Here’s a tip. If you’re looking for a place to network your business, Le Tip is the place to go.
There are numerous Le Tip clubs in San Diego, including Le Tip of La Jolla, which meets Fridays for breakfast from 6:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at Sheraton La Jolla Hotel, 3299 Holiday Court.
“There are 10 or 12 Le Tips in Greater San Diego and the La Jolla Le Tip is one of the oldest,” said Mike Blomgren, a salon owner and president of La Jolla Le Tip.
Blomgren said the La Jolla club of about 50 members has an array of professionals representing every industry from “insurance and banking to contractors, to handymen — the whole gamut.”
There’s only one stipulation for membership in each individual Le Tip club: only one member is allowed from each profession — one banker, one plumber, one mechanic and so on.
Le Tip International, Inc. is the pioneer in professional networking organizations. Founded in 1978 by Kenneth E. Peterson of San Diego, a former insurance salesman, the organization has since expanded the concept to more than 450 chapters throughout the United States and Canada with more than 10,000 members.
Le Tip’s primary purpose is to give and mine out qualified business tips or leads. Tips are regularly reviewed by each chapter’s Tip Master to ensure they meet professional criteria and represent a real value to the receiver.
Le Tip of La Jolla provides an invaluable resource for current members, as well as an opportunity for new members to grow their businesses. Each week, more than 100 “hot leads” – or potential customers in need of products or services — are passed along to club members.
“The motto of the club is ‘Give a tip, get a tip,’ ” said Blomgren. “So it’s bound to help your business grow.”
A typical format is followed by Le Tip clubs. Guests are introduced followed by three speakers, each discussing for seven minutes the products or services their businesses offer.
Blomgren said speakers are followed by 30-second “commercial spots” given by individual club members.
“Someone will say, ‘Here’s a good way you can tip me this week. I’m looking for this or that,’ ” said Blomgren.
Le Tip is a dues-paying organization with club members paying an intial set of annual dues, then quarterly dues that vary in amount, depending on the individual club, where they meet, how much their meals cost and other criteria.
Blomgren said La Jolla Le Tip has stood the test of time and has proven positive networking results for members.
“One person said they got in excess of 70 percent of their business from this club, that it was their extra sales force,” he said adding, “I don’t know of any other organization that passes business leads to one another.”
La Jolla Le Tip is unique in a number of ways, said Blomgren.
“The power in our club is the sense of long-term relationship building,” he said. “For example, there are people who’ve been in this club for 30 years. That’s a long-time commitment. It’s like an extended family.”
For more information, visit http://letiplajolla.org.