In a nutshell,  The overt business benefit of attending a Mastermind should be a 30% increase in profits within the year  The reason to believe a group will do it for you is its track record  What makes those I am talking about so very different is the fact they have been run for some twenty years in various guises and constantly deliver. In order to avoid paying a premium price for attending a fully-fledged mastermind group, people try to run their own groups. The apparent upside is obvious - it will be cheap; the downside is less obvious at first. The reality is that such a 'less expensive programme':  Isn't run by a professional with a clear process for growing a business or a clear process for facilitating a mastermind group  Doesn't have enough tried-and-tested processes in place; things are made up as it goes along (AKA "real-time R&D")  Doesn't tie people in through a financial commitment  Doesn't create huge expectations  Tends towards being a social event if the results-focus wanes. On the other hand, a high price point anticipates a high-quality offering that delivers on the promise. The high price point keeps the following out of the room:  Cheapskates  Free-loaders  Basket cases A premium price attracts people who:  look for like-minded and ambitious people  are able to afford to invest (time and money) in the growth of their business  are looking for support from experts and colleagues  want to be working with an 'expert' is their field using