Twice a year, Hawaii Business Magazine asks the Anthology Marketing Group to take the pulse of the local business community. This spring, owners and executives of 407 companies each had unique stories to tell about their firms’ financial situations – ranging from awesome to awful and everything in between.

When taken as a whole, the results of this latest BOSS Survey are worse than last fall’s survey. Much more disturbing is that optimism about the local economy’s future fell dramatically.

“We’re bruised but back on track. We have not fully recovered from 2020 yet, but we work on this every day. We tackled higher food, liquor and labor costs by raising prices, but a lot of hidden costs affect our bottom line.”

— Kaleo Schneider, Director of Operations, Buzz’s Original Steak House (O’ahu)

“We are flourishing. Our sales are strong. We have really good staffing and all our positions are full. We have a good future.”

— Leila Thompson | GM, Window Trends (Kaua’i)

“Barely surviving. We have only booked 3 new weddings since the August fires. The message potential clients get is that those who live on Maui do not want them to come. Another issue is many wedding groups can’t afford the available accommodations.”

— A Maui wedding company that asked to remain anonymous

Optimism about the future – or the lack of it – is a huge factor in business decision-making. Optimistic business leaders will hire more workers, launch expansions and offer new products and services. Less optimistic leaders may freeze or cut staff, delay expansion and reduce product lines or services.

To further probe these attitudes, the survey’s respondents were asked which of these statements best describes their companies’ spending plans for the coming 12 months.

“The economy will hold steady. There’s still a lot of willingness to come to Hawai’i.”

— Byron Kay, Owner, Kona Honu Divers (Hawai’i Island)

“It’s hard to predict… but if housing continues to rise in cost, the economy will fall, because we don’t have the workforce.”

— Nichole Hutaff-Nakamura, President, Valley Isle Excursions

“Speaking with tons of friends, vendors, colleagues in the tourism and wedding industry this year, they are all in the same boat as I am. we’re not getting new business and not sure if it will happen any time in the next few years.”

— A Maui wedding company that asked to remain anonymous

“The economy is getting worse, and I expect this trend will continue until 2026. There are many issues worldwide and until they are cleared up, it will affect our economy.”

— Kaleo Schneider, Buzz’s Original Steak House

What Changes in Hawai‘i Taxes Do You Favor?

In May, state legislators passed, and Gov. Josh Green signed into law, a major income tax cut for Hawai’i residents. However, this year’s Legislature rejected Green’s proposed $25 visitor tax and a proposed exemption to the excise tax for food sales.

Please note: We conducted most of the BOSS Survey of local business owners and executives and all of the 808 Poll of the general public during the legislative session, before the income tax cut received final approval.

“I see businesses picking up more of the tax burden, whether it’s car registrations or in our employment taxes. Visitors too. They get dinged all the time with an extra fee for renting a car.”

— Leila Thompson | Window Trends

“I strongly oppose a visitor tax. If you want less of something, you tax it. If you don’t want less tourism, which drives our economy, then don’t raise taxes.”

— Byron Kay | Kona Huna Divers

Did the Cost of Goods and Services Go up a Lot, a Little or Hold Steady?

One recent phenomenon in the news concerns inflation and people’s perceptions of it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says consumer prices nationwide for all items rose 3.4% from December 2022 to December 2023 – a little more than half the rate of 6.5% in the previous 12 months. And though the inflation rate fluctuates from month to month, the overall inflation rate for the first four months of 2024 is similar to 2023’s.

Nonetheless, surveys show many people do not feel inflation has fallen. One commonly cited explanation: These people see that prices overall have not come down but remain much higher than before the pandemic. In this explanation, people equate today’s persistent high prices with continued high rates of inflation.

The next two questions in the BOSS Survey aim to test similar perceptions about higher prices among businesspeople. First, we asked businesses how much they had raised their own prices in the past year – something they are unlikely to exaggerate. We also asked them how much their vendors had raised prices in the same period. We compare the answers side by side.

I think that if people’s perceptions of prices were generally accurate, then the numbers in each row would be more similar. After all, the BOSS Survey includes many local businesses that supply goods and services to other local businesses. Both groups of businesses have imposed higher prices on others, and paid higher prices imposed by other buinesses.

While only 15% of businesses surveyed said they raised their prices a lot in the past year, 41% of them said their vendors raised prices a lot. Knowing a bit about human psychology, I think it only natural that people and businesses are more likely to emphasize in their minds the price increases imposed on themselves, and less likely to emphasize in their minds the price increases they impose on others. I would probably think that way myself.

Who Should Lead Lahaina’s Fire Recovery?

Methodology for These Surveys

The BOSS Survey and 808 Poll were conducted by Anthology, a Hawai‘i marketing group that is part of a global company called Finn Partners.

The respondents for the BOSS Survey were found by using a company listing purchased from a third-party business sample provider, as well as Hawaii Business Magazine’s Top 250 list and classified yellow page listings.

Interviews were done online as well as by telephone with owners, senior executives and other people at participating companies who were knowledgeable about their companies’ operations and finances. A total of 407 random interviews on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i and Kaua‘i were conducted from March 27 to May 15, 2024. A sample of this size has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.86 percentage points with a 95% confidence level.

The sample of companies was stratified based on number of employees. Businesses with one to nine employees were designated as “very small” and those with 10 to 49 employees were designated as “small.” Medium-sized companies were those with 50 to 99 employees and companies with 100 or more employees were classified as “large.” The data was weighted to reflect the proper proportions of each company segment based on numbers of employees as reported by the state of Hawai‘i Department of Labor.

A secondary goal was to complete interviews with a target set of companies that derive relatively significant proportions of their revenues from retail sales. A total of 71 were surveyed in this segment.

A separate online survey called the 808 Poll was conducted of the general public. A total of 459 surveys were conducted from March 22 to April 1, 2024. Respondents were screened to ensure they were at least 18 years of age and fulltime Hawai‘i residents.

The margin of error for a sample of this size is plus or minus 4.57 percentage points with a 95% confidence level.

Twice a year, Hawaii Business Magazine asks Anthology Research to conduct two surveys of local residents: the BOSS Survey of 404 business owners and executives, and the 808 Poll of the general public. Part I of the latest results ran in the November issue; here are other interesting findings.

How Do You Feel About the University of Hawai’i?

People in both surveys were asked about their ties, if any, with UH.

In the survey of the general public:

• Among all college graduates, 47% have a degree from the UH system.
• Among those respondents born and raised in Hawai‘i, 41% are graduates of the UH system; 11% of transplants to the state have a UH degree.
• Among the major ethnic groups in the state, 55% of Japanese respondents have a UH degree. The ethnic group with the lowest percentage is Caucasians, at 11%

Next, those respondents who attended UH were asked to rate their overall experience using this scale

All the respondents in both surveys were asked to rate their general feelings about UH.

Remote Work vs. In-Person Work

Participants in both surveys were asked about the policy governing in-person attendance at the places where they work. In the poll of the general public, 292 people said they are working; their answers are reflected below.

• On the Neighbor Islands, 74% of business respondents said their companies’ employees work in-person all or almost all the time, compared with 61% on O‘ahu.
• Among the general public, 78% of all workers with annual household incomes below $50,000 work for businesses that require employees to be in-person at their job sites all or almost all of the time. Among workers with annual household incomes above $100,000, only 49% work for such businesses.

Each respondent was asked what they prefer regarding remote work.

Among the general public, preference for in-person work is higher among less educated and less affluent segments. For example, 54% of those without a college degree prefer to work in-person all or almost all of the time; this preference falls to 31% among those with a college degree.

BOSS Survey Goes Inside the Tourism Industry

As part of the overall BOSS Survey, we conducted a survey-within-the-survey: a poll of 111 business owners and executives who said most of their companies’ revenue comes from visitors. Here’s what they told us.

The overall results are compiled into a single index, the BOSS Performance Index. The higher the number in the index, the better the overall results. Here is how tourism companies overall compared with all other companies in the BOSS Survey.

Another key question asked of all BOSS respondents: Do you think the overall local economy will improve, remain the same or get worse over the coming year? Interestingly, the respondents in the tourism industry were more optimistic overall than those at other local companies. For example, 48% of those in the tourism industry thought the overall economy would improve; only 34% of those representing non-tourism companies shared that sentiment.

The responses to that question are aggregated into the Optimism Index. The higher number indicates more optimism.

The BOSS Survey was conducted Aug. 15 to Sept. 13, 2023 – starting a week after the tragic devastation in Lahaina. The survey began with a series of questions about each company’s key financial metrics over the past year: Did your revenue, staffing and profit go up in the past year, hold steady or go down? Here is what they said:

The visitor industry owners and executives were asked to predict overall visitor spending at their businesses in the next year or two.

Last year, when we asked the same question, 62% of respondents predicted an increase in visitor spending.

Visitors From Japan and the Rest of Asia

The tourism industry companies were asked about the impact on their bottom line of the relative absence of tourists from Japan and other Asian countries. They were asked which of the following three options best describes the effect on their businesses.

Twice a year, Hawaii Business Magazine asks Anthology Research to conduct two surveys of local residents: the BOSS Survey of business owners and executives, and the 808 Poll of the general public. Here are the latest results, with occasional quotes from survey respondents.

Local Government Corruption

Survey participants were presented with this statement: In recent years Hawai‘i has seen many investigations and convictions for corruption of our public officials, including elected politicians, a police chief and civil servants.

Participants were then asked which of the following options best mirror their personal views on the topic.

Gov. Green’s Emergency Housing Proclamation and His Job Performance

People in both surveys were presented with the following statement: Gov. Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation on housing that suspends many regulations with the goal of spurring construction of lower-priced homes for Hawai‘i residents.

They were then asked which of the following options best mirror their personal view on the proclamation. (Note: Both surveys were completed before the governor revised the proclamation in mid-September to restore environmental reviews, historic preservation laws and Sunshine Law requirements.)

People in both surveys were asked to rate the governor’s job performance so far. They were given these five options:

More Guns in Hawai’i

Survey participants were given this statement: A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has changed how guns are regulated in Hawai‘i. The ruling appears likely to make it easier to buy and carry guns in the Islands.

They were then asked which of the following options best mirror their personal views on the topic.

“There will be no shortage of obstacles in our collective futures. However, I trust the proud, resilient and caring people of Hawai‘i will continue to find ways to come together to show progress.

– BOSS Survey Respondent

Do You Support Red-light Traffic Cameras?

Survey participants were presented with this statement: The state Department of Transportation has a pilot program that uses cameras at busy intersections to photograph and ticket drivers who run red lights.

They were then asked which of these responses best mirror their personal views on the topic.

Is the Military Good or Bad for Hawai’i?

Respondents in both surveys were asked about the large military presence in the Islands. A similar strong majority in both groups endorsed the military’s presence.

Will You Ride the Skyline?

Respondents from both surveys who live on O‘ahu were asked: With the first leg of the Honolulu rail system now open, please choose one of the following statements to best describe your use of Skyline.

Will You Encourage Your Son to Play Football?

Respondents in both surveys were asked if they have sons of football playing age or younger, or plan to have children in the future. Of the business representatives, 229 said yes as did 282 among the general public. We asked those people which of the following best represented their stance on allowing their son(s) to play this sport.

The BOSS Survey generates two indexes. The Performance Index measures changes over the past year in employment, gross revenues and profit before taxes among the companies surveyed. Did those measures go up, down or hold steady?

The Optimism Index reveals the business community’s outlook for the economic future of the Islands over the next year.

BOSS Performance Index

The latest three BOSS Surveys have shown similar results on the three major measures of business performance. Here are the results from the latest survey.

• Employment: 65% of the companies surveyed maintained the same staffing level over the past year, 19% increased staff and 16% cut staff.
• Gross Revenue: 43% of the companies surveyed enjoyed greater revenue in the past year, 28% were flat and 27% had less revenue.
• Profit Before Taxes: 34% achieved larger profits before taxes in the past year, 30% held steady and 33% suffered lower profits before taxes.

BOSS Optimism Index

Of the business leaders surveyed, 26% said they believe the economy will improve in the coming year – more jobs, business growth, revenue growth. Meanwhile, 35% said it will remain flat and 38% fear it will worsen – fewer jobs, more bankruptcies, revenue loss. Of the businesses on Maui, 72% said things would get worse.

Again, both the 808 Survey and 808 Poll were taken in the weeks soon after the Lahaina fire.

How Many Tourists?

Each survey participant was presented with this statement: The number of visitors arriving in Hawai‘i this year is running at about 94% of the peak tourism year of 2019, when more than 10 million visitors came.

They were then asked which of these statements best mirror their personal views.

Will Your Company Flourish or Suffer Difficult Times?

Business leaders were asked to characterize their companies’ prospects over the next two years using these options.

“Unprecedented uncertainty for the second time in just a few years after the Maui fire is hard on all stakeholders.”

-Boss Survey Respondent

Methodology for BOSS Survey and 808 Poll

BOSS – the Business Outlook and Sentiment Survey – is a statewide survey of business owners, senior executives and other company representatives. The 808 Poll is a survey of the general public in Hawai‘i. Both are conducted twice a year for Hawaii Business Magazine by the research team at Anthology Marketing, now part of the global agency Finn Partners.

For the BOSS, a total of 404 random interviews were conducted on the four most populated Hawaiian Islands from Aug. 15 to Sept. 13, 2023, after the tragic fire in Lahaina. A sample of this size has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.88 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

A survey within the main BOSS Survey involved interviews with business leaders who describe their companies as generating significant revenue from the tourism industry. A total of 111 leaders were surveyed in this segment; their responses were also included in the main survey results.

In the 808 Poll, 463 members of the general public age 18 and older were surveyed from Aug. 15 to 28, 2023. The margin of error for a sample of this size is plus or minus 4.55 percentage points with a 95% confidence level.

Thirty-five of the BOSS respondents live on Maui; 26 of them help lead companies in the tourism industry. Fifty-five of the 808 respondents live in Maui County. These are small sample sizes, but we felt their collective responses were worth separating out on certain survey questions when they differed significantly from the overall responses.

What Are Your Company’s Plans for 2024

Participants in the BOSS Survey of business owners, executives and representatives were presented with the following: Fears about a recession have diminished in recent months among some economists and business leaders; others still fear a recession in 2024.

They were then asked which of the following options best mirror their company’s plans for the near future.

Participants in both the BOSS Survey of business leaders and the 808 Poll of the general public were asked about their personal plans related to spending and budgeting in 2024.

Among the general public, 28% of men have little or no fear about spending in 2024 compared with 14% of women; 17% of women anticipate substantial cuts in spending compared to just 5% of men. Unsurprisingly, among the general public, the largest proportion of those with restricted spending plans came from those in the lowest income tier – household income of less than $50,000 a year.

Wages and Salary

Respondents were asked which of the following best mirrored how wages and salaries were handled by their business over the past year

Overall Expenses

Next, respondents were asked which of the following best described overall expenses at their business over the past year.

Cost Cutting

The business leaders were asked which of these best described any cost-cutting measures they took over the past year. They were allowed to choose more than one option. Here are the answers of the 37% of business representatives who said their businesses took one or more cost-cutting measures.

Company Pricing

Each business respondent was asked which of the following best mirrored how their company’s pricing model was handled during the past year.

How Did You Respond to Inflation?

Each respondent in both surveys – business representatives and the general public – was presented with six options and asked to select all that describe their personal response to inflation and higher interest rates.

Among the general public, people in these groups took more actions to counter the effects of inflation: women, those without a college degree, less affluent respondents, Native Hawaiians and renters.

