The line of customers outside Matsumoto Grocery Store is 15 deep. Visitors and locals alike wait patiently to place their orders, huddling under the eaves of the ramshackle old building to avoid the noon sun. In the dusty gravel parking…
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…
Problem: About 6 million Americans live with some form of paralysis. At Honolulu’sRehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, the staff works each year with 5,500 patients recovering from strokes or injuries, including brain, spinal cord, orthopedic and sports injuries. New Device: A robotic,…
The world can be divided into two kinds of people: those who like to shop and those who have to be forced into it by a personal crisis, like hungry children, a broken stove or shoes with soles worn through.…
How We Create the List Welcome to Hawaii Business magazine’s Top 100 Realtors for 2012. This is the only objective ranking of Realtors in the state. The information was compiled using the Multiple Listing Service databases from the Honolulu Board of Realtors, the Realtors…
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. …
Rude coworkers, bullying bosses, stolen lunches. Office life can be uncivil. But Penelope Paik, president of Civility International Inc., says five small changes to our behavior can make a big difference. There’s no better time to start than this month, which…
Before Bill Jarvis took the helm seven years ago at Mobi PCS, a Hawaii-based wireless phone company, he had spent two decades working for other, bigger national brands. So he knew what not to do. “We could really study the category…
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…
WHAT IS STANDING FIT? Standing Fit converts tables or countertops into stand-up desks. It’s a 3/8-inch-thick plexiglass stand designed by Kona native Tiffiny Taylor, and manufactured and shipped to customers byGlasplex LLC, based in New Jersey. Unlike a traditional stand-up desk,…
Roger Higa, Melissa Chang, George “Chef Mavro” Mavrothalassitis and Shanah Trevenna are very different people with one thing in common: Each experienced a turning point that put them on an unexpected journey to a new calling. For Roger Higa, that…
It was about two hours until dinner service, and there was a steady movement in, out and around The Grove, a family-owned restaurant that opened in Kailua in December. As bartenders got organized and cooks prepped for dinner, there was…
COMPANY: Tetris Online has been headquartered in Honolulu since its launch in January 2006. Co-founders Henk Rogers and Minoru Arakawa have homes in Hawaii, and Rogers’ other organizations, including Blue Planet Software and Blue Planet Foundation, are based in Honolulu.…
One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me as a child was something I did not want. That bittersweet legacy is a big part of who I am, yet I am thankful that my children will not inherit it.…
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…
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…
Hawaii Business magazine’s mission is to cover big issues affecting our Islands’ economy and businesses in a way that is useful and accessible to readers. Although our main vehicle is a print magazine, we understand the importance of reaching and…
Thirty-six years ago, a designer on the North Shore walked into Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa and told the family he wanted to design a T-shirt for them. Just for them to wear, not to sell. Stanley Matsumoto, now the…
Afraid to make money? Are you recklessly sabotaging your financial security? Can’t bear to spend a penny, even though you have plenty of wealth? If any of this sounds familiar, Brad Klontz can help. Just as people develop personality traits from their life…
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…
Problem: Autism diagnoses are increasing as much as 17 percent a year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but school districts nationwide lack enough highly qualified teachers to help these children. Solution: A Hawaii startup called Autism Training Solutions (ATS)…
Caitlyn Laborte is a sophomore at Pearl City High School, but she’s already been to Wall Street and had a glimpse of a possible future for herself in finance. Laborte and 50 other students from Hawaii talked finance with the…
Cory Asuncion was born to sell. He jokes that he would have rented space in his mother’s womb if that had been possible. “I could sell oil back to the Saudis,” Asuncion says confidently, and with good reason. He’s had…
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…