Throughout the year, business owners everywhere update their financials and put a current market value on all their assets.

When you go through your list of assets and their valuations, what are the most valuable assets you have? How does the value of your assets compare with the value your people?

As much as those are “real questions”, they’re also kind of rhetorical ones. Many owners like to repeat the cliché that “their people are their most valuable assets”. A few owners actually mean it and their actions prove it.

But your employees aren’t your only valuable “people assets”. Most of us have another valuable “people asset” we often overlook.

One of our most valuable “people assets” is our personal and professional networks. Year after year, we interact with people in business settings, our community, our travels, and at social gatherings. The question is, “How well do you stay in touch with and contribute to your network?”

In the past month, I’ve had a couple lunches and conversations with some really bright and engaged people. Their willingness to share their insight and experiences has made a huge difference in the way I see the world around me. These people are not just good friends, they’ve also proven to be invaluable confidants and advisers. Hopefully, they’ll be able to say that about me someday too.

Who are some of the people in your network? When was the last time you got together with any of them? Make it a point to invite somebody to hang out and talk business at least once a month. You might be surprised how valuable lunch with a friend can be.