Impact of the $14 Minimum Wage

Each respondent in the BOSS Survey of business representatives was told: The state’s minimum wage will rise to $14 an hour on Jan. 1, 2024. They were then asked which of these scenarios best described how you think your business will be impacted.

Seventy-eight percent of businesses in the construction sector predicted no impact, compared with 64% for all other businesses.

Methodology for BOSS Survey and 808 Poll

Hawaii Business Magazine’s BOSS stands for Business Outlook and Sentiment Survey. This survey was conducted by Anthology Research using a company listing purchased from a third-party business sample provider as well as Hawaii Business Magazine’s Top 250 list and classified Yellow Pages listings.

The sample of companies was stratified based on numbers of employees. Businesses with one to nine employees were designated as “very small” and those with 10 to 49 employees were designated as “small.” Medium-sized firms were those with 50 to 99 employees while companies with 100 or more employees were classified as “large.”

A total of 408 random interviews on the four biggest islands were conducted from March 21 to April 27, 2023. The data was weighted to reflect the proper proportions of each company segment based on number of employees as reported by the Hawai‘i Department of Labor. A sample of this size has a margin of error of 4.85 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

A secondary goal was to complete interviews with about 100 businesses that derive relatively significant proportions of their revenues from the construction industry. A total of 92 were surveyed in this segment.

Anthology Research also conducted the 808 Poll on behalf of Hawaii Business Magazine. In this online study of the general public, respondents were screened to ensure they were full-time residents of Hawai‘i. A total of 404 surveys were completed between March 3 and March 8, 2023. The margin of error for a sample of this size is 4.88 percentage points with a 95% confidence level.

The sample for the study was provided by third-party online sample providers, augmented by Anthology Research’s proprietary panel of Hawai‘i residents who have opted to take part in research studies.

The questions in both studies were developed by Hawaii Business Magazine and Anthology Research. The data was weighted to reflect population estimates of adults 18 and older segmented by the major ethnic groups in the Islands.

ESG and Your Company

Each business representative was presented with this statement: ESG stands for environmental, social and governance and is being used as a framework by some organizations to help govern their strategies on environmental and social issues, and how the organization and its leaders operate.

They were then asked which of these options best mirrored their company’s stance on ESG.

O‘ahu respondents (13%) were statistically more likely to say ESG policies were “misguided, counterproductive or unnecessary” than their Neighbor Island counterparts (5%).

In the 808 Poll, respondents who are employed were given the same statement and asked if their employer had an ESG policy

Then they were asked if all businesses should have an ESG policy.

Workers with a college degree (19%) were more than twice as likely to reject such policies as workers without a college degree (8%).

DEI and Your Company

In the BOSS Survey, each business representative was presented with the following statement:

DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion and is used to describe an organization’s policies and programs that promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals, including people of various ages, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations.

They were then asked which option best mirrored their company’s stance.

Each of the working respondents in the 808 Poll of the general public was presented with the same DEI statement. They were then asked if the business that employs them has a DEI policy.

Among people living in households with annual incomes of more than $100,000, 63% say their employer has DEI policies. Among workers who live in households with incomes below $50,000, just 35% work for companies with DEI policies.

They were then asked if all businesses should have a DEI policy.

Support for DEI policies at all companies is more likely among working people born and raised in Hawai‘i (72%); this falls to 60% amongst transplants.

Personal Views on Housing

Respondents in both surveys were told of these five policies and asked to select all that they personally feel state and local governments should follow to increase the supply of affordable and workforce housing in Hawai‘i.

In the BOSS Survey, those business representatives whose companies operate in the construction industry (50%) were statistically less likely to support looser zoning rules than were those who work for companies outside of this sector (63%). Conversely, businesses in the construction industry (85%) were statistically more likely to support subsidies, loans and tax incentives to builders than were those who work for firms outside of this sector (74%).

Read other parts of this BOSS Survey 

Part 1: Is a Recession Coming? Here’s What Hawai‘i’s Business Leaders Say.

