26x Networking LLC is a network organization that allows people who want to build their business through relationship marketing to meet in an organized fashion with a lot of structure, build relationships, make referrals of business, and receive referrals to get business.
What makes 26x different from other organizations?
We have an abundance mentality. We believe that the world is large and life is long and there is plenty of business for everyone. We're open to anyone who wants to meet, break bread, and make referrals - regardless of industry, company size, seniority, or owner-status (so, founders, CEOs, and sales reps all welcome). We look to be part of the ecosystem of referral-based networking.
We have an abundance mentality. We believe that the world is large and life is long and there is plenty of business for everyone. But not just business for everyone, organizations for all different types of business development and relationship marketing. We look to be part of the ecosystem of referral-based networking.
We have an abundance mentality. We believe that the world is large and life is long and there is plenty of business for everyone. But not just business for everyone, organizations for all different types of business development and relationship marketing. We look to be part of the ecosystem of referral-based networking.
Who is eligible to be a member?
We do not have any strict requirements for membership either in terms of demographics or business category. We look to build a group of diverse individuals and companies and a group of diverse business types.
individuals that said, the people who will find value in a referral base networking tend to be people looking for other small business individuals' families. If you are looking to do bankruptcy work for airlines, then this is probably not a format for you. But whether you’re in B-to-B or B-to-C, whether you’re in health and wellness, real estate, construction, trades, other professional services, accounting, or law work — if you’re looking to meet other advisors to people and grow business through referral based networking, we would welcome you to come to check us out
Individual chapters will develop their own precise agenda, but like many organizations, there will be a person who facilitates & moderates the meeting.
We will open our doors at 7:15 AM. We plan to have a beverage and food buffet (coffee, water, juice, and food including hot breakfast, bagels, and fruit).
The formal start will begin at 7:45 AM. It will be a seated meeting and it would involve a welcome to guests and a chance for the facilitator to share announcements relevant to the chapter.
The core of the meeting would be a chance for people to introduce themselves — explain who they are, why they’re here, who they want to meet, etc. There will also be a presentation in the form of a featured speaker or a member.
The meetings will end so members can leave by 9 AM. Afterward, there will be a period in which people can mingle and do light networking.
What should members bring to a meeting?
The things you would expect to bring to a networking meeting: a good attitude, business cards, an idea of what you want to say to introduce yourself and your business to others. Beyond that, bring whatever you need to take any personal notes. If you have a brochure or leave-behind, we’ll have a table so people can put those things out.
Our requirements will ensure there is a fit between members, guests, and the organization itself.
Like any membership organization, we are going to have guidelines for what constitutes active membership, and people who fail to meet those requirements or who do things that are inappropriate will be asked to leave the group.
And as with any organization focused on its members, we care about the respect of members of the meeting, alignment with its goals, tolerance, and safety. We will have policies in place so that if someone does something that affects the safety or concern or engagement of another member, these things would require review and action.
Attendance policy
We expect that as our meeting groups (our 'klatsches') get built out, there will be an attendance policy. We believe in the value of not just in-person networking, but the relationships that come from in-person networking, and persistent regular attendance is a part of building the mutual trust and respect that fosters business referral.
If you count 26 meetings in a year, we will have some number of absences permitted. We appreciate that life has some surprises — I am a train commuter, so I get it! There could be a snowstorm, or perhaps the venue is unavailable.
Will members be allowed to sub for any meeting they may miss?
We expect that if there is a number of attendances or number of absences based policy, there will be an ability to either make up an absence or send a substitute to a meeting that a member cannot attend.
If someone visits 26x and loves it, and wants to share it with some of their colleagues, what would be the best way to share the word and point them in the right direction to come to a meeting or join as a member?
Because of the nature of the organization and our arrangement with our venue, we’re going to require that people be registered to come in advance. We plan to have a relatively open-door policy, but we’re not going to allow walk-ins. That said, if a member proposes to bring a guest, even on short notice, we’ll look to accommodate that if we can.
For the initial meetings, our first meeting is on July 21, and then we’ll be meeting on August 4th and August 18th and every two weeks thereafter, guests and interested parties will be able to come after registering at no cost and come and get a taste of the organization.
Accordingly, if someone who is interested in the organization wants to share the information with someone else, we would welcome that. Again, as long as they are registered and we’re aware that they’re going to be coming, we expect to have a very open-door policy. We may need to cap the number of registered people at a particular meeting, and we look forward to having that issue.
As the group develops and we have a membership, then we will expect members to attend and let us know if they’re not going to attend and then hopefully they will be able to bring visitors and guests.
Are there referral minimums for members?
Like a frat, trade organization, or committee, we are going to try and measure active participation in some way. We are looking to be a form in which people can be actively engaged, where people can find and deliver value. Whether participation is measured by any particular metric such as visitors invited, referrals made, or attendance — it will probably be some mix of those.
We hope to have diversity of members whether they’re small business owners, frontline salespeople for larger orgs, whether there is partners in medium size organizations -they all have different business needs and an ability to bring value in different ways — we will expect active engagement & participation, but we recognize that there may not be a particular metric with one hardline that you must meet.
Certainly not on a meeting by meeting basis; we would not require that everyone must bring a referral or announce closed business or have a guest on a meeting by meeting abscess, we would look at engagement over a period of time.
As to each profession in the chapter, do you only allow one person to occupy that lane, or do you have several people that can practice in the same business?
In terms of the exclusivity of any particular profession, we hope to be in the middle: there are some organizations which are one person one profession, there are other organizations that are everyone's in the same profession (law association for example) we hope to build each chapter in such a way that everyone feels secure that they’re the right person for a particular kind of business, but we want to broader than one person one profession.
