Business consultants tell you opportunities exist whether the economy is shooting skyward or tumbling down. Well-positioned firms can always exploit changes in the business cycle and gain ground on competitors. “A lot of companies do look at a downturn as…
Laser Focus 2:25 P.M., Friday, Ala Moana >> Dr. Tyrie Jenkins performed Hawaii’s first Laser in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery in 1997 and has since completed 10,000 such operations. Here she adds drops to relax the patient’s eyes during the…
Q. We plan to remodel our store. What should we consider to be more sustainable? A. Green build-outs for small businesses are the hot trend these days. But how do you tell between “greenwashing” and truly sustainable design and building? Here…
Ask Ernest Nishizaki what the single most important thing is that Hawaii could do to revitalize its visitor industry and economy, and he does not hesitate with his answer: Fix Honolulu International Airport and fast. “We’re talking about the first…
The tab has finally come due. For decades, Hawaii neglected its critical public infrastructure. Inadequate roads and highways have left us with mind-numbing traffic jams, not just in Honolulu, but in Kona, Kihei and Lihue. Our harbors – the entry…
Q. I’ve just sold some assets and am looking for good investments, but I don’t want to be taken in by the nextBernie Madoff. What should I watch for? A. Many investors share your concerns about protecting their hard-earned nest eggs…
Oh Wow, Lau Lau! 11:25 A.M., Friday, Highway Inn, Waipahu >> Highway Inn owner Bobby Toguchi, son of founder Seiichi Toguchi, still hand-wraps the lau lau at his Waipahu eatery. About 150 to 190 lau lau are prepared each day.…
When the real estate market was taking a beating last year along with the overall economy, Rob Kildow didn’t back down. “I like a challenge, and when the market got sketchy on us, I throttled up as much as I…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
Traffic Central 10:03 A.m., Wednesday Honolulu Traffic Management Center Kinalau Place, near Ward Avenue >> Staff here control more than 350 traffic signals within Honolulu’s central business district. Cameras at major intersections provide live images 24 hours a day,…
Education may not seem like a cover story for a business magazine, but I’m convinced that the biggest economic crisis facing Hawaii is our public schools. I’m not alone: A Hawaii Business survey of business leaders in December found a…
After nearly a decade reporting news in Vermont, Wisconsin and Washington State, Lara Yamada is back in Hawaii, co-anchoring the KITV news with Paula Akana. This active Kauai girl wants to make up for lost time. Food While away, Yamada…
In January, Hawaii’s three former governors offered this plan for fixing our school system. The effort was organized by a nonprofit group called Hawaii’s Children First, which is dedicated to reforming public education in Hawaii. (Disclosure: Steven Petranik, editor of Hawaii…
Participants, in the order they begin speaking: Steve Petranik: Moderator and editor of Hawaii Business. Candy Suiso: Teacher at Waianae High School and program director of Searider Productions. Bruce Coppa: COO of Communications Pacific and chairman of the education committee for the Chamber…
Q. I’ve worked hard to build my business and I don’t want to lose it in a disaster. How do I know if I’ve got the right insurance coverage? A. Smart. The best time to think about that question is before…
6:34 A.m., Monday Hawaiian Airlines MAINTENANCE HANGAR Honolulu International Airport >> This Boeing 717 pulled in at 10 p.m. the night before and the maintenance crew went to work overhauling the right engine. Engines are overhauled after a set number…
YES Hawaii’s fisheries need adaptive regulations to ensure that we and future generations can continue to catch fish and preserve cultural practices. Fishing has been regulated in Hawaii since ancient times. Long before Western contact, Native Hawaiians regulated catch based…
My company provides a cell phone and says it understands if an occasional call is personal (calling home to say I’ll be late, for instance). But I find myself using it more and more as my primary phone and have…
What’s It Worth? $1,150 What is it? Travel humidor cigar case made by German luggage maker Rimowa. Why so special? Only 35 pieces are available in the U.S.; fewer than 500 were made for the global market. Why so VALUABLE?…
Beware of the Awful Office, the opposite of Hawaii’s Best Places to Work. Last year, we illustrated The Perfect Office (you can find it here). This year, we wanted to peek inside a terrible workplace, where morale and productivity are even lower than…
Welcome to the Hawaii Business 2010 Best Places to Work issue, in which we celebrate companies that keep their employees happy and explain how they do it. Our partner, Best Companies Group, surveyed local organizations and named 60 to the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
Down to Earth stores have served Hawaii with vegetarian food for 30 years. Chief Vegetarian Officer Mark Fergusson explains how a small, homegrown chain competes with a giant like Whole Foods Market. HB: What have you learned about retailing healthy…
A group of Native Hawaiians helping to keep our nation safe. A solar-energy innovator and a sunscreen company, both of them aiming locally and globally. Two Neighbor Island family stores, each almost a century old. And a company whose employees give and give and give some more. They are the 2010 winners of the Hawaii Business SmallBiz Success Awards.
