Hawaii Business - April 2009

April 2009

Cover Story

Features
	Business with China: Hawaii Can Succeed in the World's Biggest Marketplace Want to do business in China? Bring a strong stomach, a modest attitude and lots of staying power. Be ready to give more than you get in the beginning, understand the culture, eat some weird stuff... Beverly Creamer
10 Strategies for Doing Business in China If you're thinking about doing business in China, you might want to see what government agencies had to say.
	Positive Returns Perks that help N&K attract and retain good employees.
	Best Places to Work 2009 Welcome to Hawaii Business’ 2009 Best Places to Work issue, in which we celebrate companies that keep their employees happy and explain how they do it.
	The Perfect Office Vision of what might be considered The Perfect Office Jerry Burris and Jason Ubay Illustration by Carlo Carbajal
	And the Winners Are... The best places to work. Dennis Hollier Photos by Olivier Koning
	One-on-One with Rick Ching It’s certainly not a good time to be in the new car sales business, but Rick Ching says he loves his job so much that he can’t imagine doing anything else. Shara Enay
	Happy Employees = Happy Customers It's easier to increase profitability when employees feel taken care of. Shara Enay
	The Myth of Chapter 11 Debtor attorney Jerrold Guben says the smartest tactic is often to simply close a failing business and hold off on filing for bankruptcy. Dennis Hollier
	4 Ways to Engage Your Employees These companies offer employees more than a paycheck. Jason Ubay Photos by David Croxford

Features

Business with China: Hawaii Can Succeed in the World's Biggest Marketplace

Want to do business in China? Bring a strong stomach, a modest attitude and lots of staying power. Be ready to give more than you get in the beginning, understand the culture, eat some weird stuff...

Beverly Creamer

10 Strategies for Doing Business in China

If you're thinking about doing business in China, you might want to see what government agencies had to say.

Positive Returns

Perks that help N&K attract and retain good employees.

Best Places to Work 2009

Welcome to Hawaii Business’ 2009 Best Places to Work issue, in which we celebrate companies that keep their employees happy and explain how they do it.

The Perfect Office

Vision of what might be considered The Perfect Office

Jerry Burris and Jason Ubay
Illustration by Carlo Carbajal

And the Winners Are...

The best places to work.

Dennis Hollier
Photos by Olivier Koning

One-on-One with Rick Ching

It’s certainly not a good time to be in the new car sales business, but Rick Ching says he loves his job so much that he can’t imagine doing anything else.

Shara Enay

Happy Employees = Happy Customers

It's easier to increase profitability when employees feel taken care of.

Shara Enay

The Myth of Chapter 11

Debtor attorney Jerrold Guben says the smartest tactic is often to simply close a failing business and hold off on filing for bankruptcy.

Dennis Hollier

4 Ways to Engage Your Employees

These companies offer employees more than a paycheck.

Jason Ubay
Photos by David Croxford

Departments
	Letters to the Editor Feedback Feedback from our readers.
	Spin Zone Is now the right time to build UH-West Oahu? These professionals say whether it is or not.
	Talk Story Guy Akasaki Talking story with Guy Akasaki, president of Commercial Roofing & Waterproofing Sheila Sarhangi
	Editor's Note Editor's Note I’m a lucky guy. As the new editor of Hawaii Business, I get to lead a great team of people and build on this magazine’s strong tradition of covering local companies and business leaders. But I... Steven Petranik
	Innovation Indestructible, Instant Networking RapidLink Mesh Networking System provides a mobile, secure and, most importantly, rugged approach to building instant communication systems anywhere. Dennis Hollier
	This Month's Parting Shot: All Wired Up Fred Gerstl, senior communications engineer for Time Warner Cable.

Departments

Letters to the Editor

Feedback

Feedback from our readers.

Spin Zone

Is now the right time to build UH-West Oahu?

These professionals say whether it is or not.

Talk Story

Guy Akasaki

Talking story with Guy Akasaki, president of Commercial Roofing & Waterproofing

Sheila Sarhangi

Editor's Note

I’m a lucky guy. As the new editor of Hawaii Business, I get to lead a great team of people and build on this magazine’s strong tradition of covering local companies and business leaders. But I...

Steven Petranik

Innovation

Indestructible, Instant Networking

RapidLink Mesh Networking System provides a mobile, secure and, most importantly, rugged approach to building instant communication systems anywhere.

Dennis Hollier

This Month's Parting Shot:

All Wired Up

Fred Gerstl, senior communications engineer for Time Warner Cable.

SmallBiz

	Franchising Lessons Sara Lufrano of Aloha Salads speaks out about franchising her company to maintain quality and manage resources. by Alice Keesing April 2009
	The Pitch: Taking the Work Out of Play Venati Games pitches an idea of merging casual gaming with virtual worlds in a new genre, hopefully combining the best of both worlds. by Dennis Hollier April 2009
	Still Standing Norm Winter speaks about Jelly's business survival - mixing old and new music, books and more. by Lance Tominaga April 2009
	Ask SmallBiz: Connect with customers with blogs and Twitter Using social networks such as twitter and blogs allows companies to connect with customers on different levels. by Robert H. Thomas April 2009
	5 Steps to Getting a Building Permit Nancy Kaya, owner of Kaya Permit Processors and an 18-year veteran of the business, offers these tips to homeowners and business owners on how to make the process of obtaining a business permit... by Jolyn Okimoto Rosa April 2009
	Ask SmallBiz: Succeed in a slow economy What types of businesses historically have done well in a slow-growth economy, and what kind of tips can you provide that will improve my chances for success if I want to start a business this year? by Kevin Kaji - Bank of Hawaii April 2009