TEAM Referral Network

What TEAM Referral Network does

TEAM Referral Network, founded in October 2002 by Kelli C. Holmes and headquartered in La Verne, California, operates as a membership-based business networking and referral organization. It runs a hybrid model combining weekly in-person chapter meetings in local U.S. territories with an online networking platform that includes SEO-optimized member profile pages and a chapter management system. The franchise-licensed operator model is the company's primary commercialization mechanism, with more than 300 chapters opened across U.S. states (including California, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada, Missouri) and international expansion into South Africa since 2023. The product portfolio extends beyond chapter membership to include Virtual TEAM chapters for remote and national-service professionals, the TEAM U education and training platform, the Community Outreach Program donating memberships to local non-profits, and an annual flagship conference called "The Big Event."

The company's revenue mechanics rest on three pillars: franchise fees and royalties from franchisees who purchase territorial rights to operate chapters, recurring membership fees paid by business professionals who join local or virtual chapters, and event-related revenue from conferences and workshops. Each local chapter enforces an exclusive-category structure in which one member represents each business category, supporting referral exclusivity. Members access a branded website profile with SEO benefits, weekly in-person meetings, one-minute commercials, ten-minute presentations, one-on-one coaching, and the broader cross-territory member network. An active base of named enterprise affiliations (including AFLAC, Wells Fargo, Edward Jones, Verizon, ADP, Allstate, and Coldwell Banker) reflects members employed by or affiliated with large brands rather than direct enterprise contracts.

Go-to-market combines top-of-funnel content marketing through the company website and organic social channels (Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Eventbrite), mid-funnel email newsletter and event promotion, and bottom-of-funnel franchise discovery calls following a structured 7-step purchase path. The company has held a position on Entrepreneur Magazine's TOP 500 Franchises list for six consecutive years (2012-2016) and was previously named one of the 98 Brave New Franchises in 2011. The company remains privately held and founder-led, with no disclosed institutional funding, acquisitions, or restructuring events. Corporate operations are lean (1-10 employees at the franchisor level), with franchisees and regional Directors handling the bulk of on-the-ground chapter operations.

Name

TEAM Referral Network

Legal name

TEAM Referral Network

Website

https://teamreferralnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TEAM Referral Network is a U.S.-based membership networking and referral organization, founded in 2002, that operates 300+ franchise-licensed local chapters combining in-person meetings with an online networking platform to help entrepreneurs, independent sales professionals, and small business owners generate referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Networking Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Affinity, Membership & Association Referral Programs (FSAEAMAL)

Keywords

• Business networking organization
• Referral marketing network
• Franchise networking chapters
• Relationship marketing services
• Chapter-based membership

Headquarters

HQ city

La Verne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: TEAM sells franchises to individuals who purchase rights to operate chapters in designated territories. Franchisees receive the business model, training, operations manual, and ongoing support.
2. Chapter Membership Fees: Business professionals pay membership fees to join local chapters. Members receive access to chapter meetings, the online network, member profiles, training materials, and referral opportunities.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from major events including 'The Big Event' with keynote speakers, regional networking events, and workshops for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

TEAM Referral Network operates a membership-based business networking and referral organization that combines face-to-face local chapter meetings with online networking tools. Members join local or virtual chapters, gain access to the broader TEAM member network, receive a branded SEO-optimized member website, and use structured referrals and training (TEAM U) to grow their businesses. The company distributes the model via TEAM Franchise Corp, selling territorial franchise rights to independent operators.

