Q. I set up a Facebook page for my store. What should I do to engage customers and bring them in? A. With more than a half billion active users worldwide, Facebook is the major social-network player. The average Facebook user has about…
Problem Hawaii spends $5 billion a year on imported oil, but biofuels that can replace oil usually require a lot of agricultural land. Solution Using its library of algae strains, Kuehnle AgroSystems says it can select, analyze and optimize algae for specific…
Welcome to the 2011 Hawaii Business Top 100 Realtors list, based on total sales volume for transactions that closed in 2010. We ranked the top 25 on this page and listed all 100 alphabetically on the following pages. The accounting firm PKF…
If only it could be bottled – that special touch that makes a Realtor great, not just for a quarter, but year after year. In the second year of publishing the Top 100 Realtors, Hawaii Business began highlighting the leading…
Hawaii’s rapidly changing news media are facing two challenges at the same time: 1. How to gather and deliver news when, where and how people want it; and 2. How to pay for all that. The old ways of delivering…
OAHU Price: $22 million This 1.4-acre, beachfront estate on Kahala Avenue has an indoor pool, a helicopter landing area, a tennis court and access to a small boat. It also comes with some history: Its most famous guests include Jacqueline…
Local television news was once a great way to make money, but now its future is as clear as 3-D movies without the glasses. Revenues from advertising sales are up, but nowhere near what they were in the glory days…
Tourists have hundreds of ways to spend their money; here's how more than a dozen small companies draw them in. Well-tended tourists in skin-baring dresses and tropical shirts sip after-dinner drinks on the terrace at Duke's restaurant, while a Hawaiian…
In November 2009, in the difficult aftermath of the Great Recession, Matthew Bittick left a cozy position as principal broker and sales manager at the Hawaii office of PM Realty Groupto strike out on his own. Now, as his new company, Bishop…
Wish you could afford to run commercials promoting your company and products all day long? Now you can with Pacific Digital Signs’ sexy new Digital Nametag. “This will definitely stop people in their tracks and deliver a perfect message every…
Comedian Gilbert Gottfried is the latest celebrity to be fired over social media, because of callous tweets about the devastating tsunami in Japan. In February, Rep. Chris Lee, R-N.Y., resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives after stories emerged that…
Choosing a bank used to be fairly simple: People typically selected the bank that was closest to home or work. That was before the Internet. Now there's banking everywhere through smartphones, with First Hawaiian Bank rolling out its app this…
The new track at Lahainaluna High School on Maui, along with the field and turf, have been made possible because of millions of dollars worth of in-kind and cash donations by Maui businesses and residents. Additional changes are coming in…
Yu-Hsuan “Anthia” Chen, 25. Born: Taiwan. MBA: HPU, marketing. Plans after graduation: Start my career in Hawaii. Maria Goto, 26. Born: Honolulu. MBA: UH, general. Plans after graduation: Work for N&K CPAs. Kandice Johns, 29. Born: Wailuku, Maui. MBA: UH,…
Moderator Steve Petranik, editor of Hawaii Business Yu-Hsuan “Anthia” Chen, 25 Born: Taiwan MBA: HPU, marketing Plans after graduation: Start career in Hawaii, then return to Taiwan to help father’s business Maria Goto, 26 Born: Honolulu MBA: UH, general Plans…
The Japanese love all things Hawaiian – from hula to music to fashion – which makes Japan an attractive market for Hawaii companies. But Japan is a complex business environment. “That means a company must be serious about wanting to…
Don Morrison Can readily list the equipment and vehicles his Kapolei company purchased in recent years. Morrison, CFO of Pacific AquaScapes Inc., says money was available for the acquisitions because of the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan, which shields the company from federal…
Ho is also chair of the Hawaii host committee for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Honolulu this November. The weeklong series of APEC meetings and seminars will be capped by a summit of the 21 leaders of Asia…
OVERALL WINNER JON DUARTE DESIGN GROUP In creating work space for the Jon Duarte Design Group’s eight employees, the firm wanted a “collaborative environment” that was warm and welcoming, where designers could work together easily but also meet casually. Dark…
Travel by private jet – a leading economic indicator for lifestyles of the rich and famous – increased by double digits at key Hawaii airports last year, which was great news for dozens of local companies that fuel, feed and…
Q. I’m nearing retirement and interested in selling my business. How do I determine the value of my company and maximize its value before selling? A. After all those years building your business, you are finally ready to enjoy a well-deserved…
It's every entrepreneur's dream: free expert advice for your small business from some of the best specialists in the state on marketing, accounting, HR, cost-cutting and more. A surefire way to take your business to the next level, right? That’s…
Medicom Technologies says its Medical I.D. Wristband is the first device with audio-visual capabilities that stores, displays and voices a patient’s complete medical history in up to nine languages for first responders and hospital personnel in an emergency. “This could be…
K.D., A General contractor on Oahu, has a hint of dismay in his voice when he talks about not yet getting fully paid for a job completed at the end of 2009. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are still owed…