WHO WE ARE
The Consortium is a business referral group that enables members to build strong business relationships.
The Purpose: To bring together a select group of business-savvy people with great stories to tell, creative ideas to share, damn interesting things to do, who want to build deep relationships, where doing some business together along the way is the cherry on top.
HOW IT WORKS
As a prospective member, you can come as our guest to one meeting to check it out. After the first meeting, if you wish to join our group, additional one-on-one meetings are set up with you and other members so we can get to know you and you can gain a first-hand understanding of Consortium’s value. If we mutually agree to move forward, you sign up for the monthly membership fee and you will then receive meeting invitations and valuable opportunity emails. Membership can be terminated at will.
BENEFITS OF BEING A MEMBER
We achieve more together than we do working alone.
INCREASE YOUR MARKET SIZE
In the Consortium, the number of potential clients in your market increases dramatically. In addition to your fellow members, you also add second-degree customers: clients of other members. Your fellow members are incentivized to introduce you to their clients through referral agreements.
SHARE
Meeting among like-minded peers is very effective because we are more aware of opportunities in our own industry compared with other referral partners outside technology. We also share ideas more effectively because we understand each other’s business better than others outside our industry.
IMPROVE VALUE PROPOSITION
Established referral agreements allow you to bundle other member’s services with your own, to significantly improve your value proposition, increase your brand, offer a more complete solution to your client, and strengthen your relationship and stickiness with your clients or win clients that you may not have access to otherwise.
CREATE ECONOMIES OF SCALE
When businesses work together to access resources, they benefit from economies of scale. For example, Consortium members may band together to utilize the services of another business to scale their business to handle projects they otherwise wouldn’t be able to accept. A member can become a larger service provider to win business with a larger client.
SERVICES OFFERED
BY OUR MEMBERS
- Business Analysis
- Software Application Development
- User Interface and Experience (UI/UX)
- Change Management
- E-Learning Design and Development
- DevOps
- Cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity Insurance
- Software Support Service Level Agreements (SLA)
- Managed IT Services
- Digital Marketing & Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- IT Advisory
- Fractional CIO
- Leadership
- IT Staff Augmentation
- Disruption Planning
- Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning
- Business Process Reengineering
- Future-proof Business Advisory
Here are answers to questions asked about Consortium Partners and how it all works.
What is Consortium Partners and what is your purpose?
We are like-minded business individuals who want to drive more business by building relationships.
What sets you apart from my local Chamber of Commerce?
Being a Consortium Partner puts you in the room with interesting and inspiring people in your same industry. The cherry on top is since we started in July 2017 hundreds of thousands of dollars in referrals have been made among us.
How many people are in the Consortium?
We currently have 60+ active members. We believe in abundance, so you may find your competitor(s) in the group, but we have found there is plenty of business to go around.
What happens during the monthly meeting?
We meet for around two to three hours, which includes socializing, dinner and drinks, paid for out of the Consortium membership fee. Partners refer opportunities to other members in the group. These opportunities are in adjacent areas of their business, and often, partners team together to provide a better offer to their clients than on their own.
How much does it cost to attend these meetings?
Your first meeting is free so you can decide if it is a good fit for you. If you choose to join, the Membership fee is $150/month, and you can terminate at will. The recurring fee covers the operating and monthly meeting food and beverage bill.
What is involved in the signup process?
After you have attended your first meeting, we will set up a 1-on-1 with two existing members for our two-way vetting process so we can get to know you and you can learn first-hand about the value we see from the Consortium.
What are the meeting times?
We meet once a month. Our times and locations are found in our on-line directory here.
Does Consortium Partners collect referral fees?
No.
How do referrals work?
We encourage compensating for referrals through a referral fee that is arranged between the receiver and sender of a referral. The amount of the referral is entirely dependent on what the receiver agrees to pay. We have standard referral agreements available for our partners as a template.
Who should join?
Like-minded individuals in our common industry, technology, because we are more aware of opportunities in our own industry compared with other referral partners outside technology.
What do you focus on?
We have a technology focus. Our partners currently are in fields such as Managed IT Services, Custom Software Development, Change Management, Machine Learning and AI, Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and many more.
If I can't attend an event, will I still be charged monthly dues?
Yes. Dues are charged monthly to cover all operating costs. Therefore, you get the best value by attending and engaging. If you don’t see value in the Consortium, you can cancel at will to end your membership.
OUR CORE PRINCIPLES
Value For Value
The reason members belong to the Consortium is to drive more business through referrals. We believe in referring other trusted members to opportunities. In turn, we believe in compensating for the value of that new business received: a value for value exchange.
Delighted To Compensate For Referrals
For most members, referrals are a majority, likely 100%, of how our business is generated. And we are delighted to compensate our referral partner for the additional business they bring.
We Aren’t Worried About Competition:
Opportunities Are Abundant
We believe in abundance, not scarcity. We believe there are more opportunities than we have time to go pursue. We also believe that our unique value we each possess provides each of us a unique value proposition. That means, we aren’t worried about other businesses in our same industry poaching business from us by being in the same room.
Membership Fee
To cover out-of-pocket costs, we currently charge $150/month. This is to cover the monthly meeting food and beverage costs and minor operating costs. The way we (all) get value from the Consortium is through referrals and compensating for such, not the membership fee.
Participate Actively
Members make participation a priority. It’s the best (only) way to extract the most value from membership. That means frequent face-to-face meetings to get to know your members personally. The better you know each member, the more likely you’ll drive business toward each other. If involvement is not a priority, recognize that in yourself and don’t waste your (and our) time: please resign.
Innovation Leadership
We are an incredibly brilliant group of innovators. We offer unique value to our customers. Our brilliance and creativity is one of the big reasons why we are proud to refer each other to our clients.
Results Oriented
Delivering results provided to our members is the real value of the Consortium. Results means generating additional business. We track and share results among members as a testimony of the value of our organization.
Nurture Long Lasting Trusted Relationships
Some of our members have known each other personally for 10+ years. Long lasting relationships are based on trust and the personal and commercial importance they have provided. We are in this organization for the long haul because of the value it brings.
HOW CAN MY BUSINESS JOIN?
Membership is currently on an invitation-only basis.
To register your interest for future openings, please click here to complete the membership application form.