Most business owners talk a good story when it comes to customer service, but, unless you are always there, you depend on employees to provide that service. Do you know how well they’re doing? A secret-shopper company can tell you.…
Subway now has more outlets than any other restaurant chain in the country and, with more than 35,000 locations in 98 countries, it’s closing in on McDonald’s worldwide lead. That growth is only possible because thousands of people are drawn…
On a layover in Seoul, IT consultant Anthony Stanford needed a place to work, preferably with free Wi-Fi and a decent cup of coffee. Instead of Starbucks, he used a “co-working” space where people rented desks in a shared office.…
Every business claims it puts its customers first, but what elevates some companies above the others? One crucial factor is the ability to adapt and improve customer service with changing circumstances. Lex Brodie’s Tire Co. is the first winner of…
The people planning Hawaii’s role as host for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting this November have crucial advice for local businesses hoping to get in on the action: “You snooze, you lose.” They don’t use exactly those words, but…
Are you anxious about presentations or public speaking? How about procrastination, an inability to concentrate or a lack of motivation? Fear of making sales calls? Many businesspeople suffer from one or more of these issues, but few take advantage of…
It’s no coincidence that Terence O’Toole is a veteran triathlete and successful business attorney. Both roles demand stamina and a strong will, with commercial litigation often requiring a marathonlike fortitude. The characteristics have helped him earn a prestigious accolade: He…
There’s no question that business booms at Kailua’s Island Snow shave ice and surf wear store whenever President Obama and his entourage are in town. But those well-publicized visits have left a long tail of increased year-round sales and revived…
Sherri Loo and her Hawaiian Electric Co. coworkers have found an easy way to clean out their closets and help other women. For two years, Loo, environmental services manager at HECO, has coordinated a suit drive to benefit Dress for…
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…