I talk to frustrated business owners every week in Kyle. They’ve attended dozens of networking events, collected stacks of business cards, and gotten zero results.
The pattern is always the same.
They chase free events like networking addicts, bouncing from breakfast meetups to evening mixers. They think more events equal more opportunities. They’re wrong.
88% of business cards get thrown away within a week. That stack of contacts you collected? It’s heading straight to the trash.
The real problem runs deeper than bad follow-up habits.
The Free Event Trap
Free networking events attract people who aren’t serious about building their business. When something costs nothing, it’s worth nothing to the people who show up.
I see this constantly. Business owners want to attend free events and avoid investing in creating real relationships. They treat networking like a hobby instead of a business strategy.
Research involving 12,000 businesspeople proves what I observe daily. Those who focus first on building relationships score much higher in success than those who focus first on business transactions.
But relationship-building requires investment.
What Investment Actually Means
Investment means being serious about networking and building your business with other business owners. It’s not just about paying membership fees.
Real investment looks like this:
**Committing to consistency.** Showing up monthly, not just when convenient. Building trust happens through repeated interactions, not one-time meetings.
**Investing time to understand others’ businesses.** Learning what your network partners actually need instead of pitching what you sell.
**Following through on promises.** Making introductions, sharing resources, and being accountable to the relationships you build.
Free events can’t create this environment. There’s no accountability when people can disappear without consequence.
The Transformation Model
Network In Action operates on transformational relationships, not transactional exchanges. Our monthly commitment model creates the structure frustrated networkers are missing.
When business owners invest in consistent, structured networking, they stop collecting contacts and start building partnerships. They move from surface-level conversations to deep business relationships.
The difference shows up in results. Quality trumps quantity when you’re cultivating meaningful contacts instead of maintaining superficial connections.
I’m building our Kyle group to 30 committed members who understand this principle. Not 300 casual attendees who show up sporadically.
Your Networking Investment Decision
Every frustrated business owner faces the same choice. Keep chasing free events and getting the same disappointing results. Or invest in building transformational relationships that actually grow your business.
The investment separates serious business owners from networking tourists.
Which one are you?