Worried that you and your staff are wasting time in unproductive meetings? Attorney Elizabeth Kent of the Hawaii Judiciary’s Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution offers five ways to get the most out of your meetings. 1. Plan Ahead to Be Effective • Ask if you really need to have a meeting or if you can achieve your objectives with phone…
After working in Russia, Japan, England, Argentina and the U.S., Daniel Leuck fulfilled his childhood prophecy by choosing the Islands to start Ikayzo Inc., an IT company that specializes in enterprise software development, offshore outsourcing and iPhone applications. HB: What’s a major trend in iPhone apps? Increasingly, there are a lot of location-based iPhone apps that make use of GPS…
Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense to be the biggest bull in town. That’s the theory around the country, at least, as smaller community banks, savings and loans, and credit unions insist that they are different, and better for individuals and small businesses, than the big banks. “Unlike those big guys,” the smaller banks say, “we don’t deal in exotic financial…
Q. My small business has really slowed down, and I am worried that I will not have sufficient cash to pay all of the taxes I will owe. What can I do? A. Your small business is facing the same situation as many others in Hawaii. Although cash may be tight, you do not want to ignore your tax obligations….
7:00 A.m., Friday Sea Life Park, Waimanalo >> Richard Coughlin, Danielle Holland, Amy Dickson, Stephanie Lawrence and Shanen Langowski break apart frozen capelin before feeding it to the animals living at Sea Life Park. Every day, the park processes about 800 pounds of capelin harvested from Canada and Iceland. Photography by Rae Huo Categories: Agriculture, Media, Natural Environment, Parting Shot
SDC Hawaii wants to make it easier to organize and manage your social media life with a new Web site called chi.mp. It created the software for its client Saipan DataCom, which manages the .mp domain of the Northern Mariana Islands. Users collect, connect and promote all the elements of their digital life — think Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Flickr…
When people find out that I’m the managing editor at Hawaii Business, they often ask, “How do you come up with stories for your magazine?” So this month, I’ve taken over the Editor’s Note to explain how each story evolves, an interesting process that starts with an idea. The story idea can come from anywhere. We brainstorm at our editorial…
The weak economy didn’t stop Marysol Ruiz and Soufiane Bouharkat from taking the next step in their business. Le Crepe Café opened a permanent location in November, two years after the married couple started their venture with a cart. A former gas station in Manoa houses their restaurant plus a Boston’s North End Pizza outlet and Serg’s Mexican Kitchen. While…
In 2008, James Koshiba helped launch Kanu Hawaii, a nonprofit that promotes and supports Island-style sustainability. He brings us up to date on the commitments and campaigns taken up by its 9,000 members, including one of his own pledges — downsizing from an SUV to a Prius. Q: Bring us up to date on Kanu. A: Kanu is officially two…
You can thank Bernie Madoff for one thing: His widely publicized crimes demonstrated how important it is to choose your financial adviser carefully. Picking the right person takes research, and lots of questions and legwork, but consider the potential payoffs of making the best choice: Your children attend the college of their choice and graduate debt-free, and you get to…
Energetic and intelligent leaders may be our most valuable resource. We count on them to inspire us, to be our problem solvers, and to guide us as we build our future. We need to nurture and support our emerging leaders, and that’s why Hawaii Business has devoted the following pages to identifying 20 emerging leaders for the next 20 years….
Chuck Sted’s “prioritization” management style has helped keep Hawaii Pacific Health on an even keel while other companies have faltered. The same approach can keep families on track. Prioritization management means taking one thing at a time, not everything at once. It’s like building a house: first the foundation, then the frame, then the walls, and so on. The most…
Liticia and Michael Thomas defied the odds and bought a business despite the bad economy. Their formula for success is looking for savings everywhere — rent, floor space, staff and more. “It’s a great time to start a business,” Liticia Thomas says, noting that vendors understand companies are under pressure and might be willing to renegotiate contracts or prices. The…
It’s sometimes easy for locals to overlook Kualoa Ranch as just another visitor attraction. After all, the meat and potatoes of the Morgan family’s ranch are its horseback and ATV rides, and tours of film locations in the otherworldly landscape of Kaaawa Valley and the bluffs overlooking Chinaman’s Hat. But the scenery and history draw kamaaina as well. Thousands of…
Why so special? This is a 100-percent, hand-loomed Italo Feretti silk tie from Italy. The maker says that, prior to sewing, each silk thread is individually dyed. It features an intricate patchwork design and a buttonhole that allows the tie to be secured to a shirt to prevent shifting — a detail only found on high-end ties, says Andy Mohan,…
Everyone benefits from fresh perspectives and new ideas. Here’s a fun way to get those benefits for the price of a couple of plate lunches. With a few colleagues, choose a popular park near your workplace. On the way, pick up some healthy takeout plate lunches and drinks — but buy a couple of extras. After you and your colleagues…
Three former Hawaii governors are spearheading an effort to improve our public education system. George Ariyoshi, John Waihee and Ben Cayetano helped organize the group called Hawaii’s Children First, which is focusing on three major reforms: • An Appointed School Board: They want to make the governor fully accountable for public education in Hawaii by replacing the elected Board of…
Richard Okazaki is president and CEO of Diagnostic Laboratory Services, which has 44 locations statewide. He’s a huge sports fan and an avid skier who also appreciates a good glass of wine and the theater. Weekend hobby He enjoys poker with friends but admits their gatherings are more than just male bonding. “Poker is only meant to be played competitively,…
Robbie Alm, executive vice president at Hawaiian Electric Co., talks about the most important things he learned from his mentors. From his parents: Be grateful for the gifts you have, don’t covet the gifts of others. From Sen. Daniel Inouye: The way you treat the world and the way you work with others will always come back to you. I…
Kauai will be doubly involved in the launch of two satellites being built by University of Hawaii scientists and students, in cooperation with NASA. UH hopes the satellites will create economic opportunities for the state, including training a workforce for high-tech jobs, while testing new computer technology in space. The first satellite is small – a CubeSat named Kumu…
Using the same networking ideas as Facebook and MySpace, ridesharing sites are popping up all over the Web to connect drivers and riders. “I know traffic is an issue in Honolulu,” says Steven Schoeffler, creator of eRideshare.com, based in Illinois. “Every time you put two people in a car, you take one (car) off the road and it makes traffic…
Johnson Choi, founder and president of the Hong Kong China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, can tell right away if a business will be a good fit as a member. He asks: Is your company only interested in doing business in Hawaii? “If you want to expand your business, we are right for you,” Choi says. Choi founded the chamber in…
Johnson Choi, founder and president of the Hong Kong China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, can tell right away if a business will be a good fit as a member. He asks: Is your company only interested in doing business in Hawaii? “If you want to expand your business, we are right for you,” Choi says. Choi founded the chamber in…