All businesses depend, to a large extent, on their corporate networks and on the personal networks of their employees. Networks generate leads and collaboration and, in the case of young companies, they can make the difference between success and failure.
The business network Probono was set up in 1990 as a private company limited by guarantee with an unlimited number of owners -- It is a loose federation of largely autonomous business units, who include companies, self-employed, employees, students, unemployed and like-minded organizations. The attraction is a group of people within the business community determined to help themselves, each other, the wider community and the planet, by developing a global business environment in which human dignity and high values predominate. There is an annual subscription (between £15 and £100) and owners must be prepared to set aside between £25 and £1,000 which remains their property but is unlikely to return any interest for several years. Shares can be bought by members of the company; there is no maximum investment but only one vote per member. There is also a Business Development Contribution scheme where members who get business through the organization agree to pay a small percentage of the revenues to Probono. Because members are motivated to get their return on investment and to maximize the number and size of transactions between members, it is in their interest that it should grow. Looking ahead, it is possible to imagine a time when Probono is considerably larger than most of its members, when being a member adds significantly to the perceived size and power of each of its constituents.