Ask SmallBiz: Paying taxes when low on cash
Q. My small business has really slowed down, and I am worried that I will not have sufficient cash to pay all of the taxes I will owe. What can I do? A. Your small business is facing the same…
Small Business
Putting Down Roots
The weak economy didn’t stop Marysol Ruiz and Soufiane Bouharkat from taking the next step in their business. Le Crepe Café opened a permanent location in November, two years after the married couple started their venture with a cart. A…
Helping ‘Buy Local’ Succeed
Every year, millions of dollars in contracts are awarded to Mainland vendors for products and services that could be going to local businesses. The Buying Local First campaign is connecting Big Island businesses with federal, state and county contract vendors…
“Kauai Made” Label Protects Local Shop
Come Valentine’s Day, there will be a line of customers outside the Kauai Chocolate Co. for the giant strawberries from Kula, Maui, that are hand-dipped in an exclusive line of Belgian chocolate. Manager Patrick Greer this year ordered 4,000 of…
Businesses Help Students
Eighty Hawaii businesses have committed to helping public-high-school students complete senior projects as part of a special recognition diploma, but more businesspeople are needed. The mentor program, led by the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, comes after a chamber survey…
Wham BAMP, Thank You, Fans
If you’ve been to a concert in Hawaii in the past couple of years, odds are good that you were fueling the BAMP fire. BAMP — an acronym for its owners, Brad Smith, Aubry Boutin, Matthew Hazelgrove and Philip Pendleton…
Hot Stuff
James “Jimmy” Chan is packing some major heat – with his new Kilauea Fire Hawaiian Style BBQ sauce, that is. The owner of the Hawaiian Chip Company turned his most popular taro and sweet-potato chip flavor into an all-in-one barbecue…
Naked Cows
In a state where most dairy farms have gone out of business, Waianae’s new Naked Cow Dairy is carving a niche with all-natural flavored butter and cheese. Naked Cow specializes in feta, cream and other soft cheeses, and butter with…
Helping People Heal Themselves
Local company seeks early position in $80 billion industry Honolulu-based Tissue Genesis is taking self-help a step further with its patented cell isolation system. In less than two hours, a patient’s own regenerative cells can be put back into their…
Hidden Gems to Help You
Five government resources that can jumpstart your small business Island Princess, a local candy company, had been growing since it began in 1983 but struggled to stay alive when the economy nosedived after 9/11. “Sales were way down and we…
Living Art
Greg Lee, CEO of 1st Look Exteriors, combined his two greatest passions — plants and art — to create a niche business that’s so unique he’s the only licensed contractor of his kind in the state. 1st Look Exteriors designs…
Eyes, Ears and Voice of Big Isle Businesses
Barbara Hastings has been an advocate for Big Island businesses for over a decade. She is also one of the most well-informed women in Hilo, serving as the eyes, ears and voice of the local business community. As president of…
Hibiscus Lady Creates Scents
The Problem The hibiscus has incredible colors, textures and blossoms, but usually lacks a scent. Enter the Hibiscus Lady, Jill Coryell, who has created gigantic, colorful AND sweet-smelling hibiscus that are sold here and on the Mainland. “What sets me…
Lobbying Lessons
Melissa Teves Pavlicek has fought for the interests of small businesses at the state Legislature for the past five years and became state director of the National Federation of Independent Business in 2006. HB: How can small businesses gain influence…
Native Hawaiian Businesses
Finding a way to preserve culture Hui Ku Maoli Ola, a native plant nursery nestled deep in Haiku Valley on Windward Oahu, is a kind of island unto itself. Except for the steepest, most inaccessible parts of the Koolau Mountains,…
Preserving the Past
Greg Schredder is reviving a classic Hawaiian brand and hopes to turn it into a 100 percent local product. The Kauai entrepreneur was searching for a manufacturing site for his startup, Koloa Rum Co., when he learned that Hawaiian Fruit…
Ask SmallBiz: Dividing Family Stock
Q. What should the owners of a family business consider when dividing shares of stock among their children? I have been told never to give two children equal shares. -Monica Toguchi, VP, Administration and Planning, Highway Inn Inc. A. You’re right,…