Comedian Gilbert Gottfried is the latest celebrity to be fired over social media, because of callous tweets about the devastating tsunami in Japan. In February, Rep. Chris Lee, R-N.Y., resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives after stories emerged that…
Choosing a bank used to be fairly simple: People typically selected the bank that was closest to home or work. That was before the Internet. Now there's banking everywhere through smartphones, with First Hawaiian Bank rolling out its app this…
Local businesses have responded quickly and generously to help the victims of Japan's tsunami disaster. In fact, every one of the dozens of companies contacted by Hawaii Business says it has either launched its own fundraising effort or contributed to…
Yu-Hsuan “Anthia” Chen, 25. Born: Taiwan. MBA: HPU, marketing. Plans after graduation: Start my career in Hawaii. Maria Goto, 26. Born: Honolulu. MBA: UH, general. Plans after graduation: Work for N&K CPAs. Kandice Johns, 29. Born: Wailuku, Maui. MBA: UH,…
Leaders of Hawaii small businesses can now enroll in training similar to an executive MBA program – and get the $10,000 program for free. The six-month E200 Leadership Initiative is aimed mostly at minority-oned companies that have at least one…
It seems like a contradiction: The traditional hotel business in Hawaii is shrinking even while the hospitality industry recovers from the recession, more visitors arrive and they pay more per room than last year. The relative decline of stand-alone hotels…
Modern etiquette test: Using your smartphone in a business meeting shows that you’re: a. Connected 24/7 and responding instantly to clients; b. Rude, distracted and about to get fired; c. Under 30 or working for a tech company; d. Assuming…
Some of Hawaiʻi's Best Places to Work are adding special benefits to help turn new hires into lifers and keep them excited about their jobs.
What if you could get hundreds, even thousands, of customers with little effort and no upfront costs? That’s the promise of online group buying sites such as Groupon, Play Hawaii, Living Social and Hot Deals Hawaii. …
Coming to a construction site near you: greener bulldozers, road graders and other diesel-powered equipment. Local heavy-equipment sellers say the first of the new-generation machines are arriving here this year as federal clean-air mandates phase in. “It’s all about being…
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…
Q: What’s the secret to running a great pub? I think it’s just enjoying what you do and being around people and understanding what your customer wants. I was a customer for enough time that I think I know! It’s…
K.D., A General contractor on Oahu, has a hint of dismay in his voice when he talks about not yet getting fully paid for a job completed at the end of 2009. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are still owed…
Where is THE meeting place? It used to be the Columbia Inn’s bar, but times – and people – have changed, and the “in-the-know” gathering places are now quieter and more sober. You used to be able to find one…
Sometimes there’s no better way to meet a new client or seal a deal than with your business card in one hand and a drink in the other. Whether it’s at a well-organized networking event or just standing at the…
Q. Our employees have specialized knowledge and are often trying new things. How can we harness that expertise to add value to our small business? A. Employees who think about ways to improve your business can create intellectual property (IP) that…
The state got just what it was expecting in its Christmas stocking. Unfortunately, it was another lump of coal – more bad news about the state of Hawaii Employee Retirement System, which covers both state and county employees. In its…
Matson Navigation Co. is a tiny blip on the radar compared to the 20 other major global transportation companies serving the China market. Still, as the first American shipper to enter the China trade, it’s secured an impressive client base…
Hawaii’s tourism industry blasted a sigh of relief as fierce as the strongest tradewinds as visitor counts rebounded and hotel rooms filled last year. Yet for one group, the recovery hasn’t come fast enough. Those are the owners of resorts…
It seems so easy. Get a truck, create a menu, make a few hundred plate lunches and find a spot in a business district or near a beach. The investment is minimal, the hours are great, the money is easy.…
Tokyo, Japan — High on the stage of the Hawaii booth, overlooking the hubbub of Japan’s biggest travel fair, the musical group Manoa DNA launches into “Aloha You, Aloha Me.” It’s a catchy tune, sung mostly in Japanese, that has…
Watching the death of Act 221 was like watching the Superferry ordeal unravel all over again,” says attorney Jay Fidell, president of ThinkTech Hawaii. “Why this state continues to oppose progress and kill measures that so many people and businesses will benefit from…
It’s no secret that small businesses typically don’t qualify for the risk-assessment and loss-prevention counseling that large firms get from insurance companies. Big customers paying tens of thousands of dollars in premiums can get specialists to visit their businesses to…
There’s no question the business community came into the 2010 elections with more than a few concerns about candidate Neil Abercrombie. While Abercrombie has been a good friend of the Hawaii economy through his work on military appropriations in Congress…