From left: Jaime Garry, Joe Corbalis and Grace Borrani, founders of the Westchester Business Connection.
A flooring salesman, a real estate broker and a Web designer dreamed up a different sort of business networking organization last September and today the Westchester Business Connection is nearly 150 members strong ”“ on LinkedIn.
“Our growth has been unbelievable,” said Joe Corbalis, cofounder of WBC. “Pretty soon, we”™re going to be the largest networking group on LinkedIn in this area.”
The owner of Yonkers-based KMRC Flooring, Corbalis has always been an avid networker. He got involved in the group Business Networking International (BNI) and teamed up with Grace Borrani, owner and broker at Borrani Realty in Yonkers and Jaime Garry, who runs graphic design firm Cybermania L.L.C. in the Bronx.
“The one reason I started the Westchester Business Connection was to bring people together,” Corbalis said. “Today, people are passively looking to meet other people and by having events in the evening, it can attract people whose business dictates they work in the mornings.”
Keeping costs low is key, Corbalis said.
“We”™re what I call an ”˜association,”™” Corbalis said. “You can”™t really ”˜join”™ my organization and I don”™t want to take any money for the sake of taking money. If someone can”™t make it to an event, I don”™t want you to think you spent money on membership and couldn”™t make it.”
Westchester Business Connection hosts networking events geographically throughout Westchester County.
“We started at Pizzeria Uno in Yonkers and get 25 to 40 professionals that come to an event at a time,” Corbalis said. “We”™ve had events at Henry”™s on the Hudson in Peekskill, and now Morton”™s the Steakhouse in White Plains.”
Borrani said 80 business professionals attended the most recent event in White Plains.
“We”™re trying to bring people together to meet people they wouldn”™t have normally met,” Borrani said. “It”™s concentrated toward people trying to promote their business.”
“I think it attracts everybody and is so diversified, which is amazing,” Borrani said. “We have people in banking to people talking about the law of attraction. It”™s one spectrum to another.”
Corbalis said he attends Yonkers Chamber of Commerce events and although is personally not a member, he does see WBC members who are.
Garry began the Westchester Business Connection”™s Web site, which she said enhances the association”™s vitality.
“People like face-to-face networking, but when you leave an event, sometimes you”™ve met a person and can”™t remember their name,” Garry said. “The Web site is a good way to connect through online profiles.”
“The Web site now has a calendar of events, a listing of people”™s profiles and a photo gallery from events,” Corbalis said. “We”™ve gotten a tremendous response from many different avenues. We”™ve gotten calls from strangers who have seen us online.
“Our main message is ”“ we”™re here to help people connect to business and form relationships,” he said. “People are looking for opportunity. There are no enemies in networking.”
The Westchester Business Connection”™s next networking event is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Royal Regency Hotel in Yonkers.
The Web site is www.wbconnection.com.
