LaTips anyone??

Anyone in LaTips?

Basically it sounds like something simular to a chamber of commerce type group. A friend of mine was telling me about it and gave me the # of a friend of his that is a member. I just spoke with him for a while and he was going over everything. Sounds like it might be something worth joining... just wondering if anyone here is a member.


RoAcH

never heard of it

Basically what it is is the group meets for breakfast once a week.. you network.. talk about your services, etc. Pass leads back and forth between members.

You get 2 weeks free... then if you wanna join you gotta pay.

I dunno...

BNI is another good one. I was in a chapter for years and gave & received a lot of good referals, defenitely worth the time and effort.

Business Network International

Those are great type groups to network with, but MAN some of the clubs meet REAL early… guess I’m a night person, I can tint twice as fast in the afternoon—I say join check it out! Is the cost much more than breakfast?

how much do you pay?

$350 to join... then $180 every quarter.

Total about $1200 for the year.

I agree with the early thing. Not really what I'm into... but if it brings more business....


RoAcH

Just thought I would share how it went.. Today was my first meeting - you get two weeks free, then if you decide you wanna join you fill out the application, they check you over, they vote to see if you get in, and then you start going.

In my local chapter, we have a wide range of professionals. Flooring people... builders, etc. About 4 or 5 who are in related fields - as far as have clients who could use tinting.

It was alright... Before I got there I was thinking there is no way I can join... 7am every Thurs morning... which means I gotta get up at like 6:30a after working wed nite at my other job. I am so not a morning person.... Now after I've been, I think I might do it. I'm still not sure... I'll do my 2nd week next week and then decide what I want to do. I can definately see the possibility of getting some leads from the group, but thru out the meeting I was just thinking what could I bring to them???. If I was tinting every day of the week and was in contact with homeowners all the time, then yeah.. but at least right now that's not the case.

Not to mention the fact that during the winter, I had like no business, so during those months I wouldn't be able to give to the group any leads.


I dunno.. definately interesting, and definately something that might help, but I don't know that I have the personality that I could try and "find" leads for other people. When I tint a home, I don't just chat with the homeowner about stuff....


RoAcH

It's good to find chapters with non-competing trades, in other words, no window tinters in your chapter. That's why I liked BNI, they would not allow it. The other issue you will run into is that I believe that Le Tip has a referal quota that you must meet. You shouldn't be surprised, that's what these things are all about, sending referals. "Givers gain" is one of the mottos, so you can just show up with your hands in your pockets taking leads and not giving any. You will fast become a parasite in their eyes.

If you are a networkable type of person then you will flourish in that setup. You will get plenty of leads and it will be well worth waking up at 6:30am.

Yeah, they do that too.. (non-compete) Their quota is 4 leads per month... which is one of the things I worry about during my off season... The leads can be within the chapter.. so for example we have a guy who does printing... If I use his services, that would count as a lead. But that's only going to get me so far.

I think next week when I go I'll talk with the head guy and explain my situation and just see what he thinks. I'm just not sure I'm a networkable type of person. :(


RoAcH

Don't sell yourself short, posting on Tintdude is a form of networking.

Area kindof slow this week, so I thought I'd update..

This was my 2nd week as a guest.. Now I gotta decide.

Today I spoke about the heat rejection and how I just did a job for a client of a HVAC company whose kitchen was getting too much heat from the sun and the a/c unit wasn't cooling it down enough... A couple of people had their interest peaked with that...


Anyway, one thing they do is pass around everyone's "tips" for that week so you can see who is giving what leads to whom. If there is a lead for a guest, it's on a different form and you can't take it - but you can see it. So one comes by for someone who needs window tinting.

Despite the fact its at 7am, I am about 90% certain I'm going to give it a try.... I am just not a morning person and the group is too happy too early.

RoAcH

Welp, I've been going to the meetings for 4 months now. I've gotten 1 tip, which was a smallish job... I think it was about $500 - just the family room. Did their neighbor's windows, which was just four doublehungs, so couple $$.

The mornings are killing me.... I'm a night owl in general, and I work in the evenings too, so it's twice as bad cause even if I wanted to go to sleep early, I can't.

I really don't know if I'm going to continue.. I'll finish out this quarter and see what's going on at that time. Just going by the numbers, I've paid out far more then I've gotten in, and I'm sure it's not going to get better as it gets cold. And am I really going to want to get up at 6am when it's 10 degrees out?!?!

Ugh...

Sounds like you gave it a good effort and it just didn't work out. I'd cut bait.

the owner of a sign shop i worked at was in BNI, i didnt much care for it ( the early mornings, the fact you have to pay them money, all the from those happy morning people, i think you can only miss so many so i was sent in his place once and i'd never go again) so 4 months and you've gotten one job from it eh? thats pretty weak, i'd pay the 300 or whatever just to be able to sleep in the mornings

Actually got another lead today... have to call them 2morrow and see whats up.

But you're right - I'd pay $300 just to sleep as well.

Aside from the fact that you have to pay to be in it, I think the whole idea is good and if you are in a good group, I can see it working, depending on what you do. It just might be the people in my group don't know or aren't interested in trying to get leads for tinting...