There is no line waiting for a table at the Beverly Hills Cafe in South Miami.

Maybe that's because it's only 7 a.m., and the restaurant doesn't open to the public for another four hours.

Yet, there are lights inside, and if you press your nose against the window, you will see about 20 happy, smiling faces about to sit down to breakfast.

Every Thursday morning, the members of the Miami Business Exchange gather for their networking breakfast.

On any given morning in South Florida, in dozens of restaurants and hotel conference rooms, hundreds of people gather for early meetings. It is a choice time of day for these functions, before the business day begins.

While some of these people also will attend lunch and after-dinner functions, for some this is the only time of day where networking is possible.

Take Steve Mirowitz, for example. He's a house painter. Impossible for him to clean up and make a lunch meeting. So, recognizing the importance of networking, he attends these 7 a.m. meetings.

Two members of the Miami Business Exchange are given the opportunity at every meeting to discuss their business in detail.

Today it's Mirowitz and David Kerner of Executive Network Solutions, a computer firm. Both are peppered with friendly questions as they speak.

The Miami Business Exchange is a "leads" group, one of dozens of similar organizations around South Florida.

Members pledge not only to do business with each other, but also to be salesmen for each others' businesses.

That is why it's important for them to know as much as possible about each other, so they can be on the lookout for possible customers.

After Mirowitz speaks, for example, the audience knows he not only paints houses, but also does pressure cleaning. These groups all seem to have a few common elements.

• They accept only one person from each kind of business. If there's already a member in your line of work, you won't be accepted into the group.

• They meet weekly and are insistent -- with varying degrees of intensity -- that you neither miss a meeting nor send a substitute in your place.

• Members are expected to find referrals for each other. In some organizations it's a polite suggestion, while in others you will get tossed out if you don't meet a quota.

• Members are expected to recruit new members. As a result, guests are always welcome as potential new members.

Most of these organizations even will offer you a free meal on your first visit. Some meet at 7 a.m., some at 8. Others do lunch.

If this kind of networking appeals to you, try a few groups to find one that is a good fit. They have very different personalities.

Some are laid-back, others are passionate. These groups don't work for all kinds of businesses, but some business lines lend themselves well to this kind of networking.

For example, almost every club has members representing residential real estate, banking, computers, and law and accounting.

I was invited to the Miami Business Exchange meeting by Zac Hall of Minuteman Press of Pinecrest, incoming president of the organization. Networking really works well in the printing business since everybody needs new business cards, at a minimum.

Hall delivered business cards to several members at this meeting. Hall networks everywhere, and we calculate this is the seventh time in a month that we've run into each other at meetings.

The Miami Business Exchange meets every Thursday for breakfast at the Beverly Hills Cafe. Membership is $150 to join ($100 to renew) and $120 quarterly to cover the costs of the breakfast.

For information, call Lois Rubin at 305-235-2621 or visit the website at www.miamibusinessexchange.com.