Institute for Independent Business

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startingup

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Hi Folks

Currently looking at leaving my own full time PAYE worker role and set myself up as an independent consultant. Saw an add in the Irish Times for the above looking for associate members.

I Have looked at their website and get some extra info. I have also done the Clubman scam search using Google and it showed up nothing.

I was wondering if anyone had ever come across these guys before? Any feedback on them? I am worried that it is some sort of scam promising you loads of clients and work if you sign up for a fee and you then hear nothing afterwards.

Thanks
 
IIB

Thanks for the reply unreg.

Have been looking in those areas already. What IIB promise is an income stream once you have been made associate. My concerns are that you end up paying a lot of money and time in something that doesn't deliver.

I am using the old rule of "if it's too good to be true then it isn't" hence my caution before proceeding any further with them
 
IIB

> What IIB promise is an income stream once you have been made associate.

Hmmmm.... what do you have to do to become an associate? If it involves recruiting others then this sounds more and more like a pyramid scheme. What service or product are they selling? What is the business model? I would proceed with caution on this one until any questions and concerns have been adquately addressed...
 
Is [broken link removed]? Don't see anything about an associate program here, though your brief description does look slighly suspicious. You don't get nuttin for nuttin.
 
Their "find us" and "newsletter" links are broken. I personally would be wary of taking business advice from an organisation that can't even maintain such a simple website. There is a mention of "associates" on the "more about IIB" page but overall the site doesn't give much information about what they claim to do.
 
IIB

Yep that is their site.

I have looked at it and found nothing of great substance to answer my questions. They claim to be a network of ex senior executives who offer advise to SME companies on strategy etc. However their is no mention or details as to how these SMEs get in touch with IIB in the first place. First I heard of them was their add in the times.

Their Irish site can be found at www.business-executives.com

Cheers
 
IIB

Startingup,

I have heard of this kind of set up before but I have no express knowledge of IIB - It might be a mentoring programme where people who need advice go in, have a chat and the mentor (ie the supposed senior executive) tries to sell a series of further sessions at a "reasonable" price - "Dear Mr. MD of a small company how could you say that e1,000 per session is too much - look at the wealth of experience that available to you !!"

I might be overly cynical here so if anyone has positive experiences of mentoring programmes I apologise !

BTW - Startingup can you say what field you are now working in ? I am about to do the same and would be interested in hearing your experiences / advice

JapserC
 
IIB

Hi JasperC

thanks for the feedback. I think you may be hitting the nail on the nead with their programme. I have received an email today saying that I have the required skills and talent they are looking for and all my questions will be answered in a forthcoming seminar and one to one session that will be scheduled shortly.

I am in the IT area focusing on infrastructure and IT management issues. Setting myself up as a sole trader after reading various advise from people such as O and Tommy posted here previously.
 
I would be very wary of them as they give no personal information about the people behind the company. I don't immediately see any information about charges or fees either.

I have never heard of them.

As far as I know, the IDA or whatever it's called now, offers a mentoring programme, if you want a mentor or non-executive director. It's also worth joining the Small Firms Association or ISME.

Brendan
 
Local County Enterprise Boards also offer mentoring both pre and post startup, Very reasonable rates....

Regards,

Digi
 
IIB

thanks for all the feedback folks. You have reinforced my own doubts about the group. I will go along to their information meeting to see what they have to say and will let you all know what the outcome of that is.
 
Don't fall for any hard sell and definitely don't sign anything or give out your personal contact details until/unless you can establish the bona fides of any such organisation...
 
What a great shame that so many of you have posted all this rubbish without doing a modicum of research first.
The Institute for Independent Business is a global accreditation organisation with some 3000 associates. It is believed to be the biggest organisation of its type in the world.
My belief is that is thread started in Ireland? Assuming that to be the case, you may be interested to know that there now exists a thriving and highly motivated group of IIB accredited associates in your Country, all providing hands-on support to Small and Medium size enterprises.
Whoever started this link, and the unfortunates who subsequently publicised their "well thought-out" opinions, would have been better advised to have followed the link indicated in the newspaper ad that has been refered to, attended an IIB seminar in Dublin, and got the facts about the IIB, instead of firing off with such misleading and dangerously inaccurate statements
 
Hi Pat - Can you please be specific about which points above you believe to be 'rubbish' and 'misleading and dangerously innacurate'?

Regards - RainyDay
 
Pat - you might also want to clarify what, if any, vested interest you have in the IIB in accordance with . Maybe then you could address some of the concerns that were posted earlier and refute them in a constructive manner if possible. For example Brendan's point about the site not giving much information about who is behind the organisation is one worth tackling. If you are associated with the organisation then attacking the genuine and legitimate concerns about the IIB raised above in the curt manner above hardly does you or the IIB any favours in my personal opinion.
 
I have also been researching the IIB. I first contacte them as I found them listed as a recruiter for marketing executives. I am an American citizen looking to work and live in the UK. They have responded to me, even phoned me, to confirm some details. I have now been invited to attend one of these seminars in London next month when I will next be in the UK. I am very curious that they would be willing to discuss the work visa situation with me if they are a scam. It's too bad "startingup" did not come back after attending one of the seminars; I would really like to know more about this. I have gone through pages of google listings, but this site is the only one I found where they are questioned--but then, I've found little to support them other than bits sourced from their own website. I have found them referenced in a few worthy publications, but the articles gave me the impression that the auther may not have fully followed through on his/her info gathering (but, this could be me developing a new sense of paranoia about IIB). If anyone can point me in a direction, or if anyone has any additional info, I'd be grateful.

~b
 
Brendan said:
As far as I know, the IDA or whatever it's called now, offers a mentoring programme, if you want a mentor or non-executive director. It's also worth joining the Small Firms Association or ISME.

Brendan
Click to expand...

You must be referring to Enterprise Ireland who provide Mentoring services for sme's. see www.enterprise-ireland.com/mentors

Also all County Enterprise Boards provide a similar service.
 
I came across a guy recently who was an accountant and he worked for IBI. I think the basic deal involved alot of cold calling to SME's. However I spoke to a colleague who availed of his services and he hadn't a bad word to say.. sorry I can't offer anything more.
 
I am scheduled to go to an orientation for IIB in the US and did research on them also. I've found a couple of business advisors who claimed to be accredited through them. I will report on the real deal when I get back from the meeting.
 
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