COFFEE TALK: Members of the Miami Business Exchange met for breakfast recently at Offerdahl's in Pinecrest. From left, Carol Simicich, Eric Schue, Lenore Kerner, Barry Haber, Kevin Munoz, Sharon Blake, Wilson Alvarez and Barbara Goins.

I recently went to a meeting of the Miami Business Exchange.

That's not as easy as it sounds because the organization has been a moving target much of this year, wandering from one location to another, looking for some place affordable and convenient for their weekly breakfast meetings.

But using my skills as an investigative reporter and tips from several unnamed sources, I tracked down the group on a recent Thursday morning. I found a dozen members huddled in a corner of Offerdahl's in Pinecrest, munching on their bagels, much to the delight of the store manager. She apparently doesn't get much business at 7 a.m., and the Miami Business Exchange was a welcome windfall. She sent over a free quiche to show her appreciation.

"We've really struggled over the past six months," said web designer Carol Simicich of Artege.com, who was the organization's president through most of that time. The Miami Business Exchange had a good thing going at the Beverly Hills Café in South Miami, until the management there decided it no longer wanted to open for breakfast. They spent the next months wandering from restaurant to restaurant.

"We needed a location that was convenient for our members, reasonably priced and provided privacy and a professional atmosphere," Simicich said. "We finally settled on the conference center at Chamber South, using Roasters 'n Toasters as our caterer. Not only did it meet all of our criteria, but the food is great!"

"It was a rough year," agreed Eric Schue of Allstate, the group's current president. "Carol did a great job holding us together as we moved from place to place. It wasn't easy."

So why did I find the group at Offerdahl's? Because the room at Chamber South occasionally is booked for other purposes. But Schue said that will be over by next year, and they are penciled in every Thursday morning in 2007.

The Miami Business Exchange is one of many leads group in our area, small clusters of business people who usually meet weekly. They limit membership to one person per industry, which keeps them small. Members not only do business with each other, but also try to find referrals for other members of the organization. Because they are small and meet often, members of leads groups tend to be very loyal, and the Miami Business Exchange, currently with 19 members, is no exception.

On this day at Offerdahl's, Schue bangs the gavel repeatedly to get members to stop whispering to each other and pay attention to the speakers.

"We are a talkative bunch," Schue laughs. "We are much like a family. We bicker and argue with each other, but in the end we are very supportive." He has been a member for six years, and says it has been a very good business investment for him.

While the group occasionally hears from outside speakers, the typical program is for two members to talk briefly about their businesses. From this, other members learn enough so they can identify good leads as they go about their daily routines.

On this day, for example, family law attorney Sharon Blake offered an interesting insight -- the lack of affordable housing in our area is having an impact on divorces. While common sense would dictate that one spouse move out during a divorce proceeding, the current housing market often makes that impossible, she said, because people can't afford to move out.

The contractor member of the group, Peter J. Basso, who will install a whole roof or build you a house if he has the time, related his negative experiences in the field of roof repair. He was tempted into it because of the great need for repairs after last year's hurricanes, he said, but it's a nightmare for him and the customers. He can't always be sure where the leak is coming from, and doesn't know if his repair will be effective until the next storm comes through.

Like all leads groups, the Miami Business Exchange is always looking to expand membership. Schue said they can use an electrician, automotive repair, air conditioning, commercial real estate, labor law, and the medical specialties -- doctor, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor. Those are just examples.

To learn more about the Miami Business Exchange, visit the website at www.miamibusinessexchange.com. You can view a list of members there, and see if your field of business already is represented. If not, you can attend a meeting at no charge, to try it out. For more information call Barbara Goins at 305-252-4140.