It is often the case in business that making and maintaining contacts can pay dividends in the long-run.
Depending on the area in which a business is based, this can be particularly important.
Take the transformation of exotic animal hides into high-class shoes for example - it's not the sort of business that you can just decide to become involved in; you need to know the industry and know the right people.
Having that bank of contacts in conjunction with the ability to recognise a gap in the market can lead a company to the heady - or should that be headliney - heights of full coverage by the national press.
That is exactly what happened to Tom Mantzel and his business Zelli Shoes, which recently featured in a CNN Money article entitled 'Turning exotic animals into shoes: An oilman with a love of zebra, cheetahs and ostrich breaks into the footwear field'.
The company, which sells high-end shoes made of animal skins, will no doubt benefit from the beneficial online PR it will have received as a result of the exposure from the story.
Initially, Mr Mantzel bred exotic and endangered animals as a side project to his main job as an oilman, importing zebras, cheetahs, antelope and rhinos to his ranch.
When it came to selling his business in 1987 however, Mr Mantzel had acquired a significant list of contacts on who he could call for his new venture.
He began using the leathers of some of the non-endangered animals - such as ostriches and crocodiles - to produce the tailor-made footwear.
The business started in 1996 with $200,000 in start-up capital. It now records seven-figure annual revenues.
His success however, is in no small part down to his previous work and the people he came to know.
He said to the news provider: "You can't just pick up the phone and call Africa for a couple of cheetahs. If your paperwork is not precise, the cheetahs go back. You could move crack cocaine easier than exotic animal products."
That said, his acknowledgment of the niche market and the way in which he writes to each customer thanking them for their service, is what has got him to the stage he is now at.
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