How can we help Dave grow his business?

When and Where?
Wednesday, October 5, 2011, 4.30pm, at Freedon Fitness PLUS, 33 Rawene Road, Birkenhead, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand.

What?
Dance with Dave Meys, Account Manager, Metal Exchange, 245 Archers Road, Glenfield, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand.

Dave came to breakfast at Harbour View (our BNI (Business Networks International) Chapter) this morning.  As soon as I arrived in my office afterwards I emailed him to book a dance.  After a few exchanges he suggested we dance at the gym.  I met him there.

He seemed interested in what we did at the gym and so I shared a fair bit about our business with him.  However, the purpose of our dance was for me to find out how I can help him, so he started teaching me about the recycling industry and his business.

Dave pointed to a treadmill standing on the gym floor.  He told me Auckland has two massive machines that would swallow that sucker up in one piece, crunch in down into a billion small chunks and, using magnetism and a couple of other magic tricks, separate all of the steel from the plastic, the rubber from the alloy, the copper from the LED's...  (you get the idea?) and place what is left into separate piles.  His company takes the stuff they are interested in and sells it domestically or exports it.  If the New Zealand economy is charging along he can recycle stuff for good profit in New Zealand because who ever buys it can manufacture new product for sale domestically.  If the New Zealand economy is struggling he has to export it.  I am sure there are other things controlling the negotiated purchase price too but that was pretty much the basic story.  Now wait a minute though.  He did not want to come and pick up one treadmill from my gym to have it thrown into the crunching machine (there are two crunching machines in Auckland, both located out south).  What he needs is all of the treadmills being chucked out from all of the gyms in New Zealand.

What Dave is looking for is volume.  For example, he could work with individual electrician's and re-cycle copper wire.  But the business plan calls for him to be working with all electricians across NZ.  He was trying to answer another question too: "Is BNI the right mechanism for him and his business?"

We discussed different client acquisition models.  His preference is similar to ours at the gym, which is delivering service in such a desirable way that word of mouth spreads and attracts long term business partners (not merely customers).  There are a few advantages to this method:

1) People working with the company develop a relationship encouraging them to stay for the longest term.
2) The company develops it's service delivery to the point where the customers don't want to go anywhere else, thus constantly developing and maximising it's approach and leading the industry in its niche.

At the gym we do this individual by individual or, which is my preference, family by family (we offer family memberships).  We also look to do this organisation by organisation.  Dave needs to do it trade industry by trade industry.  I had four suggestions for him:

1) Come back to Harbour View a few times and see what happens.
2) Try the Takapuna Chapter.
3) Learn all of the names of the ITO's (Industry Training Organisations) and the Industry Organisations themselves.  Find out who he needs to speak to in each of those organisations in order to provide an education about recycling to all of the known and active industry players as well as the up and comings (why not future proof the business?). 
4) Come to breakfast and ask for the referrals he has identified.

Another thing he might try is asking for referrals to specific company's he is interested in working with, (like, certain steel or wire product manufacturers, for example...?).

I am convinced that the calibre of membership at Harbour View will serve him well once he has shown his colours.  The calibre of the members at the Takapuna Chapter is also extremely high.  I just think our breakfasts at Harbour View are nicer...

So guy's (and gal's) at Harbour View?  Bring along as many referrals to as many ITO's and Industry Organisations as possible for Dave this Wednesday.

And Dave?  We will see you there on Wednesday for breakfast  :)

Here are Dave's business details:

Dave Meys

Account Manager

Metal Exchange Glenfield Ltd

245 Archers Rd, Glenfield, North Shore
PO Box 90099, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Mobile: 021 676 293

Ph: 09 444 9700dave@metalexchange.co.nz

Wayne
+64 21 176 4266
+64 9 282 3169