The Castle Pines Wednesday referral group works together to help build referrals for each other’s business. While discussing issues, there is always time for a little humor and fun.

Article and photo by Patte Smith

The Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce’s Wednesday referral group is a fun, humorous and intelligent group of individuals. These business people are not only fun, but are a sincere and dedicated group who help their peers to succeed in business. They believe in “building relationship referrals, not just leads.”

The first organized referral group in the Castle Pines area was established in 2006, and was part of the Business in the Pines association. This group is still in existence, although members have changed, and the 15-member (Wednesday) group is now part of the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce. Realizing that an additional group was needed the chamber organized another group earlier this year.

Referral groups are made up of business people from different industries such as financial services, interior design, remodeling, mortgage brokerage, insurance and non-profit, just to name a few. An individual must be a member of the chamber and apply for a spot in the referral group. There cannot be any two of the same business type in a single referral group. If prospective members apply for a same industry type, a second referral group may be formed.

Meetings are held twice a month at the chamber office in Castle Pines North and are chaired by a member of a steering committee. Mick Masden currently chairs the Wednesday referral group. There are three steering committee members who hold positions for one year. The next year three different individuals are chosen for the steering committee. Meetings are informal and fun, but run in a structured and respectful format.

At the meeting, each member gives a brief 60-second “advertisement” of his/her business or company. One individual is “spotlighted” at a meeting during the year. This is an opportunity for a member to give an in-depth and informative presentation about his/her business. One-on-one get-togethers are highly encouraged in the group so members can get to know each other and develop strong partnerships. “When we build relationships within the group, we can then successfully build a relationship with the referrals we get,” explains a member. “We learn to market ourselves and our business.”

Referrals and successful results are tracked to monitor the effectiveness of a group. The chamber and chamber members also organize “after hours” groups to help each other network and meet other business people. “Word of mouth is very important,” notes another member. “It’s a valuable tool when trying to build a business, especially in these challenging economic times.”

Collectively, the chamber’s referral groups are enthusiastic and intelligent. The members are welcoming, agreeable and truly interested in supporting each other’s business endeavors.

For more information on the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce and referral groups, contact chamber President Sharon Kollmar at 303-688-3359 or go to www.castlepineschamber.com.