Last Thursday was the A12 networking evening, held at the George Pub in Wanstead. Our DoubleYour Clients Through Networking ecourse is probably one of our most popular courses. A lot of people that we meet feel nervous about networking, and they also feel as though they have no real stratgey behind things. One week they visit one group such as BNI because someone says it's useful, and then another week they concentrate on online networking like http://www.ecademy.com/ because the word on the street is that this is the thing to do.

What really matters is what suits you - and what works for you.I particularly enjoy networking over food. I don't mean standing aroudn with luke-warm glasses of wine and balancing canapes in one hand and your handbag in the other. No, I mean lovely lunches or delicious dinners where you can really get to know your neighbour and find out what makes them tick. You may talk to less people but it's quality not quantity that really makes the difference in the end!

Paula GardnerPaula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.