Author: Mariah Mellor

What it’s worth? Big Fish.

$8.30 a pound Monday through Saturday, before the sun rises, independent fishermen bring their catch to Pier 38 for the Honolulu Fish Auction, the only fresh-tuna auction between Maine and Tokyo. The United Fishing Agency quality-control staff inspects and tags…

Air Guitar? No, App Guitar

Your inner rock star has been waiting for this app: Miso Music can teach you how to play several types of guitars, ukuleles, banjos and mandolins. Created by Miso Media – an app development company based in California but made…

Good Value for Your Donations?

Major nonprofits rarely put paid staff on street corners to ask for donations and recruit members. So when Hawaii Business staff kept seeing youthful Greenpeace employees around Oahu asking passersby for donations, we wanted to know: Is this a cost-effective…

5 Steps to Getting a Liquor License in Honolulu

Applicants for Oahu liquor licenses must attend two hearings and submit floor plans, tax maps and other documents and certificates. It can take about three to four months to get a license, “assuming no issues arise during the licensing investigation…

Building Customer Loyalty

There are many reasons Luibueno’s Mexican and Seafood Restaurant in Haleiwa has made so many loyal customers since it opened in March 2010. The Spanish and Baja Mexican family recipes from husband-and-wife owners Luis and Taryn Silva have a lot…

Concierge to the Rescue

Helping guests in every way possible Guests usually ask the hotel concierge basic questions like, “What’s a great place for a romantic dinner?” or “How do I get to the North Shore?” But the request is sometimes more challenging, like…

What’s it Worth?

For $25 you can own a piece of art that is both beautiful and functional. Aaron Lau, CEO of Simply Wood Studios and Lau Lau Woodworks, started handcrafting pens out of koa, abalone and other exotic materials in 2002 after…

Green Printing and Marketing

Hagadone, a company synonymous with printing in Hawaii, is now offering its clients a broader marketing reach plus a carbon-offset program. Its new H1 division offers e-solutions like development for mobile phone and computer tablet apps, website refinement, and an…

Boost Your Energy with Office Fitness

Sitting at a computer for eight hours or more can lead to bad posture, eye strain, fatigue and mindless eating. Avoid these risks with tips and simple desk exercises from Balance Core Fitness personal trainer Eric Yamashita. Set a timer…

Making a Hobby Your Business

Maui Surfer Girls founder Dustin Tester proves that, with hard work, you don’t need a business degree to own one. Tester’s love of surfing and her Adventure Education degree from Prescott College in Arizona inspired her to start an all-girl…

5 Steps to Better Public Speaking

Some people have the natural ability to speak with confidence in front of large audiences. For everyone else, Mark Blackburn, treasurer of Honolulu’s Downtown Business Association Toastmasters, offers tips on being a better public speaker. “It’s a real challenge, but…

Room Redesigns in a Day

The sluggish economy prompted interior designers Jean Wall and Joan Robinson-Whitaker to start an affordable, one-day design service. Designer for a Day launched in August 2008 after Robinson-Whitaker was laid off from Castle Resorts & Hotels and Wall’s business ended. “We…

By the Numbers: Ironman Triathlon

Only 1,800 qualifiers and lottery winners make it to the Ford Ironman World Championship starting line in Kona out of the tens of thousands who try to get there. The world- famous triathlon, which combines a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike…

Where are Young Customers Checking in to Your Business

An emerging way for stores, restaurants and other businesses to connect with customers is location-based social-media networks like MyTown, Foursquare, GoWalla and Whrrl. Rob Bertholf, chief search architect of Chapter Three LLC, a San Francisco consulting firm, says there are…

My Favorite Things

You may have heard that Hawaii Pacific University’s dean of the College of Business Administration, U. Aytun Ozturk, holds a degree in industrial engineering and a Ph.D. in stochastic optimization and scheduling. But did you know this 33-year-old native of…

No Landline? They Still Want Your Opinion

Local research companies, which rely heavily on telephone surveys, are adjusting their calling strategies to reach the many young people who use cell phones and have no landline at home. During the last half of 2009, 24.5 percent of households…

North Shore Poke

A signature sauce and five-generation recipe keep people coming back for shoyu poke from Kahuku Superette on Oahu’s North Shore. “I call it ‘mother’s love sauce’ and, once you try it, you’re addicted for life,” says manager Diane Primacio. Market…