Product overview

TEAM Referral Network is a business networking and referral organization offering a hybrid in-person and online platform. The core product consists of membership-based access to local in-person chapters (with one exclusive business category per chapter), virtual TEAM chapters for remote/global networking, and the TEAM U educational platform. Every member receives a branded website with SEO benefits. The franchise model allows entrepreneurs to operate TEAM chapters as a business. Additional offerings include the Community Outreach program, annual Big Event conferences, and regional expansion into South Africa. Together, these form a unified networking-as-a-service model centered on relationship marketing and referral generation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TEAM Referral Network Chapter Membership Recurring chapter membership giving business professionals access to structured weekly chapter meetings (in-person or virtual), a one-slot-per-category exclusive position, referrals, training, and a TEAM-branded SEO-optimized member website profile. Targeted at entrepreneurs, small business owners, and independent sales professionals.
• Local In-Person TEAM Chapters Weekly structured chapter meetings held in-person in local areas where one business professional per industry category meets, delivers one-minute commercials and ten-minute presentations, participates in one-on-one coaching, and exchanges referrals. Designed for business professionals who want face-to-face networking in a defined geography.
• Virtual TEAM Chapters Online networking chapters including the flagship Borderless Connections Chapter (Thursdays) that enable national and global connections, training on networking strategies, and access to online networking events for professionals whose client base is not geography-bound.
• TEAM U Education and Training Educational platform providing training materials, workshops, and classes on networking, public speaking, business development, and relationship marketing, including new member training, TEAM Leaders Training, training manuals, worksheets, and chapter supplies for members.
• TEAM Franchise Opportunity Franchise offering through TEAM Franchise Corp that licenses territorial rights to operate TEAM Referral Network chapters, including the proven business model, systems, procedures, comprehensive training program, operations manual, ongoing coaching and support, and field training. Targeted at prospective franchisees evaluating a turn-key recurring-revenue business.
• The Big Event Annual Conference Annual flagship networking event featuring keynote speakers, business resources, and training sessions, open to all TEAM members alongside additional business development opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members can deliver 50+ business commercials per year to their sales team
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Data DynamixminorOthersBusiness sponsor providing services to support TEAM chapters and members. Part of the sponsor program for business services and technology support.
• Paperless PaymentsminorOthersPayment processing sponsor offering PCI-compliant payment solutions for TEAM Referral Network and member businesses. Provides virtual terminals, contactless devices, and credit/debit/check transaction processing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BNI (Business Network International): The largest and most established structured business referral networking organization in the world, operating weekly chapter meetings with one-member-per-category exclusivity — the same core model as TEAM Referral Network but at significantly greater global scale.
• LeTip International: Long-standing U.S. business networking chapter organization using exclusive-category, weekly referral meetings. Closely comparable to TEAM on chapter structure, member dues model, and target member (SMB owners and independent professionals).
• Alignable: Online small-business referral and networking network serving SMB owners in local communities. Competes with TEAM on the digital referral-discovery layer and represents the free/low-cost substitute for TEAM's paid chapter model.
• 1-2-3 Connect: U.S. business referral group using a structured meeting format with one representative per professional category — directly comparable chapter model and SMB-owner target member as TEAM Referral Network.

Broad incumbents

• Vistage: Large peer-advisory and executive coaching organization for SMB CEOs and business leaders, charging premium membership dues for monthly group meetings, one-to-one coaching, and events. Comparable business model and SMB-CEO target buyer, though focused on higher-revenue leadership tiers than TEAM.
• EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): Global peer network for entrepreneurs operating higher-revenue businesses through local chapters, forums, and learning events. Comparable chapter-based networking and SMB-owner targeting, but at a materially higher revenue/size threshold than TEAM.
• Chamber of Commerce (local/regional): Local and regional business associations providing networking events, referrals, and advocacy for member businesses. Overlaps with TEAM on networking and referral benefits, though chambers are typically non-dues-restricted by industry and lack TEAM's exclusive-category chapter structure.

Emerging players

• Referral Key (now Rotunda): Online referral networking community enabling business owners to exchange leads digitally. Represents the online-only version of TEAM's referral-network concept and a direct substitute for TEAM's Virtual Chapter offering.

Others

• SCORE: Free SBA-affiliated mentoring and small-business advisory network with local chapters and events. Adjacent to TEAM in serving SMB owners but complementary (free mentorship) rather than directly competitive (paid referral chapter membership).
• Meetup: Platform enabling organizers to create local interest- and profession-based networking groups and events. Adjacent infrastructure competitor in the local-business-networking space; competes with TEAM at the top-of-funnel discovery layer rather than on paid referral chapters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/@teamreferral
• YouTubeyoutube.com/teamreferralnetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/teamreferralnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/team-referral-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/teamreferralnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TEAM Referral Network