Episode 3
with Simone Douglas
In this episode of Confident Networker, Simone sits down with Betty Bouras from Beltana Conveyancing.
Betty is a member of the BNI A-Team and holds the position of conveyance. If you’d like to attend a Chapter meeting and meet Betty, you can book your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/bni-a-team-tickets-85209831901?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
You can also connect with Betty via her social channels on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betty.bouras
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betty-bouras-720a26a1/#
Simone Douglas 0:03
All right. So on today’s episode of the confident networker, I am joined by one of my amazing BNI Adelaide North family members, Betty Bouras from Beltana Conveyancing.
Betty Bouras 0:14
Thank you Simone, Nice to be here.
Simone Douglas 0:17
Yeah, no, it’s great to have you. For our listeners, Betty is a member of BNI-A team, she holds the conveyancer’s seat and they meet on a Friday at 10am. Betty maybe if we can just start off with a little bit about you and your business and what it is that you do?
Betty Bouras 0:31
Yeah, so I’m a registered conveyancer of Beltana conveyancing, which is my business. I started off in May to June last year, and on account of being made redundant from my job. So I had to go into a mode where I had to think what I’m going to do, which was of course, knowing that I’ve got that bit of experience in conveyancing, I thought the best thing to do through COVID is to start my own business. And it was a blessing in disguise, which I did. And yeah, it was really good.
Simone Douglas 1:02
Fantastic. Um, so how long have you been a member then of BNI? Not very long?
Betty Bouras 1:08
I’ve been a member of BNI now going on to about 15 months. And it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done. BNI has been amazing, because I’m a people’s person. So getting to speak to different people and forming those great relationships with the people in the chapter has been really amazing. And getting to know the people, of course, and their businesses, which is what I love to do, and be able to provide as well.
Simone Douglas 1:33
Yeah, cool. Why is networking important to your business?
Betty Bouras 1:36
And networking is very important only because if I don’t get out there to meet business partners, and also clients (potential clients), I wont get myself known. I need to be able to expose what I do and who I am as a person. Visibility, basically, to be able to form the connections and get people to be able to refer to me as well as me obviously referring to other people as well.
Simone Douglas 2:02
Okay, so how has your chapter and the BNI A-team members? How have they helped your business in its first, you know, 12 to 15 months?
Betty Bouras 2:13
Oh, they’ve been amazing. They’ve been like a big family. they’ve embraced, they’ve welcomed me, first of all, embraced my presence, and been able to provide me with all the amazing, instant tips of being a business owner. And each person has had a bit of value, they’ve added a bit of value to what I can do with my business, and how I can help them as well. So yeah, they’ve just been a great group. And welcoming is the main thing and feeling part of the team.
Simone Douglas 2:42
Yeah, absolutely.
I found BNI when my first business was only three months old. And it was like, it took a lot of the fear out of it. With, you know, backing yourself and being in business to do. Who has been the most surprising support or helped you in your business? Since you’ve joined BNI?
Betty Bouras 3:06
I think the most important people in the business in BNI are the leadership team. Because they’re the ones that introduce you to everyone, and give you the hints and tips of being able to follow the process of BNI. I’ve been able to do the one to ones and connect with different people. And the types of things to ask for people doing a gains, what’s called a gains report with them and knowing their goals and their aspirations. So you can help them increase their business. Of course, you know, if you give obviously, you gain, that was the main thing.
Simone Douglas 3:40
Yeah, fantastic.
Roughly, what percentage of your sales in your business have come from BNI referrals in the last 12 months?
Betty Bouras 3:50
That’s a good question! Because in talking about referrals, being through COVID, and not knowing many people were not having that connection with other businesses, I reckon in the beginning of the first two or three months, the main referrals were from BNI. So I’d say over 80%, but it’s gone down now because I’ve gotten to know people outside of BNI and formed connections there. I’d say about 50 to 60%, which is still pretty good. And as I’m hoping as I get to know more people outside of BNI, that will be you know, the equal amount.
Simone Douglas 4:24
what is your favourite BNI referral story?
Betty Bouras 4:29
Oh, trying to think. I can’t think of one but there’s a few. I guess it’s people in BNI themselves that have got their own conveyancing that they want me to do. And yeah, the I guess the problems I’ve had or the things I need to know about it and me being able to provide that advice. Yeah, it’s really good to be able to, you know, Focus on that person and be able to face to face, let them know that the transaction is going well or there’s hiccups in the transaction. There’s no particular story and they pretty well have been basically some straightforward transactions. So there haven’t been anything too difficult. Yeah, no complex one through BNI.. not yet.
Simone Douglas 5:23
You know, one of the things that I actually love about BNI is that I get in a chapter, I get to learn about all these different professions and what’s important to them. And I think, you know, one of the things that I learned over the years when it comes to conveyancing is about this magical thing called encumbrances.
Betty Bouras 5:39
oh of course! I haven’t had any of those through BNI, which has been good.
Simone Douglas 5:44
But you know, what was interesting is like, over the years, you’d hear conveyancers (that was in my chapter when I was a member) would stand up and tell stories about different encumbrances and things you had to be aware of. And so when it finally got to the time that I was buying my first house, that was one of the first questions, I’m like, Well, what are all the encumbrances on the contract? What am I signing my life away for?
Betty Bouras 6:06
Yeah. And of course, they show you, what this one is meant for or whatever. So
Simone Douglas 6:11
yeah. And there were lots actually, because it was, you know, can only paint the shed roof a certain colour.
Betty Bouras 6:18
When you’re in a state or when you’re in a particular type of a new build house some build? So yeah, where there’s a lot of other houses in that particular street. All the same? Yes, I haven’t had any of those but I have had them outside of BNI. So yeah, it’s been interesting.
Simone Douglas 6:36
what would you say is the best piece of business advice that you have been given since you started your business?
Betty Bouras 6:43
I think the best piece of business advice was to be yourself. And obviously get to know people and let people get to know you, to hear of who you are. And what you can provide, as in your services is very important. And make people feel comfortable to be able to use you and and trust you. So I think that’s the best advice I’ve got through BNI.
Simone Douglas 7:08
So if you were talking to someone who was another conveyancer who had perhaps been invited to come along to a networking event that was a BNI networking event, and they weren’t sure whether they wanted to spend the time or not attending this event, what would you tell them?
Betty Bouras 7:27
I would say, Just be open minded. Come in to have a look. Just feel the room, feel the people in there. Just talk to a few people, ask them how they feel about BNI, and what they’ve learned and gained from BNI? And why they keep coming to your weekly meetings. And yeah, just find out more about it through other people and people’s perspective on it that are actually doing it.
Simone Douglas 7:53
If you were talking to another member, what is the one thing that you wish you had known earlier, that would have allowed you to get more out of your membership that you discovered along the way?
Betty Bouras 8:08
Maybe speaking to more members, like in the beginning, it’s hard to get to have one to ones with everyone. And sometimes it’s a bit daunting going to ask for one to ones when you feel they might not be approachable. But I feel if I’d done that earlier, get to know everyone from the beginning, they would have been a bit better because you know, once they get to know you, they can refer you as well. So yeah, that was a bit of a slower process. But yeah, it eventually happened.
Simone Douglas 8:34
That makes sense. When I first started, I was really shy. Believe it or not -I know, it’s hard to believe. I didn’t in the first couple of weeks, I sat back and thought, not very many people are asking me to catch up and learn about my business. You know, I thought that was part of the thing. And then I went, Oh, I’m a grown up, I can go in and ask them – what if they say no? – but of course they’re not going to say no, they just don’t want to, what’s the word, overload you with 30 other business owners to learn about? So once I actually got out of my comfort zone…
Betty Bouras 9:10
And I found like, emailing a couple of people and saying, oh would like to catch up for one to one? but in the back of my head, I think “oh they don’t want to catch up with me”. so I’d email them again. And then I finally got an answer and thought, ah it’s alright, they’ve just probably missed it or something.
Simone Douglas 9:28
and you know, we all get so many emails. It’s easy for it to fall through the cracks. What is your favourite moment, in general about having your own business? because it’s such a journey.
Betty Bouras 9:43
I think it is a journey. having my own business has been something I’ve wanted for a long time. And I knew I had to get experience before going into my own business, but I think it’s the freedom of being able to or the flexibility I guess, of being able to make my time available to people. being able to get together with people at all times where I’m free, and they’re free too. So having that.. it’s flexibility really, and also being able to do the work. So working in the business as well as on the business as a new business, I have to do both. So yeah, that was the thing. And it’s all exciting. It was everything.
Simone Douglas 10:24
I think, you know, often sometimes when people are made redundant, it can be quite a difficult period to navigate. And it is very scary until you decide what you’re doing. If you were to give some advice to someone who, especially during the pandemic, we’ve got so many lockdown happening everywhere at the moment around the country. If they find themselves out of work, and they’ve always wanted to start their own business, what would you say to those people that aren’t sure whether or not to take the leap of faith?
Betty Bouras 10:53
No, I know, it’s very hard to step back. And just think and take time to yourself first. And just think of what your next steps will be? Because there’s always something out there. And what are you passionate about? And what would you like to do, especially if you’re thinking of having your own business? What was in the back of your mind or doing and you know, just bring that forward, write it down and try to take little steps of you know, achieving that. So and that’s what I did. I took a few weeks to actually gather my thoughts. And I think what I’m going to do now and I write things down off the wall, yes, this is probably the best way for me to go. And it’s a great time because everything’s in lockdown. You know, there’s not much out there, I can actually set up myself and my business up and it gives me time to do that.
Simone Douglas 11:38
Yeah. Cool. And lastly, if you could be introduced to anybody that could help your business moving forward, who would your ideal referral or introduction be?
Betty Bouras 11:52
ohh as in business? Yeah, the main referrals for me? people that would give me referrals? So real estate agents, developers that do developments all the time on a continual basis. So they’re the main ones. And in real estate, I just called commercial residential sets..
Simone Douglas 12:12
Do you have a particular one on your wish list that you’d really like to have coffee with?
Betty Bouras 12:17
A real estate agent? Yeah, there’s been one that I have, over the years (not being a conveyancer) given a lot of work just through family. They’re in the western suburbs. So I’d like someone in that area that I can get to know. And they do a lot of work. Yeah, I do a lot of sales of properties. So that’d be my best referral.
Simone Douglas 12:45
So there you go. So if you are listening to this, or watching this podcast and you know, a real estate agent in the western suburbs of Adelaide, please reach out to Betty or go on to BNI A team and visit and introduce yourself and who knows you never know where coffee will take you. If you’re one of those people that are sitting there trying to decide whether to take a leap of faith and start your own business. Personally, I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I think Betty agrees. Very, very. So yeah, Betty. Thanks very much for joining.
Betty Bouras 13:19
Thank you Simone, it’s been a pleasure.
Simone Douglas 13:20
And I’ll see you and the A-Team soon.
Betty Bouras 13:22
Of course, definitely! looking forward to it.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai