What if you could get hundreds, even thousands, of customers with little effort and no upfront costs? That’s the promise of online group buying sites such as Groupon, Play Hawaii, Living Social and Hot Deals Hawaii. …
In recent years, Hong has presided over major capital investments at Young Brothers. Here, he talks about long-term vision and what it means to young executives. What’s a good example of how long- and short-term vision differ? Young Brothers recently…
Coming to a construction site near you: greener bulldozers, road graders and other diesel-powered equipment. Local heavy-equipment sellers say the first of the new-generation machines are arriving here this year as federal clean-air mandates phase in. “It’s all about being…
Wanted: minority-owned businesses to bid on contracts offered by large national companies. That’s the marketing pitch of the Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council, which, among its responsibilities, is helping Hawaii’s minority-owned companies gain access to contracts offered by about…
13 Number of new episodes already ordered by CBS 12 Seasons for the original series 278 Original episodes 250 Estimated millions of dollars that will be spent on film-industry production this year in Hawaii 3,000 Jobs expected to be created…
4# HNL’s runways – two pairs of parallel runways that are among the nation’s longest. 60# Percentage share of statewide airline passengers. 25# Rank among the busiest airports in the U.S. 16# Millions of passengers who traveled through HNL in 2009. Source: State…
Local research companies, which rely heavily on telephone surveys, are adjusting their calling strategies to reach the many young people who use cell phones and have no landline at home. During the last half of 2009, 24.5 percent of households…
Most companies deal with hard times by cutting costs, laying off workers and focusing on their core business. Richard Schuman, owner of Makani Kai Helicopters, took a different path. For more than a decade, Schuman says, his company enjoyed strong,…
Most pet owners would agree that if there’s something wrong with Fido or Fluffy, it’s hard to wait for an answer. That’s why VCA Family Animal Hospital in Pearl City is open around the clock, with a veterinarian onsite. “Our…
What's It Worth? $135,000 What is it? A lightly used, 1995 version of the classic carnival ride, Tilt-a-Whirl. What makes it special? Sellner Manufacturing Co. has been making the Tilt-a-Whirl since 1926. Today, more than a thousand Tilt-a-Whirls delight kids…
Crystal methamphetamine not only ruins lives, it can also ruin businesses. A meth-addled employee raises your risk of absenteeism and workplace theft, increases healthcare costs and lowers morale, says Cindy Adams, executive director of the Hawaii Meth Project. “Costs associated…
A group of Punahou School students has persuaded 10 restaurants to rethink their use of plastics and how to recycle, and they want to persuade more. The LEAF project’s primary target is the ubiquitous use of plate lunch containers made…
If you think your assistant looks forward to flowers and chocolate on Administrative Professionals Day, April 21, you’re wrong. What he or she really wants is to attend a workshop — paid for by the company. It’s a smart investment…
Three Kauai couples have launched Oceanside Productions, a small theater company trying to fill an entertainment void for tourists and residents alike. Their experience includes operating small businesses and nonprofits, and they love to perform. So the six did their…
Jeffrey Peroutka, from Our Saviour Lutheran School, displays his project at the 2009 Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. The Hawaii Academy of Science has raised the money needed to hold the 2010 Hawaii State…
Praseuth “JJ” Luangkhot of JJ’s Bistro & French Pastry is confident, even in a down economy. He recently added a party room that seats about 45 people — the second expansion since he opened in 1995. The first expansion in…
Your online business can be “hijacked” if you don’t pay attention to business listings on the Web. “People who are victims don’t even know they are victims,” says Daniela Stolfi, interactive marketing specialist at Boss Hawaii, which specializes in Web…
Until teleportation is invented, mail and package services will remain essential to Hawaii businesses, who are served by three major providers: FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. William Donohoe, who worked at FedEx for 19 years before opening the…
Hawaii Island is now home to the first large-scale commercial maile farm in the state. Although maile is one of the most popular lei in Hawaii for special occasions, virtually all of what’s sold here is imported from the Cook…
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…
Author and investor Kim Kiyosaki, whose book “Rich Woman Hawaii” maps strategies for financial independence, takes goal-setting seriously. So seriously, that every year she and her husband, author Robert Kiyosaki, who created an industry around his book “Rich Dad, Poor…
Liticia and Michael Thomas defied the odds and bought a business despite the bad economy. Their formula for success is looking for savings everywhere — rent, floor space, staff and more. “It’s a great time to start a business,” Liticia…
Johnson Choi, founder and president of the Hong Kong China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, can tell right away if a business will be a good fit as a member. He asks: Is your company only interested in doing business in…
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.…