Summary: BNI was one of AVO’s first windows to the world. Participating in this international network allowed us to present our structured remote talent model, connect with business owners from different countries, and consolidate a culture of growth built on referrals and trust.
Growing also means knowing how to connect
In the business world, growth does not depend solely on having a good service. It also depends on building solid relationships, generating trust, and belonging to spaces where other business leaders can get to know, validate, and recommend what you do.
For Asistente Virtual OK, one of those defining experiences was our participation in BNI, an international business network that marked an important stage in our growth, our positioning, and our commercial expansion.
BNI represented one of our first global appearances as a company. It was a space that allowed us to connect with business owners, leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals from many different industries, all of whom shared one thing in common: the conviction that businesses are built on trust, accountability, and quality referrals.
What is BNI?
BNI stands for Business Network International, a global business networking organization focused on generating business referrals. Founded in 1985 by Dr. Ivan Misner, it has established itself as a worldwide community of business owners and professionals who grow through structured commercial relationships, mutual trust, and qualified recommendations.
Far more than a place to hand out business cards, BNI works as a business community where each member represents a professional category and works actively to generate opportunities, referrals, and valuable alliances for the rest of the group.
One of our first windows to the global business world
For Asistente Virtual OK, taking part in BNI meant much more than attending networking meetings. It was an opportunity to present our service model to business owners from different countries, industries, and levels of responsibility.
At a time when remote work had not yet reached the global momentum it would gain years later, BNI allowed us to explain, position, and validate a proposal that still felt new to many business leaders: relying on remote human talent, backed by a company, to support administrative, sales, operational, and customer service functions.
Mario Serpa’s leadership within BNI
The participation of Mario Serpa, founder of Asistente Virtual OK, was especially meaningful within BNI. His consistency, business vision, and ability to communicate the value of remote talent earned AVO real recognition within this business community.
Mario Serpa built a strong position, developed strategic relationships, and took part in wider-reaching spaces within BNI International. That journey not only strengthened the company’s image — it also proved that the AVO model was viable, professional, and competitive on international business stages.
The power of business referrals
One of the greatest lessons BNI left us was an even deeper understanding of the value of business referrals. When a company arrives through a recommendation, it does not arrive from zero. It arrives with a baseline of trust, backed by the experience of someone who already knows the service, the seriousness of the company, and the quality of the support behind it.
At Asistente Virtual OK, a very significant part of our growth has come precisely through referrals. To this day, we still work with clients we first met more than five years ago through these meetings and connection spaces.
An international network with standards of accountability
Participating in a global network like BNI also allowed us to build relationships with companies and professionals who shared a similar outlook: growing responsibly, meeting high standards, and creating commercial relationships based on trust.
For AVO, this was especially valuable because our service requires exactly that: trust. When a company decides to delegate processes, customer service, sales follow-up, administrative tasks, or operational support to a remote team, it needs to feel that it is not simply hiring a person — it is engaging a backed, organized, committed service.
What BNI taught us as a company
Our experience in BNI reinforced several principles that remain part of our company culture today:
- Trust is built through consistency.
- Referrals are born from a good experience.
- Reputation is one of a company’s most important assets.
- Networking works when there is accountability, reciprocity, and commitment.
- Human relationships remain essential, even in an increasingly digital world.
Asistente Virtual OK: growth built on trust
Looking back today, we recognize our participation in BNI as a key stage in our development as a business. It was a platform that allowed us to showcase our proposal, validate our model, grow through referrals, and build relationships that continue to generate value to this day.
For us, BNI was not just a network of contacts. It was a network of trust. And that trust became an important part of the growth of Asistente Virtual OK.
We continue to believe that the best commercial relationships are born from accountability, reliability, and real value. That is why every client who reaches us — especially through a recommendation — represents an opportunity to honor that trust and prove that remote talent, when properly supported through our methodology, can transform the way a company operates.
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