Archives: May 2017

5 Things to Know About Developing an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy

Figuring out how to share your brand’s message and the right audience to share it with is becoming more difficult in today’s noisy world. After all, businesses now compete for attention with information that’s available through phones, the Internet and social media. Cynthia Manley, president, Kaneohe Business Group. Photo by David Croxford. “I think that a big part of what…

Friendly “Ed-Ventures”

Cindy MacFarlane-Flores loooves the outdoors. “When I was an elementary school teacher at Epiphany Episcopal School (now merged with Mid-Pacific Institute) in the 2000s, they called me ‘Miss Nature,’ ” the owner of Field Trip Friends says with a laugh, “because everything I taught there I connected with the environment, the Hawaiian culture or the Polynesian culture.” The part-Hawaiian, 45-year-old…

Rent or Buy?

Six factors to consider when choosing whether to buy or rent a home in Hawaii Trade her peaceful rental on 2 acres in rural Maui for a condo of her very own? No thanks. Over the 30 years she has lived in the Islands, Lori has owned homes and could afford to do so again, but she says the decision…

Why These Women Are Fighting

American Lung Association Special Promotion Women business leaders in Hawaii are fighting to educate people about the need for more awareness and funding for the #1 cancer killer of women: lung cancer. These women have united through Lung Force, a new national movement led by the American Lung Association to unite women against lung cancer, a disease that kills almost…

Business’ Biggest Secret

Dane Atkinson used to be the kind of startup CEO that board members praised because he attracted top-notch talent while saving money. Certain candidates were just not aggressive at negotiating their salaries, and he took advantage of that. “It’s easy in tech to promise the future without being honest about what you’re giving people from an equity and salary standpoint,”…

Survival Training

A solder with gear, plunges into the 15-foot section of Richardson Pool from the 16-foot high dive as part of survival training. The soldier is then required to swim to the shallow end of the pool. The training is conducted routinely and is required for all soldiers in the 325th Brigade Support Battalion “Mustangs,” 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25h Infantry…

My Job: He Goes In After the Police Are Done

NAME: Robin Fujiyama AGE: 53 JOB: Biohazard Technician, Bio-One Hawaii START: Fujiyama served in the Air Force Reserve for eight years, and has been a firefighter for 26. His cousin owns Bio-One Hawaii and, in 2014, contacted Fujiyama about doing crime-scene cleanup due to his background as a firefighter. The company does commercial, residential and government cleanups. “Biohazard technicians don’t…

Ask the Expert: How to Get Into an Accelerator

THIS MONTH’S EXPERT: Omar Sultan Co-founder and managing partner, Sultan Ventures and XLR8UH sultanventures.com xlr8uh.com Q: I’m an independent entrepreneur with a great business plan. How do I get into an incubator? A: First determine whether an accelerator is the right path for your startup. We get many teams looking for investment capital when they should focus on obtaining a…

An Unconventional Guide to Wellness

Everyone knows gym workouts and healthy eating are good for you, but here are eight less conventional steps toward physical and psychological wellness that you can fit into your busy schedule. 1 WAKE UP GRATEFUL Joel Levey, co-founder of WisdomAtWork.com and the International Center for Corporate Culture and Organizational Health, touts gratitude as “one of the best stress-busting exercises. It…

A Better Way

Going to court is stressful, costly and all too public. Many say that mediation offers a better way that is faster, cheaper, more private and less likely to create lifelong enemies. Tracey Wiltgen remembers the friend who was building his dream home. He’d hired a contractor and was excited to get started. But a few months into the project, the…

Education & Career Advancement Guide 2017

Knowledge is power. Learn how these institutions can expand your education and develop new skills. This special section will provide information on advanced degrees, special certifications, and training courses to provide you with the best opportunity to succeed. CLICK HERE TO VIEW SECTION Categories: Education

Editor’s Note: I Have Become My Parents

There is a clever series of TV commercials from Progressive Insurance with the theme of a man becoming like his mother, and a woman becoming like her father. In the ads, the humor comes from the children adopting the annoying habits of their parents, like pushing food on others, but the virtuous punchline is that the children have also adopted…

Acts of Aloha: Sparking a Love of Learning in Hawaii’s Youth [Sponsored]

Since its beginnings in 1948, The Salvation Army’s Camp Homelani has inspired Hawaii’s children and their families to dream big, explore their passions, and live Aloha. Nestled in a pristine pocket of Oahu’s North Shore coastline, Camp Homelani’s nine beautiful acres offers year-round services for camping and vacationing, as well summer camp programs and summer music school. Hoping to create…

Talk Story: Paul Turnbull

In June 2013, Turnbull took the top job at Mid-Pacific, a private school in Manoa with 1,580 students enrolled in preschool through high school. He talks about technology in education, project-based learning and other innovations in teaching. Q: You most recently worked in a public school system in California. What surprised you about working at an independent school? A: When…

Setting a Hawaii Baseline for Worksite Wellness

UHA Health Insurance couldn’t find any wellness surveys focused on Hawaii employers. So, it launched its own in February and those survey results will be the focus of a May 18 meeting of the Hawaii Health at Work Alliance (HH@WA). Wanda Kakugawa, president and owner of Market Trends Pacific. The survey sets a baseline of where worksite wellness programs exist…

The Best of Small Business: SBA Awards and SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards 2017

Two dozen local companies and business leaders who won this year's Hawaiʻi district awards from the federal Small Business Administration (SBA). Hawaii Business also recognizes our Editor's Choice Winners for 2017.

Two dozen local companies and business leaders who won this year’s Hawaiʻi district awards from the federal Small Business Administration (SBA). Hawaii Business also recognizes our Editor’s Choice Winners for 2017.

5 Steps to Transform Your Company Digitally

Every industry is undergoing a digital transformation. If your company lags behind, it could get crushed by faster moving competition, or abandoned by customers who want better digital service, says Renee McKaskle, CIO for Hitachi Data Systems. Donna Scannell, VP and Business Information Officer for Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Region, shares how Kaiser integrates digital tools as part of next-generation healthcare….

Maui Brewing Founders Named Hawaii and National Small Business Persons of the Year

UPDATED: MAY 1, 2017 Maui Brewing founders honored as 2017 National Small Business Persons of the Year WASHINGTON, D.C. – Linda McMahon, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, today announced that husband-and-wife business partners Garrett and Melanie Marrero of Maui Brewing Co. are this year’s national Small Business Persons of the Year. “Their innovative spirit, with assistance from the SBA and its…