The Hawaii General Store in Seattle began from a simple act of aloha. In 1998, Hawaii expatriate Gail Stringer wanted to buy a lei in Seattle for a friend undergoing a tough time. A $55 red carnation lei was not…
When Sandy Poehnelt launched her pie business on Kauai in 2009, one of her biggest obstacles was finding a suitable commercial kitchen. “For six weeks, I rented a space that was less than 100 square feet and I could use…
One of the biggest obstacles faced by entrepreneurs is they cannot afford the legal costs to get their businesses up and running. A trio of attorneys – two recent law-school graduates and a veteran – aim to help deserving business…
Q. As a small-business owner, what are the tax benefits of installing a photovoltaic system? A. A photovoltaic system is an incredible investment for Hawaii business owners. By installing and owning a PV system, you are protecting all or part…
It was about two hours until dinner service, and there was a steady movement in, out and around The Grove, a family-owned restaurant that opened in Kailua in December. As bartenders got organized and cooks prepped for dinner, there was…
What’s It Worth? $3,000 Abigail Langlas makes special occasions especially sweet. The cake artist and pastry chef created a four-foot cake shaped like a 1959 pink Cadillac for the 50th anniversary of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association three years ago.…
Q. I’m tired of renting space for my business. Is this a good time to buy a commercial property? If so, how do I get financing and what options are available? A. Your timing is good. The current financing environment offers…
The women of the Cherry Blossom Cabaret believe the word “burlesque” is often misunderstood. The directors, who go by the stage names of Lola Love and Miss Catwings, see burlesque as an art form – the “art of tease.” “Most…
Q. A state agency compiled information that might be helpful to my small business. How do I get it? A. There is a great deal of government information that is relevant to small businesses, such as unreleased reports, information related to…
A visit to Alicia’s Market in Kalihi is like traveling in time, back to 1949, when the family-run business was opened by Raymond and Alicia Kam as a quaint neighborhood grocery store. Nowadays, the focus is on fish. Leonard Kam…
FSC is a small, two-year-old, Hawaii firm that works entirely in Asia, especially China. James Freeman – the “F” in FSC – talks about size, technology and what it takes to succeed abroad. There must be real challenges for a…
The technical term is “vertical integration,” and what it simply means is that you create your own raw materials, process them in-house and sell the finished products directly to the public. It’s a huge challenge to do it all yourself,…
Cory Asuncion was born to sell. He jokes that he would have rented space in his mother’s womb if that had been possible. “I could sell oil back to the Saudis,” Asuncion says confidently, and with good reason. He’s had…
Shawna Emery and Danni Fry startedD&S Fry Plumbing in April and already have so many jobs they each work nearly 80 hours a week. Here, the two women share their early triumphs and obstacles. What are you doing to build your…
Just about everyone has a family recipe or talk-of-the-town potluck dish they think is ono enough to be a grocery-store bestseller. These are our six steps to take your product from concept to consumer. Most of our guides are entrepreneurs…
Q. Our children have no interest in taking over our business, so my wife and I have decided to sell it. How should we proceed? A. Selling your business is one of the most important things you will ever do. Here…
Four or five times a year, Mike Upton closes the door in Petaluma, Calif., and flies to China to check an operation that’s making several hundred-thousand Hawaii-inspired ukuleles a year. Originally based in Hawaii, Upton moved to California but maintains…
When was the last time you went to a luau and enjoyed deep-fried onion ring chips with your squid luau and lomi salmon? Never, that’s when. But Tim’s Cascade Snacks doesn’t care. The Washington-based manufacturer makes a lot of money…
Cynthia Arnold, second from left, sits between Nellie and Herbert Lum, who needed help moving out of the home they had lived in for 40 years. Arnold and Dan and Julie Ihara, at right, operate Senior Move Managers to help…
Lyon Associates, Inc. is a Honolulu-based, father-and-son engineering firm with projects from Micronesia to Bahrain. Jim Lyon, 45, was born on Okinawa, when Frank, now 82, was working for another engineering company. After retirement, Frank realized there was more work and…
Q. How much business income insurance coverage do I need? A. We’ve all heard stories about businesses that suffer a fire loss, take three months to rebuild and struggle to survive because of income lost during those months. That is…
Last year, Jessie Salvador wanted to open his own business, a doughnut shop specializing in cake doughnuts. His employer didn’t want to see him go, so it opened a retail doughnut shop, Regal Bakery, and put Salvador in charge. The…
Q. I’m planning to outsource my company’s payroll and other human resource needs. What should I look for when choosing an HR company? A. With so many providers entering this field, you need to choose wisely. Here is what ProService suggests…
Q: As I read through the fine print of our new office lease, I noticed it stipulated that mediation would be used in case of a dispute. Should I agree to this? A. I think you should. In fact, this stipulation will…