Why I Took on a Low-Paying Project

The client for this project is an old friend. They’re starting a new business, full of passion and drive, but lacking the experience to articulate their brand clearly. They have big ideas but don’t have the budget to bring in high-level marketing help. I’ve been working on a new service offering tailored for business owners like them—something designed to help startups and solopreneurs get the right foundation in place.

This project allows me to refine and implement my new offering. Instead of waiting for the ideal client to come along, I chose to test it out in a real-world scenario. The fee is lower than my usual rate, but the opportunity cost makes sense. I gain valuable insights, improve my process, and provide my friend with the support they need to move forward. In the long run, this experience will make my service more effective and marketable to future clients.

Opportunity vs. Profit: A Strategic Mindset Shift

In business, we’re often conditioned to think in immediate returns: How much money will this project bring in right now? But if we take a step back and assess the bigger picture, we realize that some opportunities provide returns in different ways:

1. Skill Development & Experimentation – Offering a new service, testing a new pricing model, or experimenting with a different workflow can be worth far more than a quick financial gain.
2. Relationship Building – People remember who helped them in the early stages. A small favor today can lead to a high-value client tomorrow.
3. Market Research & Proof of Concept – Working with an actual client in a new capacity helps refine your approach before scaling it.
4. Credibility & Referrals – A satisfied client, even at a lower rate, can become a strong advocate for your services and bring in future business.
5. Personal Fulfillment – Sometimes, the satisfaction of making an impact outweighs the financial return.

Finding the Right Opportunities to Take On

Of course, not every low-paying project is worth your time. Here are some guidelines for identifying when an opportunity is strategically valuable:

• Does it align with your long-term goals? If the project helps you refine a service you want to offer at scale, it’s a smart move.
• Does it provide learning opportunities? If you’ll gain new skills, insights, or case studies from the experience, it’s worth considering.
• Does it strengthen a key relationship? Helping someone who might later become a valuable client or referral source is an investment.
• Does it have the potential to open doors? A project that puts you in front of a new audience or builds credibility in a new niche can be highly valuable.

When to Say No

Not every small project is an opportunity. If it distracts from your main business goals, takes too much time, or involves demanding clients with no future potential, it’s okay to say no. The key is to differentiate between a low-value project and one that offers strategic benefits beyond immediate revenue.

The Bigger Picture

Taking on a project for the long-term opportunity rather than immediate profit isn’t about working for free or undervaluing yourself. It’s about being strategic with your choices and recognizing when an investment in time and experience will pay off down the road.

Some of the best opportunities don’t show up in the form of a high-dollar contract. They come disguised as small projects, collaborations, or experiments that allow you to refine your skills, build relationships, and create something bigger than the project itself.

Would some business coaches tell me this was a mistake? Maybe. But I believe that when you focus on creating value, the money always follows.

Why Referrals Work So Well

Referrals are rooted in a universal truth: people trust recommendations from people they know. Whether it’s a friend, family member, or colleague, a referral carries more weight than any ad or promotion. This trust is the foundation of what Bob Burg, author of Endless Referrals, calls the “Know, Like, Trust” principle:

1. Know: People can’t refer you if they don’t know you. Build awareness by networking, sharing your expertise, and making your presence known in your community or industry.
2. Like: Customers are more likely to refer someone they genuinely like. Be approachable, authentic, and relatable in your interactions. Let your personality shine through in your work and communication.
3. Trust: The most critical element, trust is earned through consistent, high-quality service and open communication. When people trust you, they’re confident recommending you to others.

By focusing on these three elements, you’re not just building a customer base—you’re creating advocates eager to spread the word about your business.

