Welcome to Lunch & Biz!
Lunch & Biz is a business networking group in Baltimore County, Maryland that specializes in relationship building. At a Lunch & Biz event, you will meet like-minded businesspeople who understand that you get and give more referrals with people that you have a relationship with, care about, and know are ethical. As a result, everyone's business grows!
What is Lunch & Biz?
Hi! My name is David Bishop, and I am the founder of Lunch & Biz. I have been a huge proponent of business networking since I started my first business back in 1985. For me, it has meant increased revenue for my companies, an opportunity to meet and learn from other businesspeople, a chance to give back to my community, and it has resulted in life-long friendships.
I have been a member of numerous networking and Chamber groups, been on the Board of a number of Chambers of Commerce, and have hosted networking events and conferences all along the East Coast.
There are a wide mix of networking groups in the area. Some are excellent, and some not so much. But where most miss the mark is that they are for-profit and either need to charge exorbitant fees or rely on a constant flow of new members to sustain the business.
What I have done with Lunch & Biz is to take the money out of the equation so we can focus on the relationship-building. Our meetings are free to attend, and while we do charge $50 a year for paid memberships, you get a lot of extras for that small fee, which is used to cover operating expenses.
At a Lunch & Biz event, you will be able to network with between 25-50 other businesspeople. But more importantly, you have the time to get to know the attendees and choose the people you think will be the best ones for you to learn more about after the meeting. Because a networking meeting that ends when the meeting does will never get you more business. Oh, you might sometimes be able to sell one person on your services. But that is not the goal.
The goal is to get to really know the people that you meet at the events. Because once you do, you will find yourself sending them referrals from people that you know, and they will be doing the same for you. This way, everyone benefits, and you have a virtual sales staff helping grow your business while you are helping your friends grow their business!
What Happens In A Typical Meeting?
To help you understand the flow of a Lunch & Biz event, here is a sample timeline. Remember that this is typical, and a meeting can change on a dime depending on how things are progressing.
Casual Networking
This is the time to introduce yourself to the other attendees and get to enjoy some casual conversation. You can also place your drink and food order at this time.
Opening Remarks
A quick hello from the host with a discussion about Lunch & Biz, what we do, memberships, and our events.
Elevator Pitches
30-60 second introductions from all attendees with food served near the end. Be ready! There is usually a short question for each person to answer.
Did You Learn?
The host thanks all the attendees for their elevator pitches. This is also the time for the host to make a quick learning lesson about networking.
Guest Speaker
At every meeting, a paid member is given the opportunity to speak to the group about their business or a topic related to their business. Questions are encouraged.
Closing Remarks
The host takes a moment to thank the guest speaker and the attendees and covers any last-minute points that need to be made. Opens the group back up for...
More Casual Networking
This is the time for you to arrange one-on-ones with the people who you think you would like to get to know better. Although it is only "officially" about 15 minutes long, we have had people stay for more than an hour extra to finish up conversations.
Our Paid Members
These are the people and businesses that have become paid members to help support Lunch & Biz. Please take a moment and click on their logos to go directly to their websites. If you wish to learn more about becoming a paid member, check out the Benefits of Membership.
