Ready To Grow
Is your business already bringing in more than $1 million in revenue a year, but you want to take it to the next level? Dana Hauanio and her team are here to help. Hauanio is the Hawaii program director for…
Hawaii Business Magazine - December 2012
My Job: Entomologist
Name: John David Nelson Job: Entomologist Years of experience: 14 STARTING OUT: Growing up on an Eastern Tennessee farm, Nelson says, insects were part of his daily life. But it wasn’t until he took an entomology class in college, then…
Green Machines and Smiles
Owner David Jung aims to distinguish his new taxi company from competitors with two things: sustainability and good service. The company is called EcoCab and all of its vehicles are Hyundai Sonata hybrids, which the EPA rates at 35 mpg…
Aerial Innovation
Local company designs and builds unmanned aircraft systems. The military is a major user of unmanned aircraft, but Jeff Williams says it’s the civilian market that will “explode” with new products and applications in the next few years when federal…
Tech the Halls with Online Jolly Fa La La La La, La La La La
In the spirit of the season, we share some favorite free or low-cost online resources, with the hopes that you may enjoy them this holiday. www.audible.com: Choose from thousands of audiobooks, including bestsellers, biographies and business books. www.evernote.com: Keep…
Marshmahalos. You’re Welcome.
Move over, Jet-Puffed, there’s a new marshmallow in town. Kristin and Kui Bento have introduced Marshmahalos, a gourmet take on the spongy confection. “They come in a variety of flavors, including Royal Chocolate Mousse, Salted Caramel Crunch and Strawberry Lemonade,”…
Market for sipsters don’t worry, you can come, too
Chef Chris Okuhara says he wasn’t left with a crumb at the inaugural Honolulu Night Market in Kakaako in October. The co-owner of Miso & Ale, a “pop-up” eatery, says close to 1,000 people visited his booth, which served pork…
More than a Snack Pack from Home
If they can’t get home for the holidays, Wei Fang and Kina Mahi will help you send a bit of Hawaii to distant family and friends. The two business partners – already involved in a number of startups and other…
5 Steps to Writing a Business Plan
One of the critical milestones in starting a business is writing the business plan. It should be your first priority, given its standing as the road map for how your business idea becomes a reality. JW Ellsworth, counselor and mentor…
Hawaii Beef Comes Home
Call it Hawaii’s most unusual export. For years, the vast majority of calves born in Hawaii have been sent to feed lots on the mainland, where they matured, and then were slaughtered and shipped to grocery stores and restaurants around…
Ask SmallBiz: Building Teamwork on Construction Projects
Question: I am involved in a construction project whose contract provides for performance-based penalties and rewards. What can I do to help get all the companies to work together? Answer: It’s essential that people who work together have good communication, teamwork and strategies for…
Parting Shot: Whole Ox Deli
11:17 am, Tuesday The Whole Ox, Kakaako Photographer: David Croxford >> Robert McGee inspects beef at his butcher and deli in Kakaako. Its beef, pork, venison and lamb come from local sources that birth, raise and process the animals. Each…
Innovation: Mammograms with less pain and better results
Problem: Breast cancer strikes one of every eight women in the United States. “Everyone knows someone or is related to someone who has breast cancer,” says Dr. Beth Rhodes of the Breast Care Center of Hawaii. “But, today, (a breast cancer diagnosis)…
Editor's Note: Eisenhower is a Political Model for Our Times
During his first term, Barack Obama invited historians to the White House so he could learn about Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and other American presidents. History teaches us valuable lessons and Obama looked for guidance from some of America’s greatest…
Talk Story with John McComas of AlohaCare
McComas has led AlohaCare since 1996. The medical insurer’s largest group of clients are Medicaid/Quest beneficiaries in Hawaii, including families and individuals with incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. That’s about 75,000 people. Gov. Neil Abercrombie speaks of transforming…
Hawaii Business BOSS Survey - December 2012
13 Insights from the BOSS survey of 401 local business leaders Seven of the 13 are good news, one not so good and two are just plain odd. You decide about the other three. 1. Overall Economy Maintains Momentum The…
Professional Addicts
For lawyer Ken Lawson, it began with a sports injury and a prescribed painkiller. It ended in disbarment and prison. In between were years of escalating dependence on prescription opiates, alcohol and cocaine, plus abuse of clients’ trust funds, missed…
Hawaii Business 2012 CEO of the Year: John Dean of Central Pacific Bank
The toughest challenge was recapitalizing the bank,” says John Dean, Central Pacific Bank’s soft-spoken CEO. Dean, who came out of retirement in 2010 to help save the struggling community bank, knew what he was getting into. This was his fifth bank and…