Institute for Independent Business

[rinjuba]

Hi,

i have answered an ad submitted a CV and have been invited to a seminar/evaluation by these people. Does anyone know if there are costs involved further down the road?

cheers

R

[joglynne]

From looking around on the net the answer to your question depends on whether you are working for them or requesting their help.

The Associates that work with the Institute for Independent Business appear to work as self employed advisers. The following link shows a Salary: OTE £90K pa

http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/browse/ge...cy-w49356.html

As far as using their services go, it seems that your first session with an Adviser is free but from on then you would to have to pay for their services.

http://www.iib.org.uk/uk/business-su...programme.html

[rinjuba]

Thanks joglynne,
I hadn't found the Guardian advert. What I am wondering is if that at some point the 4 stage 'selection process' actually turns into paying for acreditation with them?
cheers

[joglynne]

Been reading a lot of the sites (input..Institute for Independent Business ) but you never seem to get passed the initial introduction. Maybe one of the members of the forums will have more information. I must admit to being interested in how it all works myself.

Jo.

[emsibuns]

Hi joglynne/rinjuba

I've only joined cable forum because I've been looking at applying for an IIB role myself and seen you two chat about it. After much searching, I found this article - only last month, granted its from the US, but forewarned is forearmed - and I thought you should see it:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/...Off0324112.htm

Check it out. Certainly put me off taking the request to attend an afternoon in Watford seriously!

[Cobbydaler]

Originally Posted by emsibuns

Hi joglynne/rinjuba

I've only joined cable forum because I've been looking at applying for an IIB role myself and seen you two chat about it. After much searching, I found this article - only last month, granted its from the US, but forewarned is forearmed - and I thought you should see it:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/...Off0324112.htm

Check it out. Certainly put me off taking the request to attend an afternoon in Watford seriously!

to the forums.

Thanks for a very informative link in your first post!

[joglynne]

Hi emsibuns. Welcome to the forum.

I had forgotten all about this thread. Your link proves my thoughts at the time. I did do a little more delving after my last post but couldn't come up with anything concrete other than it felt a bit iffy even then.

Nice to know our posts on Cable forum can help someone in their quest for information. I hope you stick around and see what else we can offer.

[L J Slater]

Originally Posted by Kevin T

to the forums.

Thanks for a very informative link in your first post!

Thanks v much for the link to the ripoff report, which tells all - I keep seeing the IIB ads in the FT online exec jobs ads and have been suspicious of them, but until now have never found anything against them on the internet. I will forward the article to the FT with a complaint. Congrats -well spotted.

[SharonP]

Rather surprised at the postings here. Not sure people are understanding how the IIB works. I can perhaps help with that as I’ve been an IIB Associate for six years and am very pleased with how being part of the network has helped me grow my business. But note I said that being part of the network is the key. Nothing happens for free in this world! I work hard but I also use the skills, experience and assistance of the IIB associates across the world to enhance what I offer to my clients.

When I did my own research six years ago before applying for accreditation, I was very clear that I wanted to find a worldwide network that would give me access to people with skills and experience who could provide me with additional skills to offer my clients as well as helping to answer my own questions and thereby enhance my own knowledge and skills base. The IIB seemed to me to be the only network of a size and reach serious enough to be of interest to me.

Accreditation by any organisation or industry body isn’t going to guarantee you work – or even a foot in the door. It’s what you do with it, the people you meet, how you work with them, what value you add to them so that they want to take you into their clients! You know there are no magic bullets when it comes to business. Once accredited, I joined the local regional network and starting getting to know people and making sure they knew what I could offer to their clients. I became a regional chairman so I could support the established and the newer Associates in our region, and put something back into this business community. I’ve met the nicest people and learned a huge amount – and I keep learning, just by reading from the email network what is happening in businesses of all sizes across the world.

If you found this particular site through an Internet search, then you also have access through that very same search facility to screens full of results that will include the direct web sites of established IIB Associates all over the world, individually and in groups where they are happily working together. The IIB doesn’t manage or control their businesses: once accredited by the IIB, these people can display the badge of accreditation similar to those obtained from many industry bodies, providing a recognition to others that these are people who have gone through the accreditation process, who are seeing the network in action at first hand and who have seen how their own and their company’s credibility can be enhanced by their association with the depth and reach of the IIB worldwide. And if you have specific questions about anything to do with the IIB and the accreditation process, call or email the contacts shown for your home country on the IIB web site www.iib,org.ws – ask anything you want to know or ask to talk to people like us who have been part of the network and are clearly still smiling….

[Johnwilliam]

IIB Institute for Independent Business

I have read with interest some of the articles placed here and feel that I must add my own comments.

I joined the IIB 6 years ago and have had a very different experience to some of the contributors. I came from a large corporate background and had no experience whatsoever of dealing with small and medium sized businesses or of independent consultancy.

The IIB gave me 3 vital things.

The first was access to the market via leads generated by the telemarketing operation. These leads did vary however overall I closed around 1 in 6 of the leads into clients or projects. I have to say that I was delighted with that result which did accord with what I had been told during the selection process.

The second benefit that accreditation to the IIB gave me was a methodology that allowed me to accurately assess potential clients needs. This proved to be vital in gaining new clients. It also ensured that I only took clients who I could genuinely help.

The third and most important benefit was the Business Support Program and access to specialists via the network. This meant that I could offer a credible and powerful solution to my clients needs with me acting as the generalist and using specialists where required. Offering a service as a one man band is neither effective nor long term stable.

Whist I cannot speak for everyone my own return from investing in the IIB training and accreditation has been huge not only in financial terms but also in delivering a high level of service to my clients and in having a large group of other associates to talk with and get advice and support.

I would strongly advise anyone looking at the IIB to talk with current associates before making a decision to ensure that the IIB is suitable for them.

Overall I have been very pleased with the return on my investment and I believe so have the vast majority of those associates who I deal with on a day to day basis.

[Hugh]

johnwilliam, whilst I am pleased that you are happy with IIB, your post does read like a Press Realease (imho).

[Johnwilliam]

Those of you interested in Rip Off may wish to click on the link attached for another view

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/chris-ben...rip-off-report

[chrisJ]

I have been an associate of the IIB since 2003. I am absolutely delighted with it and derive the vast majority of my very sizeable income from being an associate. I have also made some very good friends within the IIB and find the help of the network extremely valuable.

If you are considering joining then talk to as many associates as possible and make up your own mind. Sites like ripoffreport and not a good source of research.

[Kymmy]

LOL, three newbies all claiming to have joined IIB 6 years ago...All deperately trying to counteract the report that IIB should be avoided.........(or perhaps they're just reading from exactly the same script??)

IIB just sounds like most of the other pay networking sites out there..you give us lots of money and we'll point you towards free resources that might make you some money..

My advice would be for people to join a free small/local business group (search on the internet) and talk to them and you'll find the knowledge more profitabe than any pay for association group...

[Chris]

Maybe the IIB only lets you speak publicly when you've been a member for six years? Bit of a coincidence otherwise.

But hang on ...

Three sixes?

It couldn't be ...

could it?

<old spice music>

666!