Hawaii Business Magazine - August 2014

Design Repurposing at Chai Studio

Amerjit Ghag strolled around her shop, Chai Studio,  at Ward Warehouse and pointed out everything that was repurposed. There was a lot. Like the large wooden mills used to grind grain that she topped with cushions using old sari material…

A Brief Guide to Understanding Chinese Tourists

The wave of change coming to Hawaii tourism could be seen on a recent evening at La Mer, the Halekulani hotel’s five-star French restaurant. The raucous group at one table stood out amid the room’s dark wood, roses, flickering Wolford…

Divorce Is Big Business

Divorce is big business – maybe even bigger than the wedding business in America. That’s because contested divorces involve more than just lawyers. There are also accountants, parenting consultants and other niche specialists to be paid, plus the money spent…

Doing Business Island Style, 2014 Remix

The world has changed. Is Hawaii still stuck in the past? Or were we ahead of the times all along? Remember 2004?  That year, a BlackBerry was the height of executive cool, while the first iPhone was still three years…

Financial Problems at Hawaii Pacific University

Hawaii Pacific University is suffering financial problems that have prompted layoffs of more than 100 faculty and staff, and major cuts in the scholarships that for decades have encouraged local students to attend the state’s largest private university. Meanwhile, the…

Five Steps To Ensuring Your E-mails Get Read

1. Keep It Short People are more likely to read your e-mail if they see a short message, ideally no more than three to five lines. Few have time to wade through a long, dense e-mail and read until the end. …

Ask the Expert: Attracting Foreign Investment

Question:  The Chinese have been investing heavily in the U.S. mainland. Now their interest is spreading to Hawaii. How do I ensure that, once I meet with potential Chinese investors, I can attract them to my local business?  Answer:  Creating…

Businesses that Support Their Communities

Successful business owners in Hawaii know they have to focus on more than just the bottom line. They must support employees, commit to customers, conduct business ethically and support the communities that sustain them. For some small businesses, community outreach…

Job-Hunting Advice for Young People

Alec Brownstein didn’t want to join the millions of young college graduates who settle for jobs they don’t want, because they fail to grab the right person’s attention. Instead, he acted boldly and it paid off. Brownstein hoped to get…

Chefzone Provides Help for Busy Restauranteurs

Shopping at warehouse stores can be crazy: Traffic frequently jams inside and outside the stores as badly as on our highways, and that’s especially difficult for restaurateurs and other business people who need to grab supplies fast and get back…

Hawaii Has No Native Land Reptiles

Famously, Hawaii lacks snakes, but, beyond that, it’s one of the few places in the world with no native land reptiles or amphibians – “herptiles,” as they’re collectively known. Anything here that slithers, crawls or hops was introduced, intentionally or…

Familiar Name Back in the Funeral Business

In late 2012, Ken Ordenstein started his own funeral business, building on a lifetime of experience.  His mother and father were Anna and Francis Ordenstein, co-founders of Hawaiian Memorial Park. At the Ordenstein home, which included four sons and three…

New Rules Make Paycards More Costly for Companies

Payroll cards are an alternative to paying employees by cash, check or direct deposit, but a new state law will make them more costly for companies. Paycards have gained traction nationally and about 14,000 workers in Hawaii are already paid…

Hawaii Business magazine - Award-Winning Publication

Hawaii Business won two national awards and two statewide awards for its Hawaii Quality of Life Report in the December 2013 issue. In total, the magazine won 18 awards this summer from two journalism competitions that judged work published or…

What Hawaii’s Pro Athletes Earn This Year

Welcome to our annual roundup of the salaries of professional athletes from Hawaii in Major League Baseball, the National Football League and Major League Soccer. There are currently no Hawaii athletes in the NBA or NHL. Major League Baseball Scott…

Follow Your School’s Teams

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just a proud parent trying to keep up with your child’s team, three local websites help you follow high school sports in Hawaii. ScoringLive, run by Oceanic Time Warner Cable, has a comprehensive array…

My Job: Weather Anchor

Name: Guy Hagi Job: Weather anchor at Hawaii News Now Experience: 15 years Hagi will never forget his first day as the weather anchor at KGMB. He had just returned from a family vacation to New York City. It was…

Take the Pledge

Here’s what happens during a lawsuit: You pay a bunch of money to an attorney. You fight the other guy to prove you’re right and he’s wrong. You attack his credibility, and he attacks yours. What was once a business…

Talk Story with Michael Gold

A 40-year veteran at HMSA, Gold has led the local insurance giant since December 2012 as the healthcare industry undergoes a sea change. In a recent op-ed, you wrote that the state should try to close part of the Hawaii…