2006 BBB
Jim Furbush
Williamson County Branch Manager
Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee, Inc.
The Better Business Bureau
As I travel throughout Williamson County I like to ask people what they know about the Better Business Bureau. Typically the response is a very positive one with comments like “I know it is a good thing when a business is a member.” They also usually mention something about the “checking on a company” (reliability report) or complaints. Even though nearly everyone seems to have heard of the Better Business Bureau, a significant number don’t know exactly who we are or why we are here. Since 2006 marks the 45th of the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee this is a great opportunity to fill in some of the blanks.
Let’s start with some history. The organization that was to become the Better Business Bureau was founded in 1912 by businesses to address the lack of integrity in advertising. Over time the scope of the nonprofit organization expanded to include other functions, always within the core mission of improving the quality of business. The results of this organization soon spread and the BBB grew throughout North America. Currently there are 134 BBB locations in the US and Canada. Recently the first BBB in Eastern Europe was opened in Romania. Each location is a separate business organization governed by the local members. All the individual Bureau locations operate under the sanction of the national Council of Better Business Bureaus.
Your Better Business Bureau, the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee, Inc., was organized in 1961. Headquartered in Nashville, this location is responsible for 38 counties in Tennessee and 7 in Southern Kentucky. In 1997 the BBB began expanding services to better serve the communities within our service area. In addition to the newly opened Williamson County Branch there are four other branch locations located in Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Fayetteville and Cookeville. As of December 31, 2005 there are over 4,000 businesses that make up the Better Business Bureaus membership with nearly 500 of those businesses located in Williamson County.
Membership in the BBB is strictly voluntary and is by invitation only. Every business that accepts must have their application approved for membership. To be accepted, the business and the principal managers must have a record of ethical and proper business and must agree to maintain these standards to remain a member. Although the membership of the BBB is made up of a very wide variety of industries and different size businesses, the owners and managers of every one has made a common commitment to do business in an ethical and honorable manner.
Now you know why the businesses in our community so proudly display they are a member. They want their customers to know that they are one of the businesses that are helping to make business better!
For a list of members and to get a reliability report on a business, check with the BBB at www.goBBB.org, our consumer line: (615) 242-4222 or call your Williamson County Branch Office: (615) 250-7432.
