Question 1

What is Elite Referral Network?

Accepted Answer

ERN is a network of small group meetings all across the city focused on finding referrals and leads for business professionals. Group Presidents guide members through an agenda focused on professional development and business growth. Members sit in industry specific chairs to make giving referrals easy. There will be no industry overlap in any one group. ERN groups have 20 members or less to facilitate relationship development and consistent one hour meeting times. ERN members are offered social events and opportunities to highlight their businesses to the whole network. A portion of member dues goes directly to the group to fund social events, meeting snacks/drinks or philanthropic efforts – it’s the groups choice where their money goes.

Each group is encouraged to have a nonprofit as one of their members. ERN wants to give back to the community and support the work our nonprofits are doing in addition to supporting businesses with word of mouth referrals.

Question 2

What makes ERN different from other networking companies?

Accepted Answer

ERN has a month-to-month membership payment model to make it easy for members to make changes to their memberships. If a person has a life event, like moving, having a baby, aging parents, etc. a member may cancel at any time easily. If a member needs to change groups because of a life event, they can easily make the switch with President's approval.

ERN has no additional fees for members to attend meetings so we can keep the cost of membership reasonable for all business professionals.

ERN offers social and community building events for free to the hosts and attendees. For example, when a member chooses to host an Open House, their ERN group traditionally gives them $100 to cover the cost of the drinks or food they are required to provide during that event.

We believe in supporting nonprofit organizations alongside business professionals. Each of ERN's group Presidents are encouraged to have one nonprofit organization in their group. Since $15 of every membership goes back into the group a person is a member of, this money can be used to make donations to nonprofit organizations or for team building activities like special events, snacks for the meeting, etc. Distribution of the group funds is at the discretion of the President.

ERN pays Presidents for their role in leading their group. $5 per member per month goes directly to the President. The goal of this to have quality, invested leaders who add value to all of the members of their group and the network as a whole.

Question 3

How do I become a member of ERN?

Accepted Answer

Joining Elite Referral Network starts by visiting ERN groups. Presidents of ERN group have discretion over all members of their group. We encourage business professionals to visit the groups that fit their schedule, location and vibe - each group has a different feel and it is important to us that the group makes you comfortable with how they conduct their meetings, energy level and style of presentations. After you have met with the President of the group you want to join, you may click the "select" button on the Join A Group (https://www.ernomaha.com/plans-pricing)page of our website.

President approval is required before you will be added to any group. Please do not purchase a membership until you have met the President and discussed your desire to be in their group.

Question 4

Do I have to choose a group to be a member?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We do not have a space or membership level for people if they are not affiliated with a specific group. A person may hold chairs in multiple groups if they want to expand their reach for more referrals. This policy of group membership makes it clear who referrals go to in every group. We believe group membership is key to a person's success in our network, so we require a person to get approval for membership from the President of the group a person wants to join.

Question 5

May I be a member if my business is a multi-level marketing or direct sales business?

Accepted Answer

Yes! All memberships are at the discretion of the group President. If the President of the group you want to join supports your business model, they are welcome to extend the opportunity for membership.

Question 6

How much does it cost to become a member of ERN?

Accepted Answer

ERN is a month to month membership with a $50 fee automatically charged to your credit card. There is no contract, application fee or additional monthly fee.

Question 7

How many times can I visit an ERN group before I can become a member?

Accepted Answer

We want potential members to visit groups and receive Presidential approval before joining. A person may visit a group 2 times before they join a group. After joining a group, a member is welcome to visit other groups. If your industry chair overlaps a member of that group, please limit your visits to that group to twice a year. If your industry chair doesn't overlap a member of that group, you may visit more often if the President approves of your visits. We encourage people to announce they are a member of a different group during their 60 second introduction at every meeting.

Question 8

If I am a member in an industry that is represented in another group, can I still visit the other group?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We encourage members to visit other groups. ERN has a better together mindset and believes there is enough business for everyone. We are collaboration over competition network and have often seen members in the same industry exchange referrals with each other. We list all of the industry chairs represented in every ERN group on the group's website. If you want to visit, and your industry chair is already represented in the group you want to visit, the best practice is to contact the member sitting in your industry chair or contact the group President to confirm how welcome you are to visit.

Question 9

Why is the maximum group size 20 members?

