Small and medium businesses are not the only local organizations that are outsourcing their human-resource tasks. More and more nonprofits, such as Aloha United Way and Kalihi-Palama Health Center, have also made the jump and realized significant savings. AUW president and CEO Kim Gennaula says that working with ProService allows the nonprofit to offer the same healthcare coverage and HR…
When David Miller moved to Hawaii from Boston more than 40 years ago, he figured he should take advantage of the Islands’ active, outdoor lifestyle. Since he grew up in New York City playing handball – there’s not much of that here – he decided to take up tennis. Then he discovered paddle tennis, says Miller, chairman and principal at…
Each month, about 100 people volunteer to wade knee-deep into muddy water to pull weeds and use traditional farming methods to maintain a series of Kaneohe taro patches. The nonprofit Papahana Kuaola hosts these Waipao Hana Days on the fourth Saturday of each month in a lush valley off the beaten path. Toiling outdoors in the hot sun is a…
When chef Lance Kosaka first stepped into the vacant restaurant space at the YWCA on Richards Street, its high ceilings, open-air feel and architectural beauty captivated him and his partners. “We stood in the restaurant and looked around,” he says. “It was beautiful. It’s an oasis. There was such a good feeling here.” Kosaka, brothers Bruce and Derek Watanabe, and…
Ask the owner of Group Builders Inc. how he’s been able to grow his business from a $1,000 capital investment to a multimillion-dollar finishing contractor business in 33 years and he won’t point to his ingenuity and hard work. He’ll credit his employees. “This is not my success,” says Anacleto “Lito” Alcantra, 75. “It’s the people. I cannot do this…
Howard K.F. Lee walks the talk. Literally. The president and CEO of University Health Alliance dropped 20 pounds since January after joining a CrossFit program and overhauling his diet. His cholesterol and blood pressure improved, too. Now he’s armed with a Fitbit pedometer that tracks his steps and calories burned. “Being healthy can relate to personal success,” says Lee, 51,…
For companies looking to buy heavy equipment, it is important to get up close to the big machines, see them in action and look under the hood. The Hawaii division of Hawthorne CAT lets its clients do all that, but sometimes goes a step further by flying customers to the plants where the equipment is made. “Clients often want to…
Tanna and Bryson Dang, owners of the boutique Eden In Love and winners of first prize in the “This is Retail” video contest, have pledged $75,000 over five years to help bring clean water to a Sri Lankan village. The Dangs, subjects of a feature in the June 2012 issue of Hawaii Business, have supported many local causes in Hawaii….
Need to check on a business while you’re on the road? The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs lets you use your mobile phone to conduct business name searches or even complete your annual business filing. The online business-name search is one of DCCA’s most popular services, says DCCA Commissioner of Securities Tung Chan, “and we’ve had that online…
Highlight your location. Whether it’s inside or outside, Hawaii provides endless opportunities for iconic images – photos of people with beautiful backdrops, culture, diversity and style. You’ll always get the nicest shots at dawn and dusk, when the light is soft and warm. If you’re shooting inside, use as much natural light as possible during the day. Think about how…
It will cost about $2 million if you want to name – in perpetuity – the Information Commons at Windward Community College after yourself or someone you love. The coffee shop and terrace will run you $1 million and the math lab $400,000. It is a great way to support higher education and leave a legacy, but for those who…
Q: What’s the best way to pay for my business expenses? A: Small businesses face many everyday expenses, from inventory to office supplies. It’s important to understand not only the pros and cons of the different types of payment methods, but that some consumer protections you have come to expect do not necessarily apply to businesses. Here are a few things to…
PHOTOS BY DAVID CROXFORD You know the truism: It takes money to make money. That much is obvious, but how much money does it take to make money? In this case: How much does it cost to launch a successful small business in Hawaii? To find out, we talked with entrepreneurs who launched four different businesses in the past two…
9:32 am, Wednesday Downtown Honolulu Photographer: David Croxford >> We occasionally hear strange sounds coming from the mechanical room of the Cades Schutte building, which is across the hall from the Hawaii Business offices on Bishop Street. So we asked to look inside. Here, building superintendent Freddie Realista and Jeff Doral take readings of the air conditioning system….
I’ll save you some time in case you are looking for the most depressing number in this month’s edition of Hawaii Business magazine. It appears in our story, “How much does it cost to start up a business?” That’s where we quote from an annual report by the Kauffman Foundation, a nonprofit that supports entrepreneurs in America and 17 other countries….
At Hawaiian Dredging, one of the Islands’ largest contractors, Wilson has a bird’s-eye view of the building industry and its role in the state’s economy. Hawaii Business talked to him about what can be done to improve the state of the construction sector and diversify the economy. How do the near-term prospects look for the construction industry in Hawaii? For…
How quickly things change. Ever since the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative was announced in 2008, the assumption has been that Hawaii’s new sources of power would come from renewable energy: wind, solar, geothermal, biofuels and others. These cleaner, local sources of energy were supposed to gradually wean us off our addiction to dirty and expensive oil, and dirtier but cheaper…
When the governor takes a meeting at the trendy Fresh Café in the midst of Kakaako’s gritty warren of body shops and warehouses, something big is cooking. When the meeting includes a major landowner and innovators from the community, you can bet what’s cooking is Kakaako itself. Gov. Neil Abercrombie called that recent meeting to discuss what he calls the “Third City,”…
This Sept. 11 marks the 11th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks and the 20th anniversary of the day Hurricane Iniki struck Kauai and Oahu’s Waianae Coast. The solemn occasion is a fitting opportunity to publish this photo essay on the men and women who work every day to save lives. FIRE RESCUE A flashover – when a room bursts into…