Billy McKenna found the prospect of ‘selling’ himself a daunting prospect, until he realised that he’d already been polishing his networking skills on the school run. If you’re reticent, that introduction may be more straightforward than you fear.

I'm just back from the Southern Manufacturing Exhibition in Farnborough. Another long trek. There were around 600 exhibitors, covering all aspects of manufacturing, from aerospace to automotive, from food to advanced engineering.

Like all exhibitions, it was full of companies trying to sell their products and services. And many visitors, myself included, were also focused on selling and not at all interested in buying.

I'm not a natural salesman. I find the whole process of introducing myself, my company and services to complete strangers, challenging. On the long drive to Farnborough I found myself yearning for the end of the day when I could head home after a hard day's work.

The show itself was a success. I presented my business to many people and have several leads. This would have taken me months over the phone and by email. It was definitely worthwhile.

Conferences are just part of the networking scene that is essential to building a business. You can also network online. Some companies have thrown large amounts of resources in this direction, though personally I'm not wholly convinced of the business value. Here are a few basic tips to get you started:

Facebook – the daddy of them all. Companies are turning to it more and more. Its social aspect is well proven, though business benefits are harder to quantify.

LinkedIn – a Facebook for work. It's a good way to stay in touch with past contacts, and possibly generators of business. I've found it helpful to get in touch with colleagues I've lost touch with over the years.

Twitter – there are huge numbers of discussions taking place on this social network. It can be quite daunting to become involved, but it is fairly easy. Just register and follow some of your key customers or suppliers. It's probably best to monitor the exchanges for a while before 'tweeting' yourself, but it's fairly easy to get the hang of.

YouTube – this is the second most popular search engine after Google. It's worth having a presence, even if it's a basic video, just to get your company registered. This is especially true for exporters.

There are many other online networks, such as MySpace, Bebo and Friends Reunited. You could spend hours each day on online networks, which would leave little time for face-to-face meetings.

I've joined a few networking clubs, such as the local chamber of commerce, and have attended a number of specific events. These events do work for some, though most people I speak to say they haven't generated much business from them. However there is another purpose – they get you out of the office.

There's no mystery to networking. Chatting to another parent at my son's netball practise, it turned out that she needed a web designer and asked me to quote for the work. So there are positive outcomes, but was this networking? I'd call it having a chat. Which is all networking is, really, when you come to think about it.

Aro Consulting – providing targeted PR and marketing solutions. www.aroconsulting. co.uk