Small Business

Small Business
Suzanne Roig,

Pet Burials

We love them like family when they’re alive, so why not treat them the same way in death? A cemetery burial for your pet at Valley of the Temples in Kaneohe gives you a way to recognize that affection. Pet…
Small Business
Hawaii Business Staff,

Ask SmallBiz: Expansion

Q: I have a successful company and am thinking of expanding to another island. What should I consider before taking the leap? A: The desire to grow is imbedded in the DNA of most business owners. Of course, any kind of expansion…
Small Business
Paula Rath,

Help For Local Designers

When Denyse Ray opened her manufacturing and retail operation in Kakaako in April, she opened a floodgate. Her original plan was to create a place where her company, Ease Collection, and its staff of 20 would make the company’s surgical…
Small Business
Susan Halas,

Lively Give-and-Take at Maui Meetings

A meeting of the Maui Business Brainstormers is like speed dating for business people. The monthly lunchtime meetings mix networking with problem solving and information exchange in a rapid give-and-take. Grace Fung and Carmel Patterson, who met at a Toastmasters…
Small Business
Catherine Toth Fox,

Oasis in the City

When chef Lance Kosaka first stepped into the vacant restaurant space at the YWCA on Richards Street, its high ceilings, open-air feel and architectural beauty captivated him and his partners. “We stood in the restaurant and looked around,” he says.…
Small Business
Catherine Cruz-George,

Much More than a Lemonade Stand

This summer, hundreds of children in Honolulu and seven mainland cities will compete to create the best lemonade stand. But don’t expect watered-down concoctions and makeshift tables: These kids mean business. The contest, Lemonade Alley, requires participants from kindergarten through…
Small Business
Stacy Yuen,

Growing Gardeners

When Taiji Terasaki needs fresh herbs for a pot of stew or the ingredients for an organic salad, he’ll send his 7-year-old son, Kenta, and 4-year-old daughter, Miya, out to the family’s kitchen garden. There’s quite a selection in the…
Small Business
Stacy Yuen,

Bit of Sugar

Gummy-bear keychains, Pop-Tart necklaces and shave-ice rings. The art of “deco sweet” or miniature food jewelry is all the rage in Japan. Local business Bit of Sugar is taking the trendy, handmade treasures to new heights this summer. Co-owner Lei…
Small Business
Catherine Toth Fox,

Buying a Family Business

It’s not easy taking over a family-run business that’s been operating successfully for nearly six decades. And, if loyal customers notice any changes, even necessary changes, they’re quick to criticize the new owner. All that wasn’t lost on Honolulu entrepreneur…
Small Business
Marcie Kagawa,

New Beer with a Familiar Name

With all the different Hawaii beers coming onto the market, it helps if people think your new brew is a long-time favorite. “When I talk about Aloha Beer, for some reason, many believe it already existed from a long time…
Small Business
Marcie Kagawa,

Women Veterans Launch Businesses

When many people think of a military veteran or a small-business owner, they assume it’s a man. Instead, consider Chelsea Fernandez, co-founder and managing director of Hawaii Assistive Technology Co. on Maui, one of nearly 100,000 women veterans in America…
Small Business
Catherine Toth Fox,

Custom Cakes

What’s It Worth? $3,000 Abigail Langlas makes special occasions especially sweet. The cake artist and pastry chef created a four-foot cake shaped like a 1959 pink Cadillac for the 50th anniversary of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association three years ago.…