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…
Small Business
Taking the Message to Japan
Marriott Resorts Hawaii is launching its Spirit of Aloha Tour in Japan this month to attract more Japanese to the islands and its six resort hotels. A weak global economy and fear of the H1N1 flu have cut the number…
5 Steps to Prevent Credit-Card Fraud
Credit-card processing is a ubiquitous and major expense for businesses. Most of the cost is upfront, according to Matt Sakauye, senior consultant at credit-card processing firm Gravity Payments. Once things are running, he says, “credit-card processors are pretty automated. But…
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…
Women in the Workplace By The Numbers
Sex Discrimination Sex discrimination has been the first or second most common basis for employment discrimination complaints filed with the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission for the past seven years. At the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Honolulu office, 34 percent…
Mixing Business and Pleasure
“Networking has the potential to reverse the brain drain,” says Danielle Scherman, founder and president of Social Wahines, a social and professional networking group. What started off three years ago as an intimate monthly get-together of Scherman and her 30-something…
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,…
