As a small business owner, I am constantly looking for ways to network with other professionals and business owners in my area. I enjoy the interaction between entrepreneurs, inventors, owners, and business-minded people. It is a thrill, in fact.

In my never-ending quest to meet others, I visit and participate in countless business networking and referral groups. One in particular set me off to the whole idea; the group will remain nameless for obvious reasons. Perhaps I have been sheltered, my favorite group meets at a local coffee shop and we have a very relaxed meeting and generally find a topic that suits a majority of the group. The rules are simple: show up. Thats it. We do have an expectation that each person will purchase their own coffee if they chose to order, but this does not pertain to the group itself. This structure, or lack there of, matches my personality wonderfully.

I recently visited a group and almost felt overwhelmed. Every person who entered the room was quick to make their way to me and introduce themselves, almost as if it were required. I later found out that it was required; moreover, any member of the group that was guilty of not introducing themselves was fined as in monetarily fined.

I obtained a copy of the bylaws of this particular group, while I understand the importance of structure, rules, regulations, and such, the thought of having a 35+ page bylaw booklet seemed a little excessive.

I took it all in stride; I later found that to be a member of that group would cost nearly $900 a year after quarterly membership fees, dues (separate from membership fees), fines, and the weekly breakfasts. This fact struck me as very odd, especially when the groups mission statement includes making money for its members.

Have I been sheltered? The thought of simply sitting around a table with 6 other business leaders sounds appealing to me.

More to come ...