When Ben Leong graduated from the University of Hawaii with a degree in digital animation, he was determined to live and work in Hawaii – even if that meant creating his own company. He and UH classmate Michael Varley founded Bluewater Multimedia in 2006 to provide quality animation to businesses and to let other local artists work where they grew…
Credit-card processing is a ubiquitous and major expense for businesses. Most of the cost is upfront, according to Matt Sakauye, senior consultant at credit-card processing firm Gravity Payments. Once things are running, he says, “credit-card processors are pretty automated. But what are you paying for the service?” Sakauye says businesses can get locked into contracts that profit only credit-card processors….
You’re still eating lunch at your desk, aren’t you? Despite our best efforts, you continue to ignore the sensible advice to shut off the computer, get up and stretch your legs, and enjoy what Hawaii has to offer. So, we’ll try again. This one is obvious. You know about it and you’ve told yourself dozens of times that you intend…
High unemployment causes spike The smiling folks who work the counter at Don Dymond’s stores in Kailua tend to stay around a while. Dymond, who runs Kalapawai Market, Kalapawai Café and several other small businesses, rarely lays people off and thus has little concern about racking up big unemployment claims. That is about to change for Dymond and countless other…
Does Hawaii need one? How should we get it? When it comes to diversifying Hawaii’s economy, Paul Brewbaker has his doubts. As a longtime member of the state Council on Revenues and the former chief economist at the Bank of Hawaii, Brewbaker’s seen all the hopeful visions of Hawaii as a technological hub – a center of biotechnology or alternative energy…
3 reasons why these Top 250 companies beat the odds No. 1 Reason for Big Gains: Strategic Growth Many Top 250 companies are Hawaii institutions that have defined local business culture for decades and employ the most experienced and talented individuals in the state. It might seem like a fluke, then, that two of our top three biggest gains companies…
5 p.m., Friday Honolulu Broom Factory Kalihi Photography by David Croxford >> Brian Lum, third-generation owner of Honolulu Broom Factory, carefully binds a classic straw broom. High quality, in an era of cheap imports from abroad, has allowed the company to survive as the last broom factory in Hawaii, and one of the last in the country. Categories: Parting Shot
Helping people balance their work, home lives and down time. President Obama calls it “Michelle Time” – the special time he sets aside every day to catch up and talk story with his wife, first lady Michelle Obama. Not long ago, they flew to New York City for a “date night,” with the security detail in tow, of course, but away…
Less than $160 Million What They Are Hawaii Superferry’s two 350-foot high-speed interisland ferries, the Alakai and Huakai. Why They Are Special The $80-million, aluminum-hull Alakai carried up to 866 passengers and 282 vehicles between Honolulu and Kahului, Maui, until a state Supreme Court ruling forced it to end operations March 19. The Huakai, a second $80-million vessel, was purchased…
I love hiking because of what I feel and see. Hikes challenge my body, but, more important, the scenery revives my spirit and invigorates my mind. The views from high places force my mind out of narrow corridors into grander visions. Steve and his daughter, Aliya, love climbing windy Olomana. While on flat ground, I have spent much of the…
Allen Uyeda, president and CEO of First Insurance Company of Hawaii, is not your typical aloha-shirt-wearing, Honolulu businessman. Some of his adventures — like scuba-diving the shark-infested Great Barrier Reef would make Indiana Jones cringe. Gadget He says his Treo 800 is one of the best phones he’s ever owned because it’s convenient, user-friendly and allows him easy access to…
This month, Hawaii celebrates 50 years of statehood. Over the past several months, Hawaii Business has talked with community and business leaders about the meaning of those past 50 years and what will or should happen in the next 50. This month, we hear from Lisa Gibson, president of the Hawaii Science and Technology Council. The past 50 years in…
Small businesses can rent virtual computer servers to save money Islanda Tech says it can help companies save 30 percent to 40 percent on their computer costs by switching them from in-house servers to “virtual” servers — with the added benefit of better security and wider access. How It Works When your servers are replaced with virtual servers, your old…
“A crusty, irascible, cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas” Life at work is never easy. We are often confronted with situations we don’t know how to handle. Each month, this retired senior Honolulu executive offers his take on how to handle the challenges and foibles of office life. ——————————— I hope you can help with my lunchroom situation. We…
Krstine Hoffman/Sailbags MauiIn one of the sailing capitals of the world, it makes sense that tough old sails are being remade into something new and bold: bright and feather-light handbags and beach bags that dry fast and can carry a heavy load. Surfer Kristine Hoffman was working last summer at a boutique in Paia, Maui, when a bag made out…
The Hawaii State Bar Association recently recognized Elizabeth Paek, a Honolulu family law attorney, for her pro bono work. Paek has spent the past decade working in personal injury law, bankruptcy/collections, criminal law and family law, the last of which has become a passion. Why do you volunteer? It’s definitely a sense of professional responsibility, the privilege of being a…
Where we see black asphalt streets, Elisabeth “Betsy” Wilson envisions green roads. As president of family-owned Alakona Asphalt Paving Specialists, Wilson hopes the state and counties will share her vision of increasing the amount of recycled asphalt in our roads and halving the use of new asphalt. Alakona has invested $500,000 in the German-made Wirtgen KMA 200, a 40-foot computerized…
> Send letters to feedback@hawaiibusiness.com Great Green Comparisons Thanks for the article “Is It Really Green?” (June 2009). You did some great comparisons and didn’t try to simplify the issues like so many “easy to be green” articles do. FYI, I keep glass containers in my car for to-go orders and leftovers. Until we have commercial composting facilities, biocompostable products…