Steve Novak Business Operations and Strategic Planning consultant, Owner, PPR Management Services, LLC Question: Our company is having trouble turning a vague list of long-term ideas into a concrete plan. Even worse, we can’t seem to reach our short-term targets…
You make your own bitters and brew your own beer. Your iPod playlists get rave reviews from your friends and you know how to throw a party. Why not profit from your obvious talents? The lure of owning a bar, nightclub…
It’s inevitable that China’s economy will overtake America’s in the next 20 years, right? After all, Chinese gross domestic product grew at an average annual rate of 9.3 percent over the past five years, according to the World Bank, while…
Adult’s definition of parkour: a noncompetitive sport that builds coordination, strength, patience and discipline, while emphasizing safety, community and creativity. Kid’s definition of parkour: ninja skills and Spiderman training. Parkour, which originated less than a generation ago in the immigrant-rich suburbs outside of Paris,…
Kevin Lefforge says there’s nothing like the aroma of a garage housing a classic car. The lifelong “gearhead” and Steeltech project manager was on a quest for a hobby car while living in California in 2005. He ended his search when VW restoration specialist Lenny Copp showed…
Once a month on a Saturday morning, Francis Imada flips on radio station 105.1, and heads to his backyard, where 20 miniature trees await his gentle care. Then, with Hawaiian music playing in the background, the CFO of Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii spends two hours snipping, pruning…
Are they worth it? That’s the question asked each year by shareholders, regulators, politicians and the public when publicly traded companies reveal how much they pay their CEOs. Different methods have emerged to try to answer the question of “Are…
Profitability is the bottom line, but it’s not the end of the story. Consider banks: In 2010 and 2011, Hawaii’s two largest financial institutions, First Hawaiian Bank and Bank of Hawaii, were also the state’s most profitable companies. Last year, they ranked first…
The hard reality of a slow-growing national economy and persistently high unemployment rates has helped spawn a mythical creature, the purple squirrel. Even though no one has ever seen a purple squirrel, some employers keep looking for one. And, for…