How to Encourage Referrals Naturally

Referrals often happen organically when customers are delighted by their experience. However, there are ways to gently encourage more referrals without being pushy:

1. Do Outstanding Work. The foundation of any referral is a great experience. Clients are more likely to talk about you when you consistently exceed expectations. Aim to deliver results so impressive that your customers can’t help but share their experience with others.
2. Ask for Referrals. Don’t be afraid to ask! Many satisfied customers are happy to refer you; they just need a little nudge. A simple, casual request like, “If you know anyone who could benefit from my services, I’d appreciate it if you’d share my name,” can go a long way. Timing is key—ask when a client is particularly pleased, such as after a successful project or glowing feedback.
3. Show Gratitude. When someone refers a client to you, take the time to thank them personally. A handwritten note, a thoughtful email, or even a small gesture of appreciation can strengthen your relationship and encourage future referrals. Gratitude builds goodwill, which keeps your business top of mind.

Why Referrals Are Perfect for Solopreneurs

As a one-person business, your reputation is your greatest asset. Referral marketing amplifies your reach without requiring significant time or financial investment. Here’s why it’s ideal for solopreneurs:

• Cost-Effective Growth: Referrals eliminate the need for expensive ad campaigns. Your satisfied clients become your marketers, promoting your business for free.
• High-Quality Leads: Referred clients often come pre-qualified. They’ve already heard positive things about you and are more likely to trust and hire you.
• Stronger Relationships: Referrals strengthen your connection with both the referrer and the new client. They create a sense of community and trust, which is invaluable for long-term success.

The Timing Advantage

When you ask for referrals, it matters just as much as how you ask. The best time is when your client is happiest—after a successful project, glowing feedback, or a positive milestone in your work together. For example, if a client praises your work in an email, that’s the perfect opportunity to reply with a friendly, “Thank you! If you know anyone else who might need similar help, I’d be grateful if you’d pass along my name.”

Make the request feel natural and personal. By aligning your ask with moments of satisfaction, you’ll increase the likelihood of getting a positive response.

Referrals as a Reflection of Your Business

Referrals are more than just a way to gain new clients—they’re a testament to the quality of your work and the trust you inspire. When customers refer you, they’re putting their reputation on the line, which speaks volumes about their confidence in your abilities.

Every referral is an opportunity to strengthen your reputation and expand your reach. By focusing on delivering exceptional experiences and building genuine relationships, you’ll create a steady stream of word-of-mouth growth that supports your business for years to come.

Your Next Steps

Start by looking at your current client relationships. Are there satisfied customers who might be willing to refer you? Reach out, thank them for their support, and let them know you’d appreciate their recommendation. Focus on doing great work, staying authentic, and building trust—the referrals will follow.

Remember, referral marketing isn’t about flashy programs or big budgets. It’s about creating connections, delivering value, and letting your work speak for itself. With time, this approach can fuel organic growth, reduce costs, and build a loyal client base—all powered by the most genuine endorsement: happy customers spreading the word.

Yesterday, I was wrapping up my class at the local campus of a larger university when a colleague pops in to tell me there’s free food—pizza, pasta, cake—the works—in the common room. Naturally, I’m not one to pass up free carbs, so I head downstairs.

Turns out it’s a little pre-holiday celebration for staff, faculty, and students. I grab a plate, scoop up a little of everything, and look for a place to sit. I end up at a table with two guys wearing black polos with the school’s red logo on them.

They introduce themselves as Joe and Al—both super nice—and we start chatting about academic programs, campus happenings, and names of people I don’t know. I figure, Why not jump into the conversation? So I chime in, and we start talking about the growth in the area. Turns out Joe is in town from the main campus in Chicago, and Al moved here from Chicago in June for his new role of Partnerships and Fundraising Director. Joe then mentions that he was just in the town where I live to meet with the Town Manager about bringing the MBA program to the academic campus in town.

That’s my cue. I casually drop that I’m from that town, on the board of the Chamber of Commerce, and that I’ve taught branding and marketing strategy courses in master’s programs before.

Joe perks up. I explain a bit about the classes I’ve taught where students create and pitch a brand as if they’re trying to raise funding. He says, “That’s really interesting! We’ve been talking about adding more entrepreneurship classes to the MBA program. I’d like to hear more about your course.”

He doesn’t have a business card but asks if he can text me his info. Sure thing—I give him my number, and a minute later, I get this text:

“Hi Andy. It’s Joe. Please email me at joef@xxxx.edu re: Branding courses within MBA. Thank you!”

