Why Your Network is Your Most Underutilized Asset…and What You Can Do About It

April 24th 2026

Early in her entrepreneurial journey, Emma began attending conferences, workshops,
and local events to connect with colleagues and other business leaders. Her goal was
to continue building new skills and learning from more senior members of her industry. A
national event in New York City one spring put her in contact with many people she had
met online, but whom she hadn’t met in person. There, a group of attendees made
plans to have dinner together the next night, and she joined in. That one dinner proved
transformational in ways she didn’t expect.

Once back in her office post-conference, Emma sent quick email notes to everyone at
the dinner to express her appreciation for being included. Several responded and asked
to set up quick coffee chats via Zoom to get to know each other better. Emma said yes
to every invitation. On those calls, she shared details of her business and learned more
about her peers and the type of work they enjoyed or excelled at.

The following week, one of the people at the dinner emailed her to ask if she would be
interested in an assignment—Emma is a freelance writer. Yes, she said, which landed
her a $1,500 project. About a month later, another new friend from the conference
asked if she might be available to take on a gig she didn’t have time for. Yes, Emma,
told her gratefully, and proceeded to pick up a client worth $4,000 in the short term.
Another conference contact emailed to ask if she had the bandwidth for a large
engagement.

By showing up at the conference and deepening bonds with colleagues she had forged
online, Emma expanded her network and quickly started reaping the benefits.
Unfortunately, this scenario is rarer than you might think. Too few women business
owners recognize the gold in the business development tool they rarely use: their
network.

The Trap Many Women Business Owners Fall Into

The thing about networking is that we can feel like we’re doing it all—attending social
events, collecting business cards, and accepting LinkedIn connection requests, but,
sadly, this is just passive networking that doesn’t yield much in the way of results. Sure,
your follower count may be growing, but do you actually know any of these people?
Probably not. Which means they don’t really know you either.

What you really need to be doing is intentional or active networking. This type of
networking involves inviting people out to lunch or for a drink after work, checking in on
people you worked with at your last job, and looking for ways to serve or support people
in your network. Don’t expect them to do anything for you, but look for ways that you
can be a force for good in their lives.

You probably have a bigger network than you realize, and you’re also probably all but
ignoring it.

What, Exactly, is a Network?

In case there’s any confusion, let’s clear up what your network consists of. Yes, your
LinkedIn connections and followers make up part of your network, as do your
colleagues and customers. However, your network also includes:

• Service providers you hire, such as consultants, advisors, and even your
  janitorial crew or bookkeeper
• People you used to work with, at previous jobs or businesses
  Personal connections, including friends, family, neighbors, and former
  classmates
• Members of online communities you are part of (including WomensNet)
  Members of professional organizations, coaching programs, or mastermind
  groups
• Colleagues from volunteer work you do or groups you participate in

This list isn’t exhaustive, but if you started to list everyone you know in those categories,
you’d get a sense of how vast your personal connections really are. You know a lot of
people, and that’s an asset you can leverage.

3 Ways Your Network Can Generate Business for You

There are many ways your network can support your business, but the three biggest
ways they can impact your bottom line directly are:

1. Referring you work. People who know, like, and trust you are your best source
   of new work. Whether they share your name with someone they meet at garden
   club or Rotary, or connect you via an introduction email, your network can ensure
   your name comes up when a business need arises that you can fulfill.
2. Co-marketing. Joining forces with businesses in close proximity, or that are in
   industries adjacent to yours—such as lawn services and patio builders, or
   wedding cake bakers and wedding photographers—can yield surprising results.
   You can formalize the arrangement, such as by hosting a special event together
   or trading mentions in each other’s customer newsletter, or you can keep it
   casual.
3. Advisory board. When you need advice or problem-solving, being able to turn to
   someone more knowledgeable can save you time, money, and lost sales. Your
   network can be a valuable resource for ideas and solutions.

In addition to these three high-value roles a network can play, members of your network
can also be your cheerleaders and friends, boosting your spirits when you need them.

How to Start Leveraging Your Network without Being Pushy

Networking has somehow become a bad word in recent years, probably because too
many people misunderstand what effective networking looks like. Yes, there is a wrong
way to approach it, which is to pester and overwhelm people in your network with
demands for their time, talents, money, or attention. Don’t do that.

However, there is also a right way. When you network by looking for ways to benefit
others first, people will take your call or look at your text right away, rather than leaving
you on read.

Some low-pressure ways you can try to stay top of mind without being awkward or
annoying include:

• Scrolling through your contacts and identifying 5-10 people you haven’t talked to
  in more than a year.
• Taking time to email, phone, or text them to ask how they are doing and to let
  them know you’re thinking about them.
• When they respond, share something you came across that might be useful to
  them, such as an article, a study, some business news, or a referral to a potential
  client.
• Looking for reasons to buy their products or services or hire their company. Give
  them positive reviews and engage with their account on social media, with no
  expectation of anything in return.
• If you have a need you know they can fulfill, ask for their help. This could be
  advice about a business situation, or ideas for finding employees, for example.

Making it a habit of checking in on them regularly. Avoid reaching out repeatedly
only to ask for something—make sure you’re giving more than you’re getting.
Demonstrating that you want to help and support them goes a long way towards
establishing a mutually beneficial relationship.

Women are naturally strong connectors, so celebrating others' success, making
introductions, and sharing business opportunities come almost naturally. It’s also an
effective way to build a strong network that can help you build and scale your business.