Biznik - Business Networking that Doesn’t Suck

Biznik has relied entirely on word-of-mouth to attract new members since we started in 2005, and that’s taken us a long way, thanks to you telling your friends. But with the launch of Biznik 2.0 on July 1, this community is ready for much faster growth, and we want to spread the word more quickly. How to do it? Wouldn’t it be cool if there were a Biznik member who had a smart, entertaining radio show, who we could sponsor? Wouldn’t it be cool if that show was already sponsored by other organizations dedicated to sustainable business like Conscious Choice Magazine? And wouldn’t it be even cooler if that show was willing to have Biznik members come on the show so that we could not only spread the word about Biznik, but also give members who are running sustainable businesses an opportunity to spread the word about their businesses?

Well, we’re in luck. Long-time member Andras Jones has a show, Radio8Ball, that’s not only on the radio, but also features live events. So we’ve decided to jump in with both feet and make a foray into the world of advertising We’re really excited to be sponsoring this show: it’s fun, it’s hip, it’s progressive and it thinks outside of the box, just like our members do. And Andras himself is an entrepreneur, just like all of us are.

From Andras: “Radio8Ball is calisthenics for the part of our mind that recognizes synchronicity,” he says. “The Radio8Ball Show is a live musical divination event where questions are answered by picking songs at random and interpreting them as the answers, like picking musical tarot cards.”

Radio8Ball has two separate broadcasts; one on Tuesdays from 6 to 8pm on KAOS 89.3 FM in Olympia, and one on 1150 AM - KKNW in Seattle on Thursdays from 2 to 3pm. The show in Olympia is non-commercial and the Seattle broadcast has commercials (if you would like to join Biznik and advertise on Radio8Ball please contact Andras directly.)

The Radio8Ball Show live events are hosted monthly at The Capitol Hill Art Center in Seattle. These events feature live musicians who perform the musical answers to the audience members’ questions. Guests have included Jon Auer, Mirah, Jim Page and more. There are currently productions in the works for Los Angeles, Minneapolis & New York City.

The next live show is coming up on August 9, at Capitol Hill Arts Center, at 7pm. Tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com (a ticketing company started by member Steve Butcher - who you’ll be hearing more about soon too - he’s going to be hosting some events soon about how to build a successful not-just-for-profit business).

So, how do we decide from among the amazing Biznik members in this community who gets invited to appear on the show? We’ll, we’re going to have a little contest. The rules are very simple: 1. Write three paragraphs describing how your business is sustainable (yes, that means you have to be operating a sustainable business). 2. You must be a supporting member or upgrade your account before submitting your entry, and able to appear in person in Seattle. 3. Visit Andras’ profile and send him your entry. Andras will review the entries and select a winner.

OK, I’ll close this post with Andras’s “what I need” field from his Biznik profile (this is, after all, a networking community):

“Radio8Ball is always looking for music acts to appear on the show. We are also looking for an intern for the AM radio broadcast, and for businesses who are interested in advertising on the show.”