Ask SmallBiz: Exit Packages
Q: One of the key, long-term managers at our family-owned company – someone who is not a family member – is asking for an “exit package” in the event she is terminated or decides to leave the company on her own.…
Author: Hawaii Business Staff
Behind the Scenes at Reyn Spooner
11:07 am, Monday Iwilei Photographer: David Croxford >> John Tau, a Reyn Spooner employee for more than 25 years, is “pinking” sample fabric on a commercial pinking cutter. Unfinished cloth edges easily fray and, while the sawtooth pattern created by pinking…
Hawaii’s Most Profitable Companies 2012
A look at what fed or ate away at the bottom line Well-run and innovative companies are usually profitable, while mismanaged and stagnant companies often lose money and go out of business. That’s easy to understand. But equally important are…
Top 250 List of Hawaii’s Biggest Companies and Nonprofits
Log in to view the Hawaii Business Top 250 - 2012 list. Not subscribed? Sign up here. Welcome to the Hawaii Business Top 250, the most comprehensive ranking of Hawaii’s business elite. We list local companies based on annual gross…
Ask SmallBiz: Leadership
Q: Why do some leaders fail? A: During the past 30 years, working side by side with hundreds of leaders, I’ve had a “front-row seat” observing the practice of leadership. I’ve seen many factors that resulted in failure, including arrogance, incompetence, dishonesty, abusiveness…
Lessons Learned: Huggo’s in Kailua-Kona
Huggo’s, on the water at the south end of Kailua Bay, is one of Kona’s oldest and most popular restaurants. Executive chef Ken Schloss and butcher Urs Hartmann talk about fish, the mainstay of Huggo’s menu. Where do you get…
Parting Shot: La Tour Bakehouse
2:49 pm, Friday Nimitz Highway Photographer: David Croxford >> Jie Na Liu of La Tour Bakehouse places a cookie on top of cream to create macaroons (known as macarons in French and at La Tour). They will age for a…
Changing Communities in Hawaii
Today’s tourists are not willing to just stay close to their hotels or only take tours to the standard attractions. They want to experience out-of-the-way beaches, trails and neighborhoods that locals have had mostly to themselves for decades. Those incursions…
Hawaii’s Best Company Vehicles
Best "Green" Vehicle Sunetric retrofitted this Honda Element with three 230-watt Sunpower modules and 12 killowatt hours of battery storage. The mobile solar power station, named Watt Wheels, provides free electricity at community, charitable and educational events. Best Classic Delivery…
My Job: Recreating Elvis on Stage
Name: Johnny Fortuno Job: Performer and Elvis impersonator Experience: 13 years as Elvis; winner of the Las Vegas Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in 2011. Current Gig: Legends in Concert show at the Royal Hawaiian Theatre, Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center,…
Ask SmallBiz: Hurricane Preparedness
Q: How should I prepare my small business for hurricane season? A: First, consult with your insurance agent to make sure you have the appropriate coverages and limits before the need arises. Ask the agent: Do I have hurricane coverage for my…
Parting Shot: Aloha Shoyu
9:37 am, Thursday Pearl City Photographer: David Croxford >> Ermelita Mendoza (left), Dado Ramos and Evelyn Pacpaco inspect and wipe down bottles of Aloha Shoyu that come off the conveyor before packing them in boxes for shipment. Five Japanese families founded the…
Hawaii Business BOSS Survey – June 2012
Highlights: Revenues and profits at Hawaii businesses up strongly. Optimism remains high for the overall Hawaii economy in the coming year. Retail sector’s performance stronger than overall Hawaii businesses on all measures: revenue, profit, jobs and future spending plans. …
Pau Hana with Evan Fujimoto
Favorite spots: Blue Hole, Snipes, Paikos and Toes. Main boards: His favorite is a 6-foot Superbrand “Toy” squash tail, but he also likes his Erik Arakawa 6-foot, 3-inch rounded pin. When it comes to surfing, Evan Fujimoto’s mantra is, “No…
Ask SmallBiz: Engaging Employees
Q: It seems like a paycheck isn’t enough to keep my employees fully engaged in customer service and efficiency. What can I do? A: To engage your employees, create a positive work environment that has clear goals and expectations, effective communication,…
Parting Shot: Central Pacific Bank
12:56 pm, Thursday Honolulu Photographer: Rae Huo >> Central Pacific Bank’s mascot, Alex the Loyalty Dog, and actor Lance Wheeler prepare to film a CPB commercial. The Shetland sheepdog returned to the bank earlier this year after spending…
Electric Car Range Anxiety
Margaret Larson has felt “range anxiety.” If you buy an electric vehicle in the near future, you will feel it, too. Larson is the electric vehicle specialist for the state Energy Office and was driving the state’s Nissan Leaf electric car back…
Free Legal Advice to Help Startups Succeed
One of the biggest obstacles faced by entrepreneurs is they cannot afford the legal costs to get their businesses up and running. A trio of attorneys – two recent law-school graduates and a veteran – aim to help deserving business…
Our Favorite Things
Stacy Yuen Hernandez >> Writer Chocolate cream pie from Sunnyside Bakery: Pie is one of my favorite things in life and this Wahiawa bakery creates my all-time favorite. Zoku Quick Pop Maker: Got this cool contraption for Christmas. I’m fascinated…
Ask SmallBiz: Solar Tax Benefits for Small Businesses
Q. As a small-business owner, what are the tax benefits of installing a photovoltaic system? A. A photovoltaic system is an incredible investment for Hawaii business owners. By installing and owning a PV system, you are protecting all or part…
Parting Shot: Martin & MacArthur
10:07 am, Tuesday Martin & Macarthur, Kalihi Photographer: David Croxford >> Furniture craftsman Fernando Serrao oils a new Waimea sofa made with curly koa from Hawaii Island. The company says its craftsmen sand and oil koa furniture many…
How Healthy is Healthcare in Hawaii?
