Your first 90 days doing business in the Texas Hill Country

Scott Cundill · 2026-10-29 · Boerne

In the Hill Country, business still runs on handshakes, front porches and who vouches for whom. Your first 90 days are not about selling. They are about being seen, being useful, and being introduced.

Days 1 to 30, show up and listen

Go to the chamber breakfast, the farmers market, the high school football game on Friday night. Buy your coffee at the same place every morning. Ask people what they do and what they wish their town had. Say little about yourself and remember every name. Small towns notice who listens.

Days 31 to 60, be useful before you are paid

Offer a hand. Sponsor the little league, help at the rodeo, give a free talk at the library, connect two neighbours who should know each other. The Hill Country keeps score quietly, and generosity is remembered long after the bluebonnets fade.

Days 61 to 90, ask for introductions

By now people have seen you around. This is when you ask, plainly and kindly, "who should I meet?" One good introduction from a respected local, a banker, a builder, a winery owner, opens more doors than a year of ads on the highway.

Mistakes newcomers make

Rushing. Talking about how things worked in Austin or Houston. Treating a small town like a market instead of a community. Forgetting to say thank you, in person, with a smile.

Getting a referral through Connect

Tell Texas Hill Country Connect who you want to meet and why. If someone in the circle genuinely knows that person, they introduce you both with a few warm words. No lists for sale, no referral targets, just neighbours introducing neighbours they trust.

Texas Hill Country Connect

Hosted by Jane Lehman, Connect gathers business people across the hills and river towns who would rather meet through a friend. Pull up a chair, the sweet tea is cold.