For many of you, July marks the midway point of the year. For us at EFBC, it’s the start of our fiscal year with all the excitement that a new year brings. We are eager to create new opportunities by introducing additional ways for members to join and experience our amazing community.

The last few years have proven how important being part of a community of brilliant business owners, entrepreneurs and key employees really is for each of us and our companies. Navigating the pandemic made us all re-evaluate and re-imagine how we are doing business. EFBC is no different. As we look to attract members in our increasingly digital and demanding world, it became abundantly apparent that for us to better serve a more diverse set of needs, we needed to expand our membership and Forum offerings.

We are thrilled to announce that effective July 1, 2022, EFBC will offer a new membership level – Pro Membership – as well as a Flex Forum option. Keep reading for all the details!

Membership Levels

Our traditional membership level will now be referred to as Enterprise Membership. Our Enterprise Members will continue to enjoy all the same benefits you do today, including placement in Full Forum (more on that in a minute!), extension of EFBC membership to all your team members, add-on members at a reduced price, etc. In a nutshell, everything you love about membership stays intact – but now you get a cool new name as Enterprise!

For those looking to step in to EFBC, or whose life circumstances are making them need to take a step back, we are launching Pro Memberships. More and more, we are hearing from potential members that they know they need a peer group but are concerned about the time commitment membership requires. And we have had numerous members step away from EFBC as their commitments changed, be it kids’ travel sports or the need to care for an aging parent. Pro Membership allows these individuals to join or remain in our community to experience the benefits with a more flexible time commitment. While they will not receive all the benefits of our “Traditional-now-Enterprise” members, they will become or remain a part of our community, share their brilliance and grow our reach. It is a win for all of us!

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE BENEFITS OF ENTERPRISE, PRO AND ADD-ON MEMBERSHIP.

Forum Options

Here’s where those details on “Full Forum” as mentioned above come in!

We know how important the Forum experience is at EFBC. Forum is the monthly small group meetings that have long been at the heart of EFBC. But we also know that Forum, as it has traditionally existed at EFBC, is not for everyone. Especially as business is re-imagined for many, the commitment to a monthly meeting can seem overwhelming. That’s why along with our Pro Membership we are excited to launch Flex Forum.

For existing EFBC members, just as with Enterprise Membership, everything you love about your Forum remains. You just get another cool name change to Full Forum! In Full Forum you will continue to practice protocols, enhance you EI skills, and most importantly, continue to meet every month with the Forum mates you’ve come to rely on and trust. Full Forum will remain the peer group experience  that 85% of our current members said keeps them involved in EFBC (from our 2022 Member Engagement Survey).

Flex Forum is an offering for Pro Members. As the name implies, members have the flexibility to attend Flex Forum as frequently or as infrequently as needed. In other words, they can enjoy the community and support of a peer group in a more relaxed manner without a commitment to monthly attendance. Flex Forum is also a great benefit for Enterprise and Add-on Members who may want an additional peer meeting to get some differing shared experiences outside of their Full Forum.

Flex Forum will initially meet monthly on every third Wednesday in the morning at the EFBC offices in downtown Chicago. Attendance will be limited to 12 individuals each meeting with Pro, Enterprise and Add-On members all welcome, as well as Strategic Partners seeking a Forum meeting. As Flex Forum grows, we will add additional dates and locations.

One item to keep in mind: Because Flex Forum is not mandatory, attendance each month will undoubtedly vary. If you are seeking the full peer group experience where your forum mates become your board of advisors and know your business as well as you do, Enterprise Membership with Full Forum is the best choice for you.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FULL AND FLEX FORUMS  

We Heard You!

To our existing members, we heard you! We kept everything you love about EFBC and gave you an additional way to enjoy Forum and our community should the need ever arise.

To our potential members, we heard you! We know finding the right peer group and committing to a mandatory monthly meeting can be intimidating. We created Pro membership and Flex Forum to let you finally experience all the benefits of our community for yourself. We have no doubt you belong here!

To all, please reach out to Liz with any questions or to find out how you can get involved. And please share this information with your network, especially those folks you’ve been talking to about EFBC. Together, we are going to create an amazing new year!

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