I've seen groups that focus very well with multiple real estate agents, each of whom might have a different practice area. I do wills trusts and estates, but I would certainly welcome another member who works with higher Net Worth individuals or does trust and estate work in a litigation context.
We hope and expect that chapters will make sure each member feels secure in their profession and they're not competing with other members in the chapter, but at the same time we because of our abundance mentality, for some professions it is perfectly appropriate to have more than one member in that so called lane. We think that people can build a network of people of allied professions in similar trades, whether that’s real estate, law, the construction trade sector, health and wellness.
What is the application process like for prospective members?
If a person is interested in becoming a member, we’ll have an application process. We will ask for basic information about the person and their business to determine their fitness for the organization. Accordingly, we may ask about the nature of their business, what kind of referrals they want to receive, what kind of referrals they expect to receive.
We’ll talk about the dues and what the application fee will be, and then they’ll be some discussion about business referrals. We believe in high levels of accountability and transparency, and we think its important that there is a fit with prospective members early on, so that everyone can have value and not feel like they’re not in a place where they belong.
As the membership builds out, that application process may be handled by membership committee. But there will be an organized process to it and clear guidelines for a process of how to apply and when you can expect a response. For those folks who applied and are expected, next steps thereafter.
Should prospective members expect an interview?
In the era of meeting online, we expect that anyone who is prepared to commit to meet in person every two weeks would be ready to come in for an in-person interview or online interview. Again, we are going to be looking to make sure there is a good fit and value for both parties. The interview will be more on an informational basis, as opposed to other issues, but we want to make sure that the people understand what the organization expects and requires and make sure that we can meet the expectations of our applicants.
Are there any behaviors or actions that could lead to someone being terminated from the group, something along the lines of someone texting during a presentation?
If there are any behavioral requirements that are specific to this organization, they’ll be clearly known and agreed to in advance. Somethings fall in the category of etiquette (cell phone behavior, acknowledging others, respect for folks who don’t want to shake hands) will all be expected of our members on an etiquette basis.
For more egregious examples, such as engaging in business with a member and not paying them, or making intentionally false or misleading referrals, or otherwise harming or endangering another member or guest, would clearly be things that would have consequences.
Is there any dress code?
That will be based on the venue. This is meant to be a forward leaning, mutual respect, bring your best attitude kind of organization, so what we expect is a business casual typeof dress that you would wear to meet a good client or business prospect. The venue wehave in mind for initial meetings is Club 101, which has a business casual dress code.But regardless of venue we expect people to appear business casual.
COVID-19 Policy
We are going to follow the covid policy of both our venue and the state, municipal, and federal rules at any given time whether it's COVID, Monkeypox, or smallpox. Right now, there are no restrictions on dining in restaurants and similar facilities coming from federal, state or New York mandates, and the building policy at Club 101 follows the NYC requirements that masks and vaccination are not required. We’re excited to meet in person, we do ask that all guests and members be thoughtful about their interactions with others, whether that’s the common cold or tuberculosis. If the circumstances change, we will follow local law and the requirements of the venue.
Will 26x facilitate small group meetings out of the large meetings?
Any organization based on relationships is going to be stronger if the members know each other and build their relationship throughout the organization. So, 26x will both encourage and facilitate that the members would meet each other and guests between the meetings.
We have a format called a Triad where, within a given meeting, 3 people will be selected and it will be proposed that they meet together in coming weeks either online or in person, preferably, (business, coffee, lunch) so that they can meet each other better and can go deeper in how they can hello one another
As the group gets more established, do you hope to offer some guest lectures or workshops to help the group grow professionally as networkers?
Our hopes and expectations are that the organization will provide not only a forum for networking itself, but also a place to learn about networking, develop best practices, and have an educational element. Whether that’s bringing in a guest speaker to share information with the group, or a forum in which individual members can share their own best practices, we would certainly want that to be part of it.
We think that the value of networking includes not only shaking hands, referring businesses, and passing business cards, but also learning about how to grow a business and the habits that make for a healthy abundant mentality for business referrals.
Of course, there are costs to (i) offer a congenial space to enjoy food, beverages, and conversation and (ii) keep the show going.
We think there are a lot of great opportunities for people to self organize and meet in conference rooms or have their own events in the world of restaurants and coffee… this is not that. This is meant to be a form that provides a venue with a breakfast buffet. Accordingly, there will be some membership cost which covers that cost and administrative cost. We will have a directory and things to support members so that they have a place to see who else is in the organization and keep track of the calendar and scheduling events. So that bit of overhead will be part of the membership fee. We expect this fee to be commensurate with other networking groups.
Why was 26x created and what do we hope it grows into?
I will share that I’m a creature of steady habit. I very much missed the networking I had been doing prior to the pandemic which was very focused on meeting in person, whether one-on-one, in small groups, or in moderated large groups. I’ve been a member of different groups over the sixteen years I've been building my law firm. For what I do, meeting others in person, having the trust you develop face-to-face, and being able to follow up on referrals in person has been very valuable.
So I want, on some level, to recreate some of the rhythms of breaking bread and sharing coffee, shaking hands, and sharing business cards in person that I knew before the pandemic. I’ve been able to do that again — I work and practice in Midtown Manhattan and I’ve done a little bit of that on an individual basis, but I haven’t yet found a place where I can do group networking, structured networking, in person, where I can break bread, shake hands, pass business cards and enjoy a cup of coffee.