Ten experts in local healthcare joined in a wide-ranging, two-hour public forum on healthcare costs, quality of care, needed innovations and the future of healthcare. Here is an abbreviated transcript of that discussion. Click here for the full transcript. Hawaii Business, ThinkTech…
Hawaiʻi’s Best Places to Work 2012
Index of Best Places to Work 2012 HALL OF FAME Among this year’s Best Places to Work are 18 companies that have been on the BPTW list for at least five of its eight years. (In parentheses is the number…
Advice from the top
ART USHIJIMA, President & CEO, The Queen’s Health System Art Ushijima has been at Queen’s since 1989 and its chief executive since 2005. Interviewed BY Jason Ubay HB: The Queen’s Medical Center is a 153-year-old Hawaiian institution. What’s the most…
Salesperson of the Year Shares Her Sales Secrets: Vicky Cayetano
Vicky Cayetano, president and CEO for United Laundry Services, will receive the “Salesperson of the Year” award next month from the Hawaii chapter of Sales and Marketing Executives International. Hawaii Business publisher David Tumilowicz recently asked Cayetano about her sales…
Ask SmallBiz: Buying Commercial Property
Q. I’m tired of renting space for my business. Is this a good time to buy a commercial property? If so, how do I get financing and what options are available? A. Your timing is good. The current financing environment offers…
Behind the Scenes at Polynesian Cultural Center
6:37 pm, Thursday Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie Photographer: David Croxford >> Wardrobe worker Aliecha Wilkenson assigns costumes before the show to the actresses of Ha: Breath of Life. More than 120 costumes are used in the performance. A…
Aloha for Japan Revealed Hawaii’s Heart
Though it was an ocean away, the devastating earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis that ravaged northeastern Japan in March 2011 struck Hawaii in the heart. People all over the world grieved over the magnitude of the tragedy, but it…
Best Practical Jokes at Work
First Place: Baldridge & Associates Structural Engineering Inc. OVERALL WINNER - THE FOOSBALL HIJACKING Victim: STEVE BALDRIDGE, president, BASE Pranksters: BASE EMPLOYEES BASE employees wanted a foosball table, so when president Steve Baldridge was gone on a business trip, they bought a used table.…
Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20: People to Watch 2012
Good leaders are crucial to our economy, businesses, governments, nonprofits and schools. That’s why each year, Hawaii Business profiles 20 emerging leaders who will help guide us through the next two decades. This year, we have an outstanding group of…
Ask SmallBiz: Requesting Public Records for Your Business
Q. A state agency compiled information that might be helpful to my small business. How do I get it? A. There is a great deal of government information that is relevant to small businesses, such as unreleased reports, information related to…
SmallBiz Success Awards 2012
Hawaii Business proudly recognizes the six winners and 12 finalists of our 2012 SmallBiz Success Awards.
