Frequently Asked Questions

The Business Guild (TBG) is a Melbourne-based business networking community designed for startups, small business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals who want to build genuine business relationships, connections and opportunities.

Established in 2016, TBG brings businesses together through structured networking events, business learning, collaboration and ongoing connections.

We understand that business owners are busy.

Rather than asking members to attend networking meetings every week, TBG's core networking model is built around 100 focused minutes a month.

Our events follow a crisp agenda designed to give businesses the opportunity to introduce themselves, learn about other businesses, make meaningful connections and explore opportunities - without taking excessive time away from running their businesses.

TBG is suitable for:

• Startups and new entrepreneurs
• Small and growing businesses
• Established business owners
• Professionals and consultants

You don't have to be a highly experienced networker. You simply need to be open to meeting people, building relationships and exploring opportunities.

Absolutely.

In fact, building the right network early can be extremely valuable for a startup.

Through TBG you can meet other business owners, learn from their experiences, find potential customers and suppliers, discover collaboration opportunities and become better connected with the wider business community.

You don't have to wait until your business becomes big to start networking.

No.

One of TBG's biggest differences is our 100-Minutes-a-Month approach.

Our model recognises that small business owners need to spend most of their time working on and in their businesses. TBG aims to make networking structured, productive and time-efficient.

Our guidelines to members on Hierarchy of priority is: Family – Customers – TBG. If your family or customers need you, please skip the TBG events.

No.

TBG encourages referrals and business opportunities, but we don't believe relationships should be reduced to referral targets.

Our philosophy is simple: connect first, build trust, understand each other's businesses and let genuine opportunities develop from those relationships.

No.

TBG is an agenda-based, no-pressure network.

We encourage members to support one another, make introductions and refer businesses when appropriate, but networking should create opportunities rather than obligations.

Yes.

TBG does not operate on strict one-person-per-profession exclusivity. We believe businesses within the same broad industry can have different specialties, markets, strengths and customer segments.

At the same time, we aim to maintain a healthy category balance so events remain diverse and valuable for everyone.

Our events are structured but friendly.

You can expect introductions, opportunities to present your business, structured networking and conversations, business learning or discussions, and time to develop relationships with other attendees.

The objective is not simply to collect business cards. It is to leave the room knowing more businesses — and having more businesses know you.

Yes.

Equality is one of TBG's core values.

Our event format is designed so participating businesses get an opportunity to be seen and heard rather than having the meeting dominated by a small number of people.

No.

Referrals are valuable, but networking can create much more.

TBG connections can potentially lead to customers, suppliers, collaborations, strategic partnerships, knowledge sharing, introductions, mentoring, market insights and opportunities you may not have anticipated when you entered the room.

TBG operates across strategic Melbourne locations and our members come from across Melbourne.

Our regular networking location mix includes Point Cook (70%), with Docklands Converge events (20%), while TBG also holds occasional events in locations including Clayton, Craigieburn and Geelong (10%).

This gives businesses opportunities to connect beyond their immediate local market.

Yes.

We understand that you may want to experience TBG before deciding whether it is the right network for you.

Visitors can attend 2 TBG events to experience the format, meet the community and understand how the network works before considering membership.

That's completely fine. We are a very friendly bunch and make you feel at home. TBG Community is very welcoming.

Our structured format helps make introductions easier. Start by telling people who you are, what your business does, who you help and what type of connections you're looking for.

Networking is relationship building, not instant selling.

Sometimes opportunities happen immediately, while others develop over several months.

People generally refer and recommend businesses they know and trust. The more consistently you participate, communicate clearly about your business and help others, the greater your opportunity to build valuable relationships.

You can certainly explain and promote your business, but TBG isn't designed as a room for aggressive selling.

A better approach is:

Introduce → Connect → Understand → Build Trust → Explore Opportunities

Good networking creates conversations. Good conversations can eventually create business.

Your business doesn't operate in isolation.

The people who know you can potentially introduce you to customers, suppliers, advisers, collaborators, employees, investors and other opportunities.

Building a strong network therefore becomes an important business asset — particularly for a small or growing business.

No.

Face-to-face networking is an important part of TBG, but our wider community also allows businesses to remain connected beyond individual face-to-face events. We have an online event every month as well.

TBG has built a large community of 7000+ businesses connected through its online and social platforms, creating opportunities for ongoing visibility and interaction.

TBG has membership options designed around different stages of business.

Current annual options start from $155* and go up to $295*, with options for newer and more established businesses. No more to pay during the year. *GST extra

The objective is to keep professional networking accessible and provide strong value for small businesses.

Please check our Membership page for the latest membership options and inclusions.

TBG's membership model is designed to be straightforward and value-for-money.

Our member networking events do not charge for venue cost, drinks and snacks etc. No more to pay after your annual membership charges.

Check the current membership package for the specific inclusions applicable to your membership level.

TBG's difference comes from the combination of:

100 Minutes a Month + No Pressure + Equal Opportunity + Freedom + Flexible Connections + Multiple Locations + Affordable Membership + Collaborative Growth.

Our aim is NOT to make networking another job for a business owner.

We want it to be an easy and productive part of growing your business.

Both TBG and BNI believe strongly in the power of relationships and business networking, but the models are quite different.

BNI is primarily a structured referral-networking model. BNI chapters generally meet weekly, accept one member per business specialty, place significant emphasis on referrals, bringing visitors in every week, and member participation, and require a relatively high level of ongoing commitment and operating in a highly structured way.

TBG has been designed as a unique small-business networking and connection model that offers freedom and flexibility to you as a business owner.

Our core approach is 100 Minutes a Month rather than weekly meetings. TBG doesn't operate with strict one-business-per-category exclusivity (we have a max cap of 10% on each broad category) and members aren't placed under pressure to meet referral, visitor and membership targets.

We focus on connections, relationships, learning, collaboration, visibility and opportunities — with referrals developing naturally as trust grows.

So it isn't really a question of one model being better than the other.

BNI may suit a business owner looking for a highly structured, weekly referral-driven model.

TBG may suit a business owner looking for a flexible, time-efficient, collaborative networking model with less pressure and broader business connections.

Because we believe collaboration can exist even within the same industry.

Our Membership is Melbourne based rather than each chapter and we get a wide variety of businesses in a category from various suburbs. We cap each category to 10% to keep a good mix of businesses.

We currently have 40 categories of businesses making up our 100 annual memberships. Some categories get filled faster than others.

Two accountants may specialise in different customers. Two brokers may operate in different markets. Two marketers may offer completely different services.

Rather than automatically treating businesses as competitors, TBG encourages members to first explore whether there is an opportunity to collaborate.

We maintain category balance while avoiding rigid exclusivity.

We do encourage TBG members to:

Show up. Participate. Build relationships. Respect others. Share knowledge. Help where you can. Follow up. Be a community to support others.

The more genuinely you engage with the network, the more valuable your network becomes.

We don't expect referral quotas, aggressive selling or networking for the sake of ticking boxes.

We gave no KPIs targets for members.

TBG is part of Brands and Biz. Our businesses are built around six key values:

Integrity • Respect • Equality • Trust • Safety • Community

These values guide how we want businesses to connect and how we build the TBG community.

Start simple.

Come to an event and be ready to explain three things:

• Who are you?
• What does your business do?
• Who would you like to connect with?

Don't worry about trying to sell to everyone in the room.

Aim to leave with a few meaningful new relationships rather than a pocket full of business cards.

That's networking the TBG way.