Accepted Answer

Our commitment is to creating value for our members. Limiting group membership at 20 members ensures our focus remains razor-sharp on mutual support and growth, helping each member not only generate leads but also become better business owners. Smaller groups help keep meeting times to one hour each week.

Question 10

May I promote my side hustle or other business in addition to the industry chair I hold a membership for?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The industry chair/membership you pay for is the subject for your 60 second introduction. If the President of the group, and time permit, you may mention the other work you are doing outside of your industry chair. Please be respectful of other members of the group. If your side hustle overlaps another industry chair in the group, it may be frowned upon to bring it up during the meeting. It is acceptable for you to talk about your additional services/products outside of the meeting agenda time.

Question 11

What am I allowed to promote on the private, member's only Facebook group? Or on the public ERN Facebook groups? What is the difference between the two Facebook pages?

Accepted Answer

ERN's private members only Facebook page is for creating community among members and asking for referrals that are specific to only members. We encourage members to engage with each other here by sharing ideas, inspirations, questions, wins and so much more!
If you want to work with a MEMBER on a project, post a referral request in the member's only group. 
If you are reaching out to business professionals at large, post on the public Facebook page. The public group reaches a larger audience because it is open to anyone. A wider variety of posts will be approved on this public Facebook page.
Posts in the private, member's only group that are self-promotion will not be approved. We encourage members to offer specials to other members or try to engage our community in online conversation.
If you have a public offer, like an event, business opportunity, service, sale, non-ecosystem created event, etc. you may post them on the pubic ERN Facebook group.

Elite Referral Network Nebraska also has a public Facebook page to share events, opportunities and communicate about the services we provide.

Question 12

Why do you pay group Presidents and how much money do they make?

Accepted Answer

Running a successful group demands a significant amount of time and effort. We believe in recognizing and rewarding the commitment and time it takes to lead a group. We pay Presidents $5 per member per month once a group gets to 10 members. Payments are distributed quarterly. We believe in paying our Presidents with actual money rather than compensating people with membership discounts and extensions.

Question 13

How do I become a group President or start my own group?

Accepted Answer

If you want to lead an ERN group you need to contact an owner of Elite Referral Network.
Omaha - Jethro Hopkins 402.217.2833 or jethro@ncbabroker.com(mailto:jethro@ncbabroker.com)
Lincoln - Derek Sasman 402.319.8964 or ernnebraska@gmail.com(mailto:ernnebraska@gmail.com)
All other cities - Chase Collier 402.659.0840 or chasecollier55@gmail.com(mailto:chasecollier55@gmail.com)

ERN has a multi-step onboarding process that will begin after a business professional is approved to lead a group. We require meeting details (where and when the group will meet weekly), a minimum of 6 prospects to join your group, a W9 (Presidency is a paid role), a bio for your website and a photo of the person leading the group.

Question 14

Do you have networking events?

Accepted Answer

We have a minimum of 3 social events every month. We offer Friday Afternoon Club on the 2nd and 4th Fridays from 4-6 at a variety of locations across the city, and on the 4th Wednesday of the month we gather our whole network for a variety of activities including leadership and communication workshops, national speakers presentations, expert panels, and more. We also offer free monthly Member Open House events featuring members from our entire network.

Question 15

How do I request to host an Open House or Ribbon Cutting event?

Accepted Answer

ERN members are welcome to host an Open House event once a year. They are also welcome to host a Ribbon Cutting event when there is a significant change in their business like a new location, or new building. Members may contact our Event Coordinator, Christina Krivolavek at 402.326.5823 or Christina@A-Million-Ideas.com,(mailto:Christina@A-Million-Ideas.com) to inquire about availability and to plan the event.

Our event calendar does get very full very fast and the opportunity for an event is limited to availability on our calendar. Special events may not overlap other network events/meetings. We will only promote one Open House per city per month and may limit Ribbon Cuttings to two per month per city.

Question 16

How do I cancel my membership?

Accepted Answer

Canceling your membership is as easy as logging into your account (before the next billing cycle) & under "My Subscriptions", choose Cancel in the drop-down menu. If you need to not be a member any more, we understand how business and life changes so our business model is built with flexibility and open communication. Keep in mind, there are no refunds.

FAQ's