Chinatown Newspaper-Honolulu, published by Nella Media Group, while just 22 monthly issues old, has expanded to Portland, Ore., and Cutinella and Sanchez explain how the early stages are sometimes the best time to grow your business. HB: What did you learn…
Q: What’s the secret to running a great pub? I think it’s just enjoying what you do and being around people and understanding what your customer wants. I was a customer for enough time that I think I know! It’s…
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…
Critics say The state Public Utilities Commission is slow, inefficient and secretive, but this small agency has a lot on its plate. It regulates: 4 electric utilities; 1 gas company; 176 telecommunication companies; 38 private water and sewer companies; 4…
Komeiji knows all about taking risks. After working for more than 30 years for the prestigious Honolulu law firm Watanabe Ing and Komeiji, which he co-founded, Komeiji took a leap of faith and joined Hawaiian Telcom’s new management team at…
The state got just what it was expecting in its Christmas stocking. Unfortunately, it was another lump of coal – more bad news about the state of Hawaii Employee Retirement System, which covers both state and county employees. In its…
Matson Navigation Co. is a tiny blip on the radar compared to the 20 other major global transportation companies serving the China market. Still, as the first American shipper to enter the China trade, it’s secured an impressive client base…
To the Office of the Governor State Capitol Honolulu, Hawaii Dear Gov. Abercrombie: I must admit that I had my vote reserved for someone else when we chatted in August at the Dole Ballrooms. You may not remember our brief…
The new chairman of the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association is Vice President in charge of Marriott’s hotels and resorts in Hawaii, North Asia and the South Pacific. Tatum says growing up in Hawaii has given him a valuable perspective on how the hospitality…
Watching the death of Act 221 was like watching the Superferry ordeal unravel all over again,” says attorney Jay Fidell, president of ThinkTech Hawaii. “Why this state continues to oppose progress and kill measures that so many people and businesses will benefit from…
There are many reasons Luibueno’s Mexican and Seafood Restaurant in Haleiwa has made so many loyal customers since it opened in March 2010. The Spanish and Baja Mexican family recipes from husband-and-wife owners Luis and Taryn Silva have a lot…
Q:How has the process of fundraising changed in your time at Punahou? A: When I first got hired, Punahou was leaning on its traditional donors, the kamaaina families that had sent their kids here for generations. But, as we expanded our…
Mark Dunkerley turned Hawaiian Airlines into a world-class carrier “You’d have to be crazy to get into the airline business,” Mark Dunkerley said wryly. The Hawaiian Airlines CEO was speaking late last year to a group of young leaders from…
There’s no question the business community came into the 2010 elections with more than a few concerns about candidate Neil Abercrombie. While Abercrombie has been a good friend of the Hawaii economy through his work on military appropriations in Congress…
Businesses must pay GET earlier, but state takes longer to cash checks For decades, the state has taken weeks on average – even months – to cash taxpayers’ checks. Now, with government-worker furloughs and restrictions on temporary hires, the check-cashing…
Q.We have great employees, but everyone seems to operate from a different agenda. How can we create a team approach? A. Employees are willing to collaborate when they have the necessary tools and work environment to support and reward teamwork. Managers…
If the shoe fits, the saying goes, buy it in every color. And if the shoe-business model doesn’t fit right away, Teri Edmonds will find a way to make it work. In 2001, Edmonds opened her shop, If The Shoe…
There’s no denying it’s been a brutal three years for Central Pacific Bank and its parent company, Central Pacific Financial Corp. The bank’s aspiration of grabbing more market share with its 2004 merger with City Bank has all but disappeared.…
Maui Surfer Girls founder Dustin Tester proves that, with hard work, you don’t need a business degree to own one. Tester’s love of surfing and her Adventure Education degree from Prescott College in Arizona inspired her to start an all-girl…
Q. How can a woman small-business owner succeed in the male-dominated construction industry? A. Women leaders face unique challenges in the workplace, no matter what industry we are in. Yet, as women, we bring abundant talents to the table and can…
Participants in this discussion: Margery Bronster Partner, Bronster Hoshibata and former state attorney general Shari Chang Senior VP, marketing and revenue management, Aston Hotels and Resorts Kathryn Inouye COO, Kobayashi Group Constance Lau President and CEO, Hawaiian Electric Industries Janet Liang President, Hawaii Region, Kaiser…
One group of high-powered executives is giving new meaning to the old concept “Ladies Who Lunch.” The Art of Lunch (AOL) is an informal, all-wahine networking group formed on a whim about two years ago when Louise Ing, a shareholder…
Q. We have some great managers in our company but still need to improve our leadership skills. What do you suggest? A. Managers play a vital role in cultivating work environments where employees feel valued and customers are satisfied. Companies can…
Imagine the huge cost to your small business if the 2010 Legislature had raised the general excise tax or failed to cut unemployment insurance premiums. Every year at the state Capitol, similar make-or-break laws are debated and that’s why it’s…