Why Hawai‘i’s Small Businesses Lose Out on Lucrative Federal Contracts
While mainland companies are awarded billions of dollars each year, most local ones don’t even apply. Here’s advice on how to compete.
BizX: Advice from Experts
How to Maintain a Company’s Culture for 100 Years or More
The CEO of Goodfellow Bros. describes a code of conduct that emphasizes employees, customers and community.
How to Reimagine your Store or Restaurant
This Month's Expert: Grant Chang, Director of Design, Lowney Architecture
Diversify Your Family Business
This Month’s Expert: Jean Santos, partner and senior consultant, Business Consulting Resources Among the many things we have learned from the pandemic is the value of diversification and innovation in business. Adding those elements to your family business can be…
Insurance Options for Small Business Owners
Most small-business owners would agree that a large part of their success resides in their ability to balance risks and rewards. Many use insurance to help manage risks, including common policies covering business property, general liability, professional liability and technology/internet…
Ugly Doesn’t Sell
Why you need to take your brand identity seriously A business is like a book. It’s judged by its cover. These judgments are now being made in split seconds as consumers constantly scroll online, pushing past the estimated 5,000 ads…
Safe Practices in the Office
This Month’s Expert: Beverly Ament, President, Island Insurance Q: How do I reduce injuries in our office? It is in companies’ best interests to ensure a comfortable and safe work environment for their office workers. That’s because safer offices not…
Japan Investors Can Grow Your Hawai‘i Business
This Month’s Expert: Frank Clark, CEO of Real Select International Japan is the hottest overseas investor market now for Hawai‘i business owners and developers who want to sell, lease or offer equity. Thanks to low interest rates and a recent…
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…
How to Diversify Your Business
Gary Hogan of Hogan Hospitality offers a guide on how to get out of your business comfort zone How can I diversify my business? An optimal way to lessen the effect of a recession or industry downturn on your business…
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…
Cybersecurity Insurance
Q: Should I buy cybersecurity/liability insurance for my small business? A: Cybercrime is one of the fastest growing risks to businesses of all sizes, and if you have private data that needs protecting, then you’re certainly vulnerable. Small businesses generally…
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…
Condo Sales Start This Year for Latest Office-to-Residence Conversion
The transformation of the Davies Pacific Center will create mostly one-bed apartments, while leaving a few floors of offices.
How to Give On-Site Teams the Flexibility They Want
Some jobs need to be done in person. But that doesn’t mean employees can’t have more control of their schedules and hours.
