It was a great party at the 4-acre oceanfront estate in Olowalu, about four miles south of Lahaina: The music was lively, the neighbors enjoyed it and money was raised for a good cause. The owners weren’t there, but they…
Small-business consultant Patrick Snow is frequently asked for the best way to attract more paying clients. His answer: Write and publish your book and give it away to prospects. This works, he says, because it allows you to stand out…
The best political candidate in the world might get nowhere without a team of marketing, direct-mail, advertising, polling and other professionals to help refine the message and effectively deliver it to voters. It’s an election year and Alan Tang is…
Question: I feel like my business is far behind the new media and social media marketing trends. What can I do to keep up? Answer: The best thing to do is start. New media is constantly evolving, so there’s…
Problem: Search online for, say, a traditional hula kahiko dancer, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a high-quality image you can easily download and use for your business. Daniel Leuck, CEO of the Honolulu-based creative agency Ikayzo, saw that need for good…
What started two years ago as a healthy vitamin and mineral water to combat jet lag has turned into Aloha Friday Beverages, which are designed to keep everyone healthy, every day. Andrea Gall Krasnick explains the mistakes she first made and…
Question: What’s the magic behind professional selling? Answer: Professional selling should be simple, ethical and highly effective, and it may appear almost magical. Learn and practice these basic tools and watch your clients appreciate you and your new skills. Tool…
Question: I need a new logo for my small business. What should I do to ensure I get the most effective one? Answer: Your company logo is the heart of your brand image. It affects whether people accept what you…
Highlight your location. Whether it’s inside or outside, Hawaii provides endless opportunities for iconic images – photos of people with beautiful backdrops, culture, diversity and style. You’ll always get the nicest shots at dawn and dusk, when the light is…
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…
With another Hawaiian Renaissance on the horizon, two local media companies are collaborating on a new forum to report on and explain coming events. The Kalaimoku Group and aio are launching Mana, a magazine designed for Native Hawaiians and others…
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…
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…
What do you really know about your customers? Do you know their ages? Where they live? How much money they make? How many kids they have? Do you know where else they shop? How they make buying decisions? Why they…
It's Monday morning and Melissa Chang has gathered her laptop and smartphone, and is on her way to her "coffice," a comfortable setting likeBlue Hawaii Lifestyle, Burgers on the Edge or Good to Grill. There she can settle down with coffee, free Wi-Fi and her…
Smart email marketing makes the difference between emails that are read and those that go straight to the trash. Damian Davila, online marketing consultant and CEO ofIdaconcpts.com, explains how to make it work: 1) Short and focused Content is crucial,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…