I’ve Been Invited to PBC. Now What?
The following is a collection of all the materials and information you will need to evaluate if the Professional Business Consortium is a good fit for you.
How Do I Join PBC?
Be our Guest. Twice.
If Professional Business Consortium is of interest to you, contact one of our members or complete the contact form and one of our members will be in touch with you.
The PBC by-laws allow for only one member of a specific profession or industry into the organization. The membership chair will be in contact with you to ensure there are no conflicts with existing members. You are then invited to come as a visitor to the PBC lunch meeting up to two times.
Apply to the Group.
The membership application form is available on the contact page. Please complete the form and submit it electronically as directed on the form. If you have any questions, please reach out to your member contact or submit a message on the contact page.
Members Vote.
Your membership application form will be distributed to all members. If any member perceives a conflict of interest with their business, they can raise their concerns to the executive committee. Prospective members are voted on and must receive approval by all members in the spirit of honoring each member. The PBC President or membership chair will contact you within 3 weeks of receiving the application regarding the next steps. Welcome new members!
Guest-to-Membership Process
Attend as Guest:
Your host notifies VP of yourname, company and date of attendance
Your Host will attend same day as guest or reschedule unless other options exist (e.g. other member knows the guest)
VP enters your guest info into weekly emails and attendance sheet for membership knowledge.
You visit as a Guest either Remotely or In-Person
You visit a second time, In-Person Recommended
Additional guest visits must be authorized by the board.
Apply:
VP will supply you with the PBC application
VP reviews your application for any member services overlap or other issues
VP contacts guest’s references listed in guest application
Board Vote:
Once approved by VP, VP sends email with application to board
If rejected by board, send email to Member host and applicant with explanation with Board cc’d.
If Approved unanimously by board, send to Membership for vote.
Membership Vote:
VP/tech creates anonymous voting form in pbc-networking.com
Send Membership an email with application and link, with deadline
If a No vote, check in with board to make final determination.
If unanimous, move on to final member setup
Member Setup:
You will receive a new member welcome email to membership group and also CC: applicant (In case of members@ junk mail issue)
Send new member an IT onboarding email with RADAR 2.0 credentials, app name, and about the email distribution list
Send new member’s email to Debbie at SBE and cc: new member
Set up new member training on vTiger and vTiger 360 app
Set up New member training on speaker, spotlight, education.
Frequently Answered Questions
I’m busy. Do I have to attend EVERY week?
PBC has been meeting weekly since the late 90’s for 90 minutes every week. We understand that family and business matters arise. We expect that members who cannot attend attempt to send a guest or employee in their place. Attendance is tracked and important for long term success for individuals and the group.
How are leads tracked?
As of 2021, PBC has built a custom lead tracking software that you will use on your phone or computer to help us keep tabs on our success annually. See it at www.pbcbucks.com.
How do we email all members?
You will be added to a special email distribution account so you do not have to put in 20+ recipients into a single group email. This list is to be used sparingly where its required.
Are there subgroups?
Not officially. However, it is very common that we get together in small groups for similar interests, industries, or projects.
How often do I get to speak?
At least 60 seconds each week. Beyond that, we strive to allow each member 2 opportunities per year to present for each of the following speaking segments.
Is there any accountability?
PBC meets quarterly to review how we are doing as a group, individually, and how we can continue to help each other succeed.
Will I have competition?
Although in some specific cases there are some member services overlap, PBC only allows one member per industry or services.
How is the board elected?
Every November, the membership will recommend members and vote to hold the roles of President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer or a Board of Director position. It is recommended to be a standard member for 1 year before joining the board.
How many members are there?
Historically, we have kept the group under 25 members to keep quality and meeting times optimized. Member info
Do I have to be a business owner?
Not necessarily. The primary goal for our membership are for high caliber, driven, professionals, who provide the highest ethics and product to clients or customers.
Are there any PBC events?
PBC Strives to hold 2 public events per year, where we bring guests, for a fun evening of food, fun, and commodery - and win some new business along the way with introductions and networking.
How are payments handled?
Membership fees are processed through freshbooks.com as an auto-payment from credit card or ACH.
Can I attend remotely?
Post-Covid, we now have the opportunity for members to attend remotely via zoom. We confirm attendance in-person weekly.
Membership Dues
Membership dues shall be established periodically by the Board of Directors. Dues or special assessments shall be uniform in rate or amount among Members. When a Member qualifies and pays dues, the membership is valid for 12 months. Dues and fees shall be as follows:
New Member Initiation
One-Time Administration Fee for setup in systems and technologies.
$100
Employee Guest Fee
One-time lunch fee for a member who brings an additional team member. Authorization required.
$30
Annual Administration Dues
Charged every January in addition to the monthly membership fee.
$200
Assessments
In the situation of an event or group need to change or create a new fee, a motion by Treasurer and determined by a majority vote of the Membership.
Monthly Member Dues
Monthly fee to cover lunch, hotel fees, guest fees, events, and technology.
$200
Officer Discount
Members holding Officer positions (President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer or a Board of Director position) will receive a 50% reduction in their annual Membership dues while in office.
Meeting Information
When
Every Tuesday from 12:00 to 1:30pm.
We recommend that guests arrive at least 15 minutes early and 15 minutes after for networking and individual conversations.
Where
Crown Plaza (Hotel) Minneapolis West
3131 Campus Dr, Plymouth, MN 55441
Expect
If in-person, to receive lunch & beverages.
To be in a room with 15-25 people.
to receive 1-2 minutes to speak about your business, interests, and anecdotes.
to bring business cards and network
Meeting Agenda
The following is what to expect for discussion and content. Every Week we follow a core agenda, but occasionally mix it up with alternative discussions, topics, or other valuable items.
Come to Order
Guest Introductions
General Announcements
Board Member Check-Ins
Presenter: Education
Member 60 Second Commercials
Presenter: Member Spotlight
Presenter: Speaker
Referrals & Testimonials
Guest Feedback
Closing Comments
Meeting Adjourned
Presenter Segments
Education
The goal of the Education Segment is for the presenter to educate members on a general business topic beneficial to all members as opposed to a narrow, industry-specific topic. The Education Segment should not be used to promote your company. Some examples of education topics include the following: Ted Talks, news articles, business trends, new technology/software, books, and business networking. The presenter is given 10 to 15 minutes for this segment and there is usually a brief discussion amongst the entire group as the segment nears its conclusion. The presenter should be dressed in appropriate business attire and come early enough to set up their computer, and prepare any other materials, prior to the start of the PBC meeting.
Spotlights
One member each week receives a 10 minutes interview or Q&A session lead by the VP. The goal of the member spotlight is for an open more personal discussion for the membership to ask questions about the member’s business, industry, or company itself.
Speaker
The goal of the Speaker Segment is to provide one PBC member each week with 20 minutes to convey a clear and concise message about the company/discipline which he or she represents. This is an opportunity to promote your company. Any personal/family information a member discusses is appreciated but not required. A speaker may choose to utilize a PowerPoint presentation, hand out brochures, or speak solely (independent of any visual aids). Some examples of speaker topics include the following: the founding and history of the company, the markets in which it operates, services/products it offers, competitors, notable clients, what a good lead looks like, and what the vision of the company is. The message should be conveyed in layman’s terms without using jargon specific to the field to which it belongs. At the end of the Speaker Segment, time permitting, it is customary for the speaker to open the floor for questions or comments. The speaker should be dressed in appropriate business attire and come early enough to set up their computer, and prepare any other materials, prior to the start of the PBC meeting.