Parting Shot: Bradley & Lily Fine Stationary
1:46 PM, Thursday Bradley & Lily Fine Stationery Kapahulu Photographer: Olivier Koning Ian Nomura, co-owner of Bradley & Lily Fine Stationery, examines stationery printed on an antique Heidelberg Windmill letterpress. Ian and his wife, Stacey, started the company in 2005. Local…
Talk Story with Tim Johns of HMSA
Tim Johns has had an eclectic career. He recently became a senior VP at HMSA and was co-chair of the APEC Hawaii Host Committee. Previously, he served as CEO ofBishop Museum, COO of the Damon Estate, VP of Amfac, chairman…
Ask SmallBiz: Recruiting
Q. I need to hire a general manager, but no one working for me now has the right stuff. How do I find the best person? A. Recruiting can take a lot of time and, though many employers are proficient in…
Ask SmallBiz: Conversation Starter
Q. I often find myself face to face with prospective clients, but it feels tacky to introduce myself and start talking to them about my business services or to ask them about their needs. How can I get over this…
Parting Shot: Post Office Stretch
8:15 Am, Tuesday United states Post Office, Kailua Photographer: Rae Huo >> Customer Service Supervisor Greg Gittens, foreground, instructs the daily group stretching, a routine begun by the USPS across Hawaii in 2005 to reduce repetitive strain injuries. The…
BOSS Survey – December 2011
Poll of 400 local business leaders goes inside the local economy and forecasts what’s ahead LOWLIGHT: Confidence for next year continues to erode. Highlight: Special survey of tourism leaders. PERFORMANCE INDEX Index consolidates the changes in revenue, profit and staffing for 400 local companies…
Ask SmallBiz: Selling a Business
Q. Our children have no interest in taking over our business, so my wife and I have decided to sell it. How should we proceed? A. Selling your business is one of the most important things you will ever do. Here…
Ukulele Boom Generates Global Sales for Hawaii Companies
Four or five times a year, Mike Upton closes the door in Petaluma, Calif., and flies to China to check an operation that’s making several hundred-thousand Hawaii-inspired ukuleles a year. Originally based in Hawaii, Upton moved to California but maintains…
Parting Shot: Folding at United Laundry Service
10:38 am, Friday United Laundry Service Honolulu Photo: David Croxford >> At United Laundry Service, employees and machines work together to process 18,000 pounds of laundry every hour, including 12,000 sheets, according to president and CEO Vicky Cayetano. When…
Feedback – November 2011 issue
Solitude can pay off big Your September editorial was well-written and right on point (“Editor’s Note,” September 2011). In sympathy with your comment that “One problem with solitude is that it looks unproductive,” I submit the following anecdote: The CEO of…
Ask SmallBiz: Insurance Coverage
Q. How much business income insurance coverage do I need? A. We’ve all heard stories about businesses that suffer a fire loss, take three months to rebuild and struggle to survive because of income lost during those months. That is…
On location with Hawaii Five-0
>> James Carter, CSC, director of photography for Hawaii Five-0, remotely adjusts the camera exposure during a recent shoot of the television show. Inside the tent, Carter works with a digital imaging technician to add contrast to the raw, flat…
Talk Story with Vicky Cayetano of United Laundry Services
Q: You often tell people, ‘I do laundry,’ including Gov. Ben Cayetano when you first met him, but how did you get into that business? I had always been an entrepreneur, but I had just taken time off to have William, my…
Data on Women and Money in Hawaii and Nationally
Wage gap holds steady after shrinking for decades Almost no change since 2001 Hawaii Wage Gap 2009 Median wages in Hawaii for adult, full-time, year-round workers: Success in College Women are 1.5 times more likely than men to graduate from college or…
Ask SmallBiz: Picking an HR Company
Q. I’m planning to outsource my company’s payroll and other human resource needs. What should I look for when choosing an HR company? A. With so many providers entering this field, you need to choose wisely. Here is what ProService suggests…
5 Steps to Accessing Capital
Capital is essential to all small businesses. It allows owners to launch their companies and invest in their companies’ growth. Elizabeth Echols, regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, provides tips on how to access capital and make it…
Aloha Tower Clock Maintenance
Greasing the Gears 5:16 pm, Thursday Aloha Tower Clock, Honolulu Harbor Photo: Twain Newhart >> Hermann Allerstorfer, Jr., oils the gears of Aloha Tower’s clock as his father, Hermann Sr., looks on. The senior Allerstorfer, a retired clock and…
Hawaii Beekeepers Overwhelmed by Three Pests
When Michael Harris and his sons acquired hives for their Wao Kele Farm in Puna in 2007, the beekeeping industry was much easier. "You'd buy a colony with a queen and hopefully it turned into a productive colony," says Harris,…
Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work 2026
Hawaii Business Magazine’s annual survey of Hawai‘i's Best Places to Work shows top companies deliver great benefits and best practices to keep workers engaged, happy and productive. But some employees still say they can’t afford to live here.
The Disappearing Affordable Condos of Honolulu
Escalating maintenance fees, aging buildings, strict occupancy rules, and high mortgage rates are squeezing middle-income buyers out of Honolulu's condo market. Can the city build its way out?
