Ryan Tobias is a director of RYTO Services Ltd based in Bedford. He’s also the Regional Director of the Business for Breakfast 4 County network, covering Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire.
If you want to know about the benefits and advantages of referral networking, then Ryan is, without a doubt, the person you should consult.
Here’s what Ryan had to say about referral marketing and his biggest achievement during his time with the Business for Breakfast network.
What do you do at Business for breakfast in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire?
“I help businesses in the Home Counties to grow using the magic of referral marketing. My job is simple: I help other business people become more successful than they possibly could doing it by themselves.”
Why do you think Business for breakfast works so well?
“BforB is a referral marketing system. It’s effectively a blueprint for somebody to run their own business. More importantly, it’s a system which allows members to grow their businesses by working together in co-operation with other business people. You can achieve a hell of a lot more together than you can ever hope to achieve individually.”
What’s your best achievement in you time with Business for Breakfast?
“I suppose it was a referral that got relayed to me through one of our groups. It came about because two businesses who were both members started to work together for their mutual benefit. Neither of these two businesses could have won the contract individually. But, there was a problem because the customer wanted one supplier to fulfil the whole contract.” “However, because these two businesses had developed such a strong and productive working relationship, formed through BforB, they were able to persuade the client to let them work together jointly. They got the contract in the end, even though they certainly didn’t submit the cheapest tender. The contract was worth around £150,000 to the two BforB members. Neither could have got alone, nut together they were able to seal it.”
What makes a good Business for Breakfast member?
“I suppose it’s the same qualities you’d want to find in a good business person. They need to be positive and enthusiastic. You also need to be the type of person who’ll go out of their way to create results for themselves. They’ll need to be able to do the simple things well, and they’ll also need to make sure that they’re in control. With those qualities they’ll be able to create opportunities, and these will lead to results.” “Anyone who feels they’ve got something to contribute to the business community would make a good Business for Breakfast member. However, people also need to be flexible and open-minded. Whilst referral networking may not be complicated, it is something which requires time and attention. If you’re prepared to put in the effort and are fully committed, you’ll get the best results.”