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About LBN
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What is LBN?
Headquartered in Clarkston, Michigan, Local Business Network
is an organization of business professionals dedicated to helping each other grow and prosper.
Our local chapters provide the opportunity, structure, and training for business professionals to
build a cohesive team of mutually supportive members. If you are among the best at what you do and
are willing to make a commitment to help others in return for their help, LBN wants you!
Local chapters meet twice a month for about an hour. The purposes of our 1 to 1-1/2 hour
meetings are to educate and to celebrate. We educate each other on the
products and services we offer, and on the types of customers we serve. Presentations, exhibits
and weekly updates keep fellow members informed. We celebrate our successes by exchanging
referrals and honoring those who are the most effective networkers.
Teamwork and single-mindedness of purpose are what differentiate us from other business
associations. Our chapters are small (a maximum of 25-30 members with only one representative
in each business category) and we work hard to develop mutual trust and respect. Our primary goal
is to help each other by generating referrals for one another, but we help each other in a variety
of others ways as well. Members are not casual acquaintances, they have an in-depth knowledge and
respect for each other. They meet often and promote each other on a daily basis.
Because we refer friends, relatives business associates and customers to fellow members, we seek
out the best we can find in each profession. If you have high ethical standards, are a hard
worker, can be a team player and are seeking an inexpensive, yet effective means of growing your
business, we invite you to visit your local chapter and submit your credentials to the Membership
Committee for review. See our Chapter Information section for a list of Chapters in Southeastern
Michigan, call us at 248-620-6320 or e-mail us at cgifford@locbusnet.com.
Our History
LBN was founded in January of 1999 by its President, Charles Gifford. Dedicated to the
service of our members, our goal at LBN is to build, train and support local teams of effective
networkers. We then link the members of each local chapter with the members of the entire network
of chapters in their region. Members are thereby provided the opportunity to network both locally
and regionally. With these goals in mind, each new member is provided with a portfolio of
information on how to use LBN to maximum advantage, how to generate referrals for fellow members,
and how to assist in chapter growth. Additional training is available at monthly training sessions
and through training materials available to members on our intranet site.
We continue to create new chapters in Southeastern Michigan. The first few months of a
chapter's life are devoted to training new members, developing a leadership team and increasing the
number of chapter members. Our primary criterion in seeking new members is to attract the type of
individual to whom we would be proud to refer our best friend. Quality rather than quantity is the
cornerstone of our chapter development program. Long range goals call for the saturation of
Southeastern Michigan before expanding to other geographic areas.
While we are expanding the number of LBN chapters, we are also modifying and improving the
services provided our members in the areas of marketing, training, and recognition. Member
input is a key element in this process. In addition to training materials for our members and
chapter officers, we offer:
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A "members only" intranet site where members can share information, download
membership rosters, post links to their web sites, post announcements for other LBN members,
access a calendar of networking events and much more.
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Regional mixers where members of all chapters can
network, market to other members and seek effective
referral partners.
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Assistance from our regional staff in finding "referral partners" within other
chapters.
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Continual assistance with chapter management and recruitment.
About Our Founder
Charles G. Gifford, President and Founder of Local Business Network, has spent most of his
business career managing and marketing his own businesses. Mr. Gifford was educated at The
University of Michigan (BBA - General Business) and Michigan State University (MBA - Marketing).
Immediately thereafter, he spent two years in the United States Marine Corps.
A twenty-five year career as a retail consultant, specializing in location and consumer research,
resulted in the development of the second largest firm in the United States in the field of location
research. During this period, Mr. Gifford also developed and sold a small chain of restaurants.
His career in retail consulting was followed by five years in a supportive role in his wife's
network marketing business. The tremendous success of that business not only gave him an
appreciation and love for networking, but also the time and opportunity to pursue the development
of Local Business Network.
Through the years, Mr. Gifford has been a prolific speaker, author of numerous articles and has
been heavily involved in community activities. He has spoken before numerous trade associations,
community service organizations and private groups. He has also authored dozens of articles for
trade publications and industry trade associations. Community activities have included participation
in the Jaycees, Parent Teacher Organizations, the West Bloomfield, MI School Board and innumerable
Chambers of Commerce and Local Business Associations.
Mr. Gifford brings to Local Business Network a strong entrepreneurial spirit, excellent
management, marketing and communications skills, and a true passion for helping members to become
more successful in their chosen field of endeavor.
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