Small Business

If there is an epicenter for business hardship in Hawai‘i’s flower industry, it may be at the lei stands at Honolulu’s Inouye International Airport. “I cried when we shut down in March and April. I couldn’t stand seeing this place…

Flower shops and other floral businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, but they’re innovating to serve customers – and hoping that flowers remain an important part of local celebrations and people's lives Parts of Hawai‘i’s flower industry were…

One in a series of profiles of new small businesses in Hawai‘i that have launched since the pandemic shutdown. Since graduating from UH Mānoa in 2014, Tina Wang says, she has dreamed of bringing her favorite ramen to Hawaiʻi’s rich…

One in a series of profiles of new small businesses in Hawai‘i that have launched since the pandemic shutdown. COVID-19 raised stress levels as uncertainty spread across the world, and the stay-at-home orders that followed left people restless. Rare Cannabinoid…

One in a series of profiles of new small businesses in Hawai‘i that have launched since the pandemic shutdown. An international pandemic hitting just as you launch an independent business may seem like an insurmountable barrier. Noelani Yoshino is ready…

What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? Aiea Copy Center was fortunate to be designated an essential service provider which allowed us to avoid a shutdown. But it has not been easy. Sales dropped 70% in April. Our…

First in a series of profiles of new small businesses in Hawai‘i that have launched since the pandemic shutdown Blane Nishizawa’s secret to success is adaptability. Nishizawa’s newly opened Noods Ramen Bar began as a pop-up out of his McCully…

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many local restaurants to pivot their business models or risk closing for good. Here’s a look at how restaurants have changed and how they are preparing for their new normal. It was common to see…