Part 3: Hawai‘i Construction Companies Say Revenues and Profits Are Up

Twice a year, Hawaii Business Magazine asks Anthology Research to conduct two surveys of local residents: the BOSS Survey of business owners and senior executives, and the 808 Poll of the general public. Here are the results of the latest surveys.

We start with a provocative question and get a gloomy response: Do you believe Hawai‘i will suffer a recession in the coming year? Most people said yes.

Among the general public:

• Women (72%) were more likely to believe a recession is coming than men (57%).
• Those without college degrees (71%) were more likely to believe a recession is coming than college graduates (60%).
• Among the major ethnic groups, Native Hawaiians (79%) were statistically the most likely to believe a recession is coming. Only 57% of Caucasians and Japanese felt the same.

Boss Optimism Index

The BOSS Optimism Index is based on what business leaders think will happen to the local economy in the coming year. In the latest survey:

• 21% felt the local economy would get better.
• 39% believed it would stay the same.
• 37% feared it would worsen.

A few others did not provide a response. Those results were essentially the same as in the fall 2022 BOSS Survey.

Additionally, business leaders were given three possible responses to a question about their companies’ spending plans in the coming year.

A few others did not provide a response. As with the previous question, the answers were very close to the fall 2022 survey.

Continued Gains in Revenue, Profit and Staffing

The BOSS Performance Index measures changes in revenue, profit before taxes and employment among the surveyed companies. The index continues to move up, though the pace slowed in the latest survey.

Did this important metric go up, down or stay the same compared to a year ago?

• Revenue: 48% said revenue was up.
• Profit before taxes: 36% said profit was up.
• Employment: 20% said they have more employees.

Difficult to Hire the Right Person

Roughly half (48%) of the businesses polled have hired at least one employee in the past year. We asked those businesses: Which of these three options best described your hiring process?

What’s the Condition of Your Company?

Business representatives were asked which of the following options best describes the current condition of their companies.

• 43% of Neighbor Island businesses were said to be flourishing; only 26% of O‘ahu business were described that way.

Read other parts of this BOSS Survey 

Part 2: How Are Hawai‘i Companies Responding to Inflation and ESG/DEI Demands?

Part 3: Hawai‘i Construction Companies Say Revenues and Profits Are Up

In this section of the BOSS Survey, we focus on companies that said most of their revenue came from the construction industry; 92 businesses qualified to respond in this section.

The BOSS Performance Index is based on each companies’ revenue, profits and staffing. The construction companies did slightly better in the index overall than other companies surveyed because they reported better revenue and profit results on average.

Construction company representatives were asked: How did your revenue change over the past year?

The construction industry representatives were asked to describe how much of their current business came from the private sector and how much from government spending. Those results were averaged out:

These percentages were about midway for similar surveys conducted every two years since 2001. The high for private sector work was spring 2021 (80.5%) and the low was 2011 (66.6%).

The proportion of government work was higher on O‘ahu (28%) than on the Neighbor Islands (13%).

Is Your Current Work More or Less Profitable

In this section of the study construction industry representatives were asked about the overall profitability (before taxes) of their projects during this past year

What About Your Project Backlogs?

Construction industry representatives were asked about their backlog of projects, if at all, over the course of the last year.

Is Financing Getting Easier or Harder?

Those surveyed were asked for their thoughts regarding the availability of financing for construction projects over the past two years.

Two-Year Projections

Representatives were asked what their expectations were for private sector projects for their companies in the next two years.

Next, they were asked what their expectations were for their public sector projects for their companies in the next two years.

The respondents were asked to consider the local construction industry as a whole and to forecast changes in these five sectors of construction. Here are the percentages of respondents who said there would be more activity and spending in these segments over the next two years.

Are Your Construction Costs Up, Down or Steady?

Industry representatives were asked if their constructions costs rose over the last two years. The percentage that said yes was the highest ever in surveys every two years going back to 2013.

Construction firms who indicated their costs have increased over the past two years were asked by how much.

They said their costs went up by this much:

*Highest percentage ever recorded for this category; next highest was 28% in 2007

How Is the Permitting Process?

Respondents were asked if the permