The Essex Business Forum Constitution

WHO ARE WE?

We are a business promotion and networking group who are looking to support and provide new business for its members.  This is through regular networking breakfast meetings where individual members can promote their business and make and pass on to other member’s new business referrals.

We provide facilities to support and promote member businesses both through forums, a website and through its separate group meetings of members who are in similar areas of business.

We also look to promote members businesses by arranging and having a presence at Forums organised by others in the business sector.  The intention is to promote EBF and its members to the public as a collection of trusted suppliers and businesses to the local community.

 

ABOUT OUR MEETING

1. The weekly breakfast meeting is for members who each come from a different business or professional category. Although most categories are effectively exclusive this will not of necessity be the case and the Meeting Committee reserves the right to expand any category in consultation with the individual member or members affected.
2. The weekly meeting runs from 6:30am to 8.30am.  The meeting will open at 6.15am for registration and networking between members their guests and visitors.  After 8.30am the meeting remains open for further networking.
3. Members are expected to arrive in good time for the 6:30am start and must stay until 8.30am.  We do not wish to set rigid attendance goals but full members are expected to attend regularly.  If you are not there you cannot pass business to another member and you cannot provide the regular promotion of your own business to enable you to receive referrals from other members.  This is fundamental to the ethos of EBF.
4. The meeting will be conducted by a Management Team that will consist of:-
   Meeting Chairman – who leads the meeting
   Meeting Secretary – who reports to the meeting on business passed and membership matters
   Education Development Officer – who delivers the education slot and arranges the 10 minute presentations
   Meeting Organiser – who arranges door monitors, setting up and taking down and visitor co-ordination
   Events Co-ordinator – who notifies and arranges events for members both social and business.
5. The Meeting Committee will be 7 in number made up of Meeting Chairman, Meeting Secretary, 3 Directors, and 2 other members.
6. If the Meeting Committee consider your attendance is not adequate and this is without good reason the Meeting Committee may refuse renewal at the end of your membership term or indeed forthwith cancel your membership and look for someone who can fill your category more effectively.
7. Members are encouraged to bring visitors on a regular basis. These should be either potential members who are involved in business or people who can provide valuable information to the meeting and potentially provide referrals to Members and /or for other promotional reasons.
8. All visitors must be notified to the Meeting Chairman prior to any meeting that they are going to attend by the introducing member and visitors may attend two meetings without the sanction of the Meeting Committee.
9. The meeting will follow an agenda in the form attached to these regulations.
10. If you think you have a visitor who could by way of a presentation bring useful business information to the group you should approach the Meeting Committee to sanction a 10 minute presentation slot to be made available for that visitor.

 

ABOUT MEMBERSHIP

1. Upon joining each new member will be assigned a mentor to guide them through their initial period of membership.  The mentor will be expected to provide guidance to the member in relation to matters such as 60 second and 10 minute presentations and generally provide support in early weeks of membership.
2. EBF will arrange during the course of the year induction, professional development events and presentations some of which may be presented at the Meeting.
3. If any member feels that a visitor looking to apply for membership would affect the benefit they get from the category that they operate under at the meeting they should refer this to the Meeting Committee. If there are no such complaints the Meeting Committee will be entitled to assume their consent although all members are asked to consider when introducing a visitor to the meeting to take note of the category that they would be looking to fill and refer this perception to any member likely to be affected.
4. If you wish to change category during the period of your membership the request should be referred to the Meeting Committee.
5. Membership may be withdrawn not only for failure to attend meetings with sufficient regularity but also a member’s failure to comply with EBF’s policies and ethos or for how they perform their own business functions for other members and their referrals.
6. Complaints about conduct should be referred to the Meeting Committee who not only have the power to revoke membership but also suspend or put on probation a member where the members business practices or commitment to the meeting are called into question.
7. The meetings regulations may be reviewed by EBF from time to time and communicated by the Meeting Committee through the Meeting Chairman or Meeting Secretary.
8. A Meeting Chairman, Meeting Secretary and an Education and Development Officer will be appointed for a period of 6 months and upon fulfilling all their responsibilities to the meeting during their tenure will receive compensation from EBF in the form of mitigation of their membership fees.
9. Decisions of the Meeting Committee and alteration of regulations will be subject to approval and issue of revised policies by the Directors of EBF.

 

EBF’s FEE STRUCTURE AND CHARGING POLICIES

1. New members pay a one of joining fee of £50.00
2. Membership fees are as follows:-
   For six months  £200.00
   For one year    £350.00
   For two years   £600.00
3. There will be a charge per meeting to cover the cost of the breakfast and the venue. This payment is payable whether you attend or not and must be paid monthly in advance on or before the 1^st Thursday of every month either by standing order or payment of a cheque to the Meeting Secretary in advance of the meeting itself.
4. These fees may be subject to alteration from time to time upon the approval of the membership through the Meeting Committee.
5. Payment may be by cheque or by a credit card approved by the Meeting Committee. Where a credit card is used there will be an additional levy of 5% on the fee amount paid to cover administrative costs.
6. Membership fees are payable on or before the meeting before the expiry date of the period for which the member has made his last payment.  Failure to renew on time entitles the Meeting Committee to suspend or expel a member if there is not an acceptable reason given to the Meeting Committee.
7. Late payment will attract a 5% levy.
8. On payment a receipt will be issued and fees paid and receipted will not be refundable.

SUBSTITUTES

1. If you are unable to attend the meeting you are encouraged to send a substitute to represent you at the meeting.
2. A substitute cannot be an existing member of EBF and any substitute should be put in the position where they can conduct your 60 second presentation.
3. The Meeting Committee will ensure that EBF publishes a list of known substitutes who are acceptable to the meeting but this list will not be exhaustive.
4. You must notify the Meeting Chairman in good time in advance of the meeting of your proposed absence and the identity of the substitute (if any).  The Meeting Chairman might be able to assist you with possible substitutes if he is aware of visitors who are attending.

 

EBF’s DIRECTORS

Essex Business Forum is the name of a Limited Company registered at Company’s House whose directors are charged with the obligation of maintaining and sustaining the regular meeting for the benefit of all members.

The Board of Directors of EBF are charged with ensuring that the meeting functions effectively and efficiently, using the membership fees to provide all necessary materials and more importantly promotional and advertising opportunities that are aimed at promoting all members businesses.