Hunger in Hawaii
The Hawaii Foodbank and its network feed one of every seven people in the Islands — a dramatic increase in just three years, the charity says. The Foodbank completed its Hunger in Hawaii study in 2006 and again this year,…
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Health-insurance laws: Hawaii vs. national program
There are major differences between the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act and the national legislation signed into law by President Obama in March. The national law — the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — lets Hawaii retain its distinctive…
BOSS Survey: Optimism & Concern
BOSS METHODOLOGY The Business Outlook and Sentiment Survey (BOSS) was conducted by QMark Research using a list of Hawaii companies purchased from Equifax Polk Business Directory. The sample of companies was stratified based on number of employees. Small businesses were…
Tourism Forecast: More Visitors But Storm Cloud Looms
Waikiki and other resorts statewide are more crowded these days. Visitor arrivals are up while beaches, stores and restaurants are filling again with tanned people spending their money. But there is a cloud on the horizon: Union contracts covering most…
Illegal Sex, Drugs and Gambling
A vast, illegal economy operates just beneath Hawaii’s legitimate society, and many people who earn their money in the legal economy spend part of it in the black one. The narcotics trade serves both street-corner junkies strung out on crystal…
Building Wealth
So, you want to be a real estate tycoon? If there’s one thing we’ve learned from two years of stagnation in Hawaii’s real estate market, it’s that there’s more to investing than simply buying low and selling high. That’s speculation.…
Hawaii’s Underground Economy
One billion dollars a year. That’s the estimated taxes in Hawaii that don’t get paid by contractors and waiters, accountants and attorneys, hairdressers and everyone else who hides all or part of their cash income. Just about everyone contributes knowingly…
Hawaii's Top 100 Realtors
List of Top 100 Realtors, in alphabetical order: First Name Middle Initial Last Name Agency Island(s) Scott Adams Prudential Advantage Realty OAHU Tracy P Allen Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties OAHU James F. Allison Coldwell Banker Maryl Realty Inc. Big Island…
Customer Service Lessons
Pacific Pump and Power’s motto is: “We say what we are going to do, we do what we said we would do, and we check to make sure that we did it.” Jeremy Leonard, CEO of the Hawaii-based company that…
Ask SmallBiz: Collecting your debts and solving a cash-flow issue
Q. A lot of customers are long overdue on paying me. I’m reluctant to take them to court, but I’m forced to borrow to pay my employees and bills. What do you suggest? A. Many small businesses face the same problems.…
5 Steps to Saving on Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Bob Dove, president of Hawaii Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company (HEMIC), offers these ways to save on the premiums for workers’ compensation insurance. 1. Run a safe operation This is by far the most important step. “Prevent the accidents before they…
This is a Tourist Spot?!
When Mitch D’Olier left Honolulu’s Victoria Ward Co. to lead Kaneohe Ranch, the largest landowner in Kailua, on Windward Oahu, he thought he would see few tourists on the job. “When I was at Victoria Ward, about 30 percent of…