Apart from not meaning much, it means they find ways to edge themselves into your your businesses, if you pay them some money, build up your reliance on their p

Apart from not meaning much, it means they find ways to edge themselves into your your businesses, if you pay them some money, build up your reliance on their products, and are then forced to keep using the products or start your process from scratch. They're middlemen. And that they make the more money than their competitors in doing so.