Clare Cooper presents Daryl Carter with the £5,000 holiday on the paradise isle of St Vincent

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

tsturgess@thekmgroup.co.uk

A "paradise-island" buy-to-let property investment consultant has notched up business worth more than £12 million thanks to contacts she made at a local networking group.

Word of mouth referrals at early morning meetings of Business Network International (BNI) in Ashford catapulted Clare Cooper to record sales, helping to keep Kent as Europe's BNI referral hotspot.

Her firm Crystal Sands Investments, based in Ashford, offers properties in the Caribbean and she has been delighted with the interest generated at the Wednesday breakfast get-togethers of BNI Eureka Chapter in Ashford International Hotel.

Ms Cooper recently surprised her group by awarding member Daryl Carter, director of Style Brands - a promotional gift supplier - with a luxury all-expenses paid £5,000 trip to Buccament Bay in the exotic island of St Vincent.

Ms Cooper says 95% of her company's business deals come from her BNI involvement.

She said: "Too many businesses overlook the power of word of mouth referrals as part of what keeps them afloat. 98% of businesses rely on word of mouth referrals yet only 3% have a strategy for gaining new business this way.

"My advice to local businesspeople is to explore locally how they can cultivate a team of colleagues to whom they can cross-refer business. You never know who knows who and this is the power of networking."