A Guest

A Guest is someone who comes to an NCBA meeting as a result of an open day or invitation. They must not clash with any other NCBA member business. They can attend two meetings free of charge to see if they are interested in joining. If they wish to join they must fill out an application form.

Similar Businesses

If a guest is similar to another existing business within the group but there may be a possibility of making room for them, the guest and member are encouraged to phone or meet up to discuss this possibility. While the group encourages more members, the ultimate decision is with the existing member.

Two examples of this are:

• The guest offers a product or service that is their main business, while the existing member offers this product or service as a side-line.
• The existing member has two businesses or branches of business and chooses to drop one to make room for the guest to join.

The existing member and new member must come up with an agreement as to what they can and can’t promote to other NCBA members. If this agreement is broken, the Vice Chair will mediate and assist in resolving the issue.

If an agreement is repeatedly broken, a member may be asked to leave the group.

Application Form

An application form must include two reference contacts (proposers). These must be people who have direct business experience of the applicant.

Breakfast Fee

The breakfast fee is €130 per quarter in advance. This fee should be submitted with the application form when joining. Should the application for membership be denied, the cheque will be returned or destroyed.

Breakfast Payment Rules for Members:

• Pay by Standing Order = €120
• Pay within first month of quarter = €130
• Late payments €140

NCBA Feedback

All NCBA members will be notified of membership applications and are encouraged to provide feedback to the Members Committee.

Consideration

The application, references and feedback are taken into consideration by the Members Committee and Steering Committee and a decision is made.

Competition for Membership

When more than one business applies for a membership position within the group they are asked, in addition to the above, to present their case to the group. This takes the form of a 5 minute presentation on what they can bring to the group as a member.

After hearing from all applicants the group then votes. This vote is confidential and anonymous. The count is done publically with at least three members in attendance.

Strong Negative Feedback

Should there be strong negative feedback from more than one member within the group indicating a serious lack of professionalism in an applicant; the Steering Committee reserves the right to veto the election. There must be first hand experience of this behaviour by an existing group member.

Quality Members Result in More Referrals

The NCBA is known for its high quality members. The group relies on being able to trust each other with each other’s clients. Therefore, both feedback and good references are vital when considering new members.