"Making ties" can literally mean making men's ties or making friends with people, or 'tied down ' can mean being committed to be in a relationship

A past tradition in a marriage ceremony was to tie a small ribbon together. So it led to the expression "tying the knot", meaning to get married. But the expression can be expanded to mean creating a close relationship with someone. Thus, "making ties" is sometimes used to mean creating a relationship, business or personnel, with someone.