Picking a Franchise
Sean Uezu helps you decide whether to buy a franchise and which one to choose. THIS MONTH'S EXPERT: Sean Uezu is president of the Popeyes Hawaii franchise and owner of Papa Murphy’s and T-Mobile franchises in Hawai‘i. Should I…
BizWiz
Hone Your Negotiation Skills
This month’s expert: Lindsay McAneeley, a partner in the litigation practice group at Carlsmith Ball For many people, the mere mention of negotiating can cause heart-racing anxiety. Some would rather avoid negotiation altogether even if it means giving up better…
What You Need to Know About Bonding
A guide for construction contractors and anyone who hires them Q: I’ve been a contractor for years and never been asked for a bond. But a new client insists on it. Can you help me to understand bonding? A: Surety…
Enhancing Your Team’s Culture
This Month’s Expert: Rusty Komori, leadership consultant, motivational speaker, tennis pro and author of “Beyond The Lines” Q: How do I get a higher level of commitment and greater performance from my team members? A: Many CEOs who have read…
Hurricane Prep for Your Business
Almost half of all small businesses are unable to reopen after a major disaster because they were unprepared, according to the American Red Cross. Ask yourself: How could I continue to conduct business if the city or even just the…
Securing a Loan: Top 5 Tips for a Small Business
At some point in the life cycle of a business, most small business owners will need to apply for a loan. The process can be daunting, even intimidating, because proving you and your business are creditworthy takes effort and preparation.…
BizWiz: Create Incentives that Truly Motivate Your Team
More pay won’t solve serious problems within your company. Q: How do I establish a program of monthly incentives to help my employees reach their goals? A: Many employers wrongly assume monetary incentives are a surefire way to enhance engagement…
Build a Talent Bench that is Robust and Deep
The nature of today’s workplace and workforce is rapidly changing. Technology is disrupting the way we do business and no business is – or will be – immune. Job descriptions are changing, and so are workers’ expectations about what they…
How To Encourage the Culture of Mentoring
Q: How can I build a workplace culture where mentoring is valued and fostered? A: Companies with an eye on the future know that mentoring is critical to long-term success. Creating a culture that recognizes and rewards formal and informal mentoring…
Build Your Business with Trade Shows
Q: How can I use trade shows to build my local business on the Mainland? A: Local brands looking to grow on the Mainland are in luck. Social media and digital marketing provide many opportunities for you to connect with…
How Your Hawaii Business Can Export to Japan
This Month’s Expert: Ray Tsuchiyama Japanese people love Hawaii. Over 600,000 Japanese study hula or Hawaiian music regularly and nearly 2 million visited Hawaii last year. Ray Tsuchiyama, a bilingual business consultant with 20 years’ experience in Japan, suggests five…
Supporting Financial Literacy
Q: What can I do to help my employees improve their financial literacy? A: Companies are becoming more attuned to the fact that their employees’ financial well-being is inherently tied to their performance at work. PricewaterhouseCoopers recently found that nearly one-third…
Small Businesses Should Line Up Loans Before They Need Them
There are good reasons for the old cliche, "You don't ask the bank for money when you need it." First and foremost, rushing to a bank in a cash-flow crisis tells bankers that you are ineffective at planning and management.…
BizWiz: Attract Your Dream Investor
Q: How do I position my company to land my dream investor? A: Every major milestone has a story, which only comes to life in hindsight. In April 2017, what had been Energy Excelerator transformed and became Elemental Excelerator, a…
BizWiz: Payment-Processing Options
Q: With new technologies and chip-card requirements, how do I choose the best payment-processing solution for my business, keep costs down and maintain security? A: Although it can seem overwhelming to choose among the numerous payment-processing options on the market…
BizWiz: Start Exit Planning Today
This Month’s Expert: Vladimir Sasic, ChFC, CFP, AEP Managing Partner, Wealth Strategy Partners Q: Why should I be exit planning now when I don’t plan to sell my business for at least 10 years? A: “Begin with the end…
Ask the Expert: Defending Against DDoS Attacks
Q: How do I protect my business against distributed denial of service attacks? A: DDoS attacks have doubled in frequency over the last year, wreaking havoc on millions of businesses and consumers who rely on the internet. Attacks occur when…
Ask the Expert: Compassion Starts at the Top
Q: What are the best practices for creating a culture of volunteering? A: Volunteering can be a rewarding, life-changing experience for employees and is one of the best ways of creating goodwill in the community for the companies they work…
Ask the Expert: Flextime
Q: I know flextime is a powerful way to attract and retain working mothers, but how do I create a program that works for our company? A: For our firm, flextime is just one part of a healthy work environment.…
Ask the Expert: New Year, New Laws
Q: Our company’s executives are planning now for 2017. What new laws and regulations will take effect? Hawaii companies should prepare for significant changes in employment law. Here are some highlights, along with advice on how to deal with the…
Understanding Intellectual Property
Question: Is there an easy way to protect my company’s intellectual property? Answer: Protecting your IP is simple if you follow a few basic steps. If you have already started your company, consider the types of intellectual property you have…
Reinventing Annual Conferences
Question: Each year, we organize and host a conference. How can we keep reinventing our event so people continue to attend? Answer: Keeping an annual conference fresh and relevant can be challenging, but it is worth the effort. Here are tips to help.…
Independent Investigations
Question: An employee may have stolen a lot of money from our company, but we’re not sure. What should we do? Answer: This kind of nightmare can come in many forms: An employee may or may not have stolen from you or a…
Whats it Worth?
Primo Beer is back, but to aficionados of the blue-collar brew, the new version isn’t the real stuff. The real Primo — not all that good, really — is spiked by memories of backyard luau, garage talk-story sessions and pau…