"Networking's for Suckers, Not Me"
Q: I swear I hear the word “networking” a hundred times a week. My co-workers insist it’s the only way to climb the business ladder. My parents tell me it’s how to meet friends. My boss tells me it’s a…
Small Business
DeafTax Serves Everyone
The financial services company uses technology, American Sign Language and lip reading to serve both hearing and nonhearing clients Joshua Beal was born deaf. “It was very isolating. I always felt different as a child growing up,” recalls the owner…
5 Steps to a New Look for Work
In the new year, many women and men want to freshen their looks but still appear professional for work. Kim Smith, a wardrobe stylist in Honolulu since 2004, offers these tips on how to get started. 1. Purge! Before you hit…
How’s Your Luck?
Name: Cheryl Ohta Age: 58 Job: Fortune cookie writer and treasurer/HR manager, Hawaii Candy Inc. Start: The Mililani resident received her business degree in marketing from the University of San Francisco in 1981. “My husband, Keith, is the third-generation owner. His grandfather started…
Make Next Year Better
Now is the time to start planning so next year is better than this one. Start by reflecting on the current year and identifying what worked well and what didn’t. Were the challenges hiring good staff or training them? Making…
Kohala Restaurants Offer Food Fit For A King
Find big flavors on the Big Island at these best places to eat in North Kohala. North Kohala has a rich history as the birthplace of Kamehameha the Great and as a central hub during the plantation days. Still, many…
What Small Business Owners Can Learn from the Uber Fiasco
The fall of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick offers valuable lessons for small business owners. From my perspective, Kalanick did not understand or appreciate his limitations and the ramifications of his actions. Both are common management failures. As the owner of…
Increasing the Value of Your Business
You have a business that is doing well and paying the bills. Maybe it has put one or two children through college. The kids are working, maybe on the Mainland, and not interested in taking over the family business. Now…
Pot is Legal in Many Places but Workplace Testing is Legal Everywhere
Q: My girlfriend and I spent our vacation in Colorado, skiing, hanging out with family and smoking some of their legal and beautifully packaged weed. Back home now, I heard my company is doing random drug testing this week. I’m…