Joe heads off to a meeting, leaving me chatting with Al about marketing and entrepreneurship for a bit longer.

As Al and I continued to chat, I learned who Joe really was: He’s the president of the university.

The takeaway? You’re always networking. Even when you think you’re just grabbing free pasta, you might be sitting next to someone who can open doors you didn’t even realize were there. So always show up, be curious, and stay ready—you never know who you’re talking to.

And don’t forget to follow up on these opportunities!

During the week, people all over the world attend BNI meetings to get and give referrals. But as it turns out, few members tap into the full potential of their BNI chapter. There is a system for generating business referrals, and you have to be willing to do the hard work it takes to get them. Here are six step-by-step instructions for helping people to help you.

Be Credible – This means people must trust you to be who you say you are and do what you say you will do. You have to build both personal and professional credibility with your chapter. Professionally, you might be the best at what you do, but if you don’t show up as your best self, you may lose credibility with your chapter. Be aware of your actions and the impact they have on your credibility in BNI. If you come late to the meeting, don’t contribute, make disruptive comments, or dress unprofessionally, you may lose credibility with your chapter. Take the time to build your personal and professional credibility for the people who will risk their reputations by referring you.

Share Knowledge – You must make it as easy as possible for the BNI members of your network to help you find your ideal clients. Let us know specifically who your ideal clients are and how we can recognize them.

Identify Need – What problem do you solve for your clients? How will we know when your ideal client is just looking for you or when they are ready to buy? What are the questions that your network can ask on your behalf to generate interest?

Receiving Referrals – How do you want your network to refer you? Should they just pass along your business card or write an email introduction. Teach your network how you want to receive referrals so that you can follow up on them quickly.

Give Referrals – The best way to generate more referrals for your business is to give referrals to your fellow network members and develop business for them. How you refer them is how they will, in return, refer you. If all you pass is a name and number (which equals a lead), you can count on them doing the same thing for you. Reciprocity is always at work. While you might not get a referral from that same person you referred, others will see that you are giving, and they will, in turn, give to you.

Thank People – Remember to thank people who send you referrals. If you want to generate more referrals, you have to recognize those doing the work for you. Call them, text them, or maybe even send a handwritten note. People want to be appreciated for helping you, and they remember when you have taken the time to do it.

Referrals take time to generate because it takes time to build trust and credibility and teach people what they need to know to refer. Unfortunately, most people don’t take the time to teach their network how to identify a great referral and develop it. It is a long process, but it’s very rewarding when you get a group of people helping you find your ideal clients.

Remember to get; you have to give.

Adapted from 6 Steps To Get More Referrals on blogbni.com.

And here’s how: coming to BNI, having not done any work behind the scenes, is like an athlete going to the Olympics without training – neither is likely to win any medals. 

Medals in BNI terms = getting or giving any business.

Olympic athletes follow strict routines around exercise, conditioning, mental strengthening, practice, rest, recovery as the competition builds up. Even after all this effort, only one can win GOLD once every four years in any one event. 

In BNI, however, all the members can win GOLD multiple times every week, and instead of competing, we collaborate to help each other win.

So, in BNI, what can members do to get BNI Fit to win GOLD for themselves and help others achieve GOLD as well?

Let’s be honest; athletes know what works to achieve GOLD. They need natural talent, ruthless and selfish dedication, plus a touch of luck. 

In BNI, it’s much more relaxed and the opposite of selfish, but we do know what works: Have a good, referable business, be a good person, prepare for the meeting (in terms of your weekly presentation, referrals, and testimonials), attend weekly meetings, carry out effective regular one to ones, make referrals, and follow up on referrals you receive, invite visitors and record your activity.

Pretty simple formula. You don’t even need much luck!

What about those Olympics?

Who enjoyed the Olympics? Some incredible performances, records were broken, hard-luck stories, some expected performances, some come from nowhere stories, and some come from hard time stories. Equipment failure, accidents, medical issues. The Olympics had all the drama.