8:00 A.M., Monday Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki >> Lou Ellen Kaneshiro, director of housekeeping at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and her assistant, Si Jung Wong, hold a pre-shift meeting with her staff. The iconic pink hotel has 495 rooms and…
YES John Carroll, Attorney, Republican candidate for governor and former state legislator From territorial times until 1982, almost all Hawaii state senators were elected from multimember districts. This practice ended when a lawsuit for which I was a lead counsel…
The Corner Office Curmudgeon offers advice about life on the job I suspect one of my co-workers has a drug problem. It has not impacted his work performance as far as I can tell, but I’m concerned that things might…
Many organizations rank the tax climate in the 50 states, but one of the most respected rankings is by the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan educational organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1937, its mission “is to educate taxpayers about…
WHAT IS IT? A Takamine EN-10C acoustic-electric cutaway guitar played by renowned slack key artist Makana. “As a professional musician, many people ask why I don’t play a more expensive guitar. It’s about the connection to the guitar, not the…
Q. How do public relations and advertising fit together? A. A wise king once said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” That is certainly true when it comes to product launches, public relations and advertising. One time-tested formula goes…
3:00 P.M., Wednesday Honolulu Community College Photography by David Croxford HCC’s automotive technology program usually has an enrollment of 70 to 80 students training to be Hawaii’s future auto mechanics. This class of 16, taught by Noel Alarcon, will graduate…
YES I grew up in Laie, a great place for children, a haven for families. My wonderful childhood, spent largely on the water and in the mountains, was…
Hawaii Business invited six influential business people and political leaders to talk about development and preservation. The moderator was Jerry Burris, editor-at-large of Hawaii Business. The panelists were: D.G. “Andy” Anderson, developer, former state senator W. Allen Doane, former chairman…
What’s Your Beef? The Corner Office Curmudgeon offers advice about life on the job My boss is an extremely nice person. With Valentine’s Day coming up, would it be appropriate to bring her flowers or is that too personal? How…
What’s It Worth? $$$$4,500 WHAT IS IT? A Frank MacIntosh-designed, Pikaki-label aloha shirt, used as a uniform by the crew of Matson’s SS Mariposa. Why so special? Produced in the late 1940s or early 1950s, this shirt replicates images made…
BY LEN FUKUSHIMA FINANCIAL ADVISER, UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES I own a successful architectural firm in Honolulu. I’d like to expand my business but am having difficulty finding a lender. I have capital assets, including real estate and a portfolio of…
Retired Island executive offers advice on office life I work at an import-export company. I’m just a clerk, but I suspect the owners (a family) are illegally bringing things in without paying the proper duty. Am I obligated to report…
One stamp for $8, two for $15 What is it? Collectors’ first-day cover of the 50th anniversary of Hawaii statehood commemorative stamp. Who designed it? Herb Kawainui Kane painted the surfer and paddlers depicted on the stamp. Kane is an…
You're going to fail. The question is: will you show up the next day? Hawaii's top women leaders delivered unfiltered wisdom on resilience and success at the state's largest business conference.
90 Companies and Nonprofits Where Employees Thrive.
