Dan Turner / Los Angles Business Journal

ERIC SHAW is a prime schmoozer and proud of it.

Shaw is the creator of a networking program in Los Angeles and Orange Counties also Seattle and Kirkland WA called the All Cities Resource Group that brings professionals together toward the goal of building thicker Rolodexes and getting more clients.

About 240 bankers, lawyers, accountants and other professionals who belong to the group meet once a month from 7 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. at 9 different locations to talk about deals, clients and needs. All of the members have one thing in common: They serve wholesalers, manufacturers and distributors. The clients themselves aren't invited.

"The whole premise of the group is to develop relationships, not prospect people," Shaw said. Members make referrals for other members to their clients, thus helping to build each others' businesses.

Shaw is founder of Marina del Rey-based New York Credit, a diversified lending and consulting company with 15 full-time employees. Like the other members of the networking group he founded, he uses it to drum up new business.

"You can call up anybody in that group and have breakfast or lunch and talk about client needs," Shaw said. "They're guaranteed to take your calls, because that's a requirement of the group."