Taking Care Of Business With 'No Referrals, No Leads, No Rules'

Kudos were plenty at the June 25 luncheon meeting for the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce, hosted by Taking Care of Business, a chamber group that has grown from 35 to 144 members.

This is not your typical networking or leads group.

In fact, said Ed Booth, TCOB heralds itself as the "no referrals, no leads, no rules" group, focusing instead on building relationships.

"So we allowed everybody in," he said. "We have six or seven realtors and I don't know how many lawyers came out of the woodwork." These and the other members, representing all kinds of businesses, "all started handing out referrals to each other."

The group meets every Thursday morning, from 7:30 to 11, at The Alley at South Shore, at 10221 Big Bend Road in Riverview.

Speakers gave testament to the group's success, including Erik Butler, of TakeOutButler.com, a restaurant delivery service for the Greater Brandon area and beyond.

With TCOB members, he said, he made purchases for his business, including such things as IT assistance, office supplies, computers and marketing materials.

He also used his TCOB relationships to secure those things necessary for "the business of just maintaining my life," Butler said, such as "tires, carpet cleaning, heating and air conditioning, homeowners insurance, auto insurance, even haircuts."

Add it up, and Butler said he has spent "over $30,000 with past and present members TCOB."

"If that doesn't get your attention I don't know what will," he added.