our members say

  • "We have received a 20 times Return on Investment!"

    Rupert Honywood
  • "Direct sales opportunities"

    Liz Springer
  • "I have been able to grow my business far beyond my targets!"

    Seema Mangoo
  • View more »