Hawaii Business Magazine - July 2017

A 600-Year Tradition

Emma Robinson, a UH master of fine arts in design student, paints a scenic pine tree backdrop for the play "Power and Folly: Japanese (Kyogen) Satire for the 21st Century." Historians believe Kyogen is the oldest professional theater style in…

Nonprofit Corner: Sustainable Homeownership

“We’re trying to create a consumer who’s better-educated, empowered and can make their own decisions when it comes to first-time home buying,” explains Dennis Oshiro, executive director of Hawaii HomeOwnership Center. “A single mom who spent 10 years getting coaching…

Hawaii Depends on Small Businesses

Small businesses are so crucial to Hawaii that they must be nurtured and protected for the overall economy to grow. The federal Small Business Administration has different definitions for a small business depending on the industry, but, if we use…

How Family Businesses Survive and Thrive

As Baby Boomers retire, thousands of local family businesses are facing difficult transitions to the next generation. A groundbreaking local survey identifies challenges and solutions. Here’s how family businesses can survive and thrive. There’s a perfect storm ahead, and most…

Manage to the Max

My last column explained why small businesses are so crucial to Hawaii and that they must be nurtured for the overall economy to grow. This column offers a simple but effective strategy to manage your business to maximum capacity. First,…

Ask the Expert: Health Insurance for Employees

Q: I’m thinking about cutting my employees’ health benefits to save money. What potential downsides should I consider? A: There’s no doubt healthcare costs are a concern for employers and employees alike. However, investing in the health of your workers…

Marketing Hawaii 3.0

A record-setting 8.9 million visitors came to Hawaii in 2016. Most were drawn by the Islands’ decades-old persona of sun, sand, surf and aloha, but some were lured by the artful use of creative technology: • A photo on the…

Corporate Anniversaries 2017

What does it take to succeed in Hawaiʻi? Read stories from local companies that have endured and flourished for many years.

Can You Keep a Secret?

Ever wonder what customers really think of your business, and what sort of service they receive when you’re not around? Mystery shopping firm Insight Twenty20 can tell you. “Michelle Chun and her team understand the hospitality industry and what keeps…

Death Is His Life’s Work

NAME: Charles Clark AGE: 57 JOB: Mortician, Oahu Mortuary START: When he was about 17, Clark attended a friend’s funeral service at Borthwick Mortuary. “The funeral director and I became friendly and chatted, and when I returned to the funeral…

Rent Control: Step Right Up!

Move into this 917-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment in a lovely, remodeled historical building. Washer/dryer, balcony, air conditioning all included for $875 a month. Just one problem, Island dwellers. It’s in Cleveland. For a similar cozy vibe in Honolulu, you’ll pay at…

Leadership Conference 2017 Information

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE Join Hawaii Business magazine for the largest professional development conference in Hawaii. The conference aims to help build smart, confident and authentic leaders through a full-day of skill-building workshops, speakers and networking. The State's most prominent leaders…

Talk Story: David Uchiyama

In April 2016, Uchiyama took over at Island Air after it was sold by billionaire Larry Ellison to local investors. Uchiyama has a long track record in the local visitor industry, including serving as VP for brand management at the…

5 Steps to a Happy Workplace

In happy workplaces, employees experience less stress, connect strongly with others, progress toward their professional goals and find meaning in their work.

Women at Work

Why are there so few women at the top? Just 5.8 percent of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies are women. Globally, women hold around 15 percent of corporate board seats; in the U.S., it’s just 11 to 12 percent. There…

BOSS Says: Best Ever

Twice a year, the BOSS survey asks about 400 local business leaders: How is your company doing on revenue, employment and profit? The latest results: On average, Hawaii companies are doing better than ever in two decades of surveys.  …

We’re Back and Better Than Ever

I’ll be honest: A few months ago, I was worried about the future of Hawaii Business. Our publisher and creative director (that’s the person in charge of the entire look of the magazine, from photos to typography) had left to…

Putting Soul Into Your Business

Soul. It’s defined in multiple ways: the immaterial essence or actuating cause of an individual life, a person’s total self, the moral and emotional nature of human beings. Back in the old days, being told that you had soul was…

Raising the Bar

When Sky Waikiki director of mixology Jen Ackrill debuted such wild ingredients as turmeric-infused vodka, spicy chili liqueur and absinthe spray as part of a new series of surf-inspired cocktails, we were impressed. Her innovative new take on cocktails was…

Proper Punctuation, Partners and Pride

The ancient Greek poet Archilochus left us with this delightful metaphor: “A fox knows many things, but a hedgehog one important thing.” In this month’s column, I’m a fox, maybe because I’m juggling too many balls to be a hedgehog.…