How do you meet business people in Wilmington and Leland, North Carolina?

Scott Cundill · 2026-11-07 · Leland

Through somebody who already knows them. The Cape Fear coast is friendly, but business here still runs on names: who you know, who will vouch for you, and who will pick up the phone when they hear you sent them. The quickest way in is an introduction from a person both sides trust.

Why is it hard to get known here, when the area is growing so fast?

Because growth brings strangers. Leland has nearly doubled in size since 2010, and town officials describe Brunswick County as the fastest-growing county in North Carolina. Every month new owners arrive with a trade, a practice or a small firm, and nobody to call.

The people who have been here a long time are the opposite. They have more contacts than they could ever use, and they are careful with them, because their name travels with every recommendation. The gap between the two groups is the whole problem.

Do networking events work?

Some do, for meeting faces. Few of them turn into work. A room of a hundred people, each trying to be noticed, is a poor place to build the kind of trust that makes somebody say "you should call my accountant." That trust comes from one person who knows you both and is willing to say so.

What does a good introduction look like?

It names a person, not a category. "I need a bookkeeper" is hard to act on. "I need a bookkeeper in Leland who works with contractors and answers the phone" is easy, and somebody probably knows exactly who.

It comes from someone who knows both of you, and it says why. It goes to both people at the same time, so nobody is chasing anybody. Most of the best referrals on the coast start exactly like that.

How do I start if I am new to the coast?

Start by being specific and generous. Tell three people exactly what you do and who you help, then ask what they need this month. Help one of them without being asked. Ask for one introduction, to one named person, with a reason.

Then keep a record of who helped you, and return it. On the coast, people remember.

Is there a group that works this way?

North Carolina Business Connect, part of My Most Trusted, is a group of business owners who introduce each other by name. It is hosted from Leland by Kayla Price, who runs several businesses of her own, and a second host seat is open for the rest of the state. You can take the tour below.