All the medals have been awarded; some have gone home happy regardless of getting a medal or not. Some would have been unhappy with just one gold or the color of the medal they got.

Of course, the vast majority missed out on a medal. There are only 3 medals per event and only one GOLD. 

What we do know is that no one turned up without massive preparation. The athletes put in a ton of hard work. 

There was an incredible amount of practice, the proper diet, help from the best coaches, genuine natural talent, and a little bit of luck. Even then, the conditions needed to be just right for things to go their way.

In BNI, we know, like the Olympics, just turning up without putting in some work and preparation into your membership means you and the chapter won’t get the medals.

Go for the GOLD in BNI

So, what activities get us BNI going for the gold? The good news is we know what activities work. They certainly aren’t as difficult as trying for an Olympic medal. If we all do them consistently, everyone in the chapter wins, not just us. And we aren’t competing for one gold medal; there are medals every day, every week. 

We aren’t even competing with each other; we are collaborating, so everyone wants us to succeed, not fail, so we can win instead of them.

This is all we need to do consistently; we don’t even need luck or things to fall our way.

1. Have a good, referrable business. This is your natural talent.
2. Be a good person. This is like not cheating by taking performance-enhancing drugs.
3. Prepare for the meeting (your weekly presentation, referrals, and testimonials). This is like getting ready for the big event.
4. Attend meetings. Can’t get a medal without turning up.
5. Carry out effective, regular one-to-ones, especially in your power team or contact sphere. One to two per week is recommended. This is like meeting your coaches, nutritionist, etc.
6. Make referrals and follow up on referrals. This is like working with other athletes and using the advice you receive.
7. Invite visitors. Great athletes attract others to their sport, so the sport grows.
8. Record your activity. Athletes need data to see how they are going and where to improve.

Pretty simple, really.

BNI is where everyone can win GOLD

BNI is where everyone can win GOLD, not just the super talented, super dedicated, or super lucky. But you must be in it and prepared for everyone to win.

“In today’s complex society of comparably skilled, interdependent people, it is more true than ever that success is less a function of what you know than who you know and who knows you.”

Dr. Ronald S. Burt, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago

One of the most valuable and often ignored assets any business professional has is their network of personal contacts. If you keep an organized list of contacts, you’ll be able to effectively and efficiently build and deepen your relationships, ask for referrals, or simply keep in touch.

Understanding your business (and personal) network, what makes some relationships stronger than others, and how to evaluate a robust community of influential contacts is critical to efficiently achieve your goals.

You can create your own contact list using your email system, such as Gmail (personal or business), Outlook, contacts app (on Mac, PC, or Smartphone), or at the very least keep one in a spreadsheet. You could even use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) app if you plan to do regular outreach and want to maintain a log of how and when you had contact with them.

When you create your contact list, be sure to categorize each contact with their industry or practice area. E.g., Finance, designate what kind of contact they are, such as Referral or Client; and what they should receive from you like a holiday card so you can easily pull your list when the time comes.

A professional social network is a group of individuals who are in contact with one another and serve each other as an unpaid labor source furthering their mutual business interests.

There are three kinds of contacts in such a network:

• Everyone you know
• Everyone you have ever known, and
• Everyone who knows you (but you don’t know them)

The first group is where we focus most of our attention. They are the easily-met people and the people to whom you feel closest, including family, colleagues, neighbors, and friends.

The second group is the one most professionals tend to ignore. “Everyone you have ever known” includes the contacts that you have allowed to fade over time. This includes people you once knew well but no longer see often, if ever, or feel close to. This group – former neighbors, past customers or clients, someone you “did a deal with last year,” classmates, a person who served on a committee or board with you – is a group worth focusing on.

Research shows that professionals often get essential information, access to scarce and critical resources, some of their best leads, and referrals from this second group. That’s because these people are most likely to know about opportunities unknown to you. It’s fair to say that a considerable measure of success in business lies with those from your past.

The third group of contacts is essential in another way. They are a resource you have, but of which you are unaware. Awareness comes from the unexpected phone call, email, or text message that begins: “I was talking with your friend Joe Jones, and he said you would be perfect for this project I’m working on,” or “Hi, we have not met, but Brenda said that we would be lucky to have you help with our new project.”

One of the goals in assessing your list of contacts and connections is to emphasize this third kind of interaction, commonly called the “power-” or “endorsement-referral,” so that your network does the work of furthering your interests for you. 

How do you accomplish these endorsement referrals? By maintaining regular contact with members of your entire network, clearly communicating who you are, and demonstrating to those contacts the specifics of your expertise over time. Do that, and reciprocate when helped by others, and you’ll develop a full pipeline of market information, leads on new connections, and referrals to profitable opportunities.

A study by Stetson and Clarkson Universities concludes that “liking” plays a vital role in influencing the development of trust, more so than other necessary ingredients like common interests, shared outlook, and demographics. According to the study, the emotional bond can become the driving force in the relationship and nurturer trust.

In other words, several elements are needed for trust, but ‘liking’ is the magical shortcut to that privileged status of being trusted.

As a member of a BNI chapter, you are already in some way sharing common interests and a common outlook, but that does not automatically mean that your fellow BNI members will “like you” and eventually trust you.

It is not uncommon for BNI members to expect referrals based solely on being a member of the chapter, especially if the sum of their efforts is the occasional “hello” once a week, coffee meeting once or twice a year, 60-second presentation, and bi-annual ten-minute presentation. These aren’t quite enough to build an emotional bond that is the basis of trust. These mandatory activities of BNI provide the foundation for a relationship, but the relationship itself must still be built and maintained, and only you can do that.

It also doesn’t help to go through the motions. Even worse (when we go back to in-person meetings) is to sit in the same place week in and week out and interact mainly with the same people you feel comfortable with. In other words, even within your BNI weekly meeting, you must guard against complacency and against slipping into a comfort zone.

The three steps to getting to “trust” are relatively simple:

1. Get to know your BNI members. Demonstrate a genuine interest in them as people – how many children do they have? What are their dreams, hopes, and fears? Do you know these things about everybody? Getting to know your fellow members, or anyone in your network, can be very rewarding and easily achieved because most of us are instinctively drawn to form bonds. By getting to know somebody better, you find it easier to discover ways to help them get ahead.

2. Spend time with your BNI Members. When you show a genuine interest in people, and when you spend time with them and demonstrate the desire to help them (referrals, advice, a listening ear), “liking” automatically develops more quickly than it might if you do the minimum mandatory BNI activities.

3. Trust. As BNI Chairman Dr. Ivan Misner maintains, “trust” is the key to a profitable relationship – but we’re not just talking money and referrals. Those things follow, but you will find the interpersonal bonds you develop with your fellow BNI members to be far more enjoyable and rewarding.

So there you have it: 3 easy steps to “liking” as a shortcut to ‘trust,’ which will make it easier to pass referrals.

Part of my role as Education Coordinator is to bring you BNI Education in small bite-size pieces each week so that we reinforce those ideas and are easy to digest.

BNI Mission Statement:

The mission of BNI is to help members increase their business through a structured, positive and professional referral marketing program that enables them to develop meaningful, long-term relationships with quality business professionals.

BNI Core Values:

BNI is built on a set of guiding principles that form the foundation on which members interact, conduct themselves, and fulfill their goals. These are our BNI Core Values.

One of those core values is Lifelong Learning and that there is more to networking and BNI that you can use to your advantage that can’t be learned by just attending the weekly meeting. 

There are many learning and training resources available to you, like BNI Business Builder (formerly BNI University), the BNI Podcast, and BNI books that we can access and manage individually. While BNI offers these resources, you can read non-BNI business books and listen to non-BNI business podcasts too.

However, we also have the opportunity to use the BNI Education Moment, which is only 3 minutes long, to deepen and reinforce our BNI understanding each week as a chapter rather than as individuals. And as you all know, I send out a weekly email reinforcing what Jack, Ron, and I talk about in our education moments.

BNI tracks and counts all that training in “units,” and if you go into the BNI Connect App, you can add a slip to get credit for CEU’s you’ve earned. One hour of “training” translates into one “CEU.” You only need 1 CEU per week.

And that email I send out counts as 1 CEU. So launch the BNI Connect app right now, and log 1 CEU just for reading the email I sent yesterday. And remember to do that each and every week.

BNI tracks and counts all that training in “units,” and if you go into the BNI Connect App, you can add a slip to get credit for CEU’s you’ve earned. One hour of “training” translates into one “CEU”.

So, listening to a few podcasts, reading a BNI or business improvement book, or attending a webinar or virtual training outside of the meeting are all great ways to rack up these points. BNI says we should average 1 hour per week.

I’ll be the first to admit….most of my CEU’s come from listening to the BNI podcasts or reading through and actively participating in this weekly newsletter (which counts as a CEU!)

But you can also get training online from BNI Business Builder (formerly known as BNI University), which houses videos, documents, and other resources that BNI HQ passes down to chapters. You can take training on your pc, or in an app for iOS and Android. If you don’t have this app or haven’t checked it out in a while, take a look at it, or go to bniuniversity.com (which shows the recent name change). Log in, and see the abundance of videos, documents, and resources that are there to help you get the most of your BNI membership.

SO – your challenge for today is to make sure you have the BNI Business Builder App installed on your phone/tablet (or make sure the website works with your login) and watch something to earn yourself a CEU this week.

On average, visitors spend $1,000 on members’ services in a chapter, even if they don’t join, and they can add interest and energy to the meeting.

The Visitor Process

Once you meet someone who has the right attitude, ask them, using your version of something along these lines: 

“I’m part of a local business networking group, and I think you’d enjoy coming to the meeting. Can I invite you to next week’s meeting?” 

If they are interested, invite them to the meeting using BNI Connect App. If you invite them, they will still need to RSVP and register. You may want to consider using the registration link instead.

From here, the primary care of your visitor passes to the Visitor Hosts and the visitor process that the chapter has established.

The chapter’s Visitor Process ensures that visitors receive a consistently positive experience. It should also identify if they have further interest in applying to join and, if so, what is the next step.

The process starts following registration with an automated email to your visitor telling them when and where to come to the meeting. Following registration, visitors will receive two automated email reminders.

Ideally, one of the visitor hosts will also call them the day before the meeting to let them know everyone is looking forward to meeting them and ensure they know what to expect on the day of their visit. 

When we meet in person: On the day of the meeting, the visitor hosts will be set up by the door of the venue to welcome the members and visitors. Ideally, they will sign the visitors in, give them a name badge, take their business cards, help them order their breakfast and coffee, collect any fee payable, find them a seat to place their belongings, and introduce them to a member who will look after them until the meeting starts. All chapter members are visitor hosts from here on, and in fact, they should want to meet as many visitors as possible.

While we are meeting online, the President (or whoever is facilitating the Zoom session) could start the meeting with members doing 1-to-1’s in breakout rooms and have the visitors join visitor hosts who can welcome them to the meeting. 

During the meeting, the President will guide visitors as to how they participate in the weekly presentations part of the meeting and explain how they can contribute to the referrals and testimonials section.

At the end of the meeting, the visitor hosts will make sure each visitor gives their feedback about their intentions around applying for membership, so they don’t leave the meeting not knowing what the next steps are. The visitor process will work out if they are suitable applicants (if they even want to apply), and then the application process will ensure they are a good fit before the chapter accepts them.

After the meeting, the visitor hosts will contact visitors who have further interest in applying.

Summary

Once a visitor is registered, the responsibility for the visitor passes from the invitee to the chapter.

Once they are at a meeting, everyone in the chapter is responsible for making sure the visitor is welcomed and looked after. The visitor hosts have extra responsibilities before, during, and after the meeting, especially ensuring that the chapter and visitor understand the visitor’s intentions and any next steps they want to take.

Visitors don’t know our rules or processes, so it’s up to the President and the chapter to help them understand what is happening in the meeting and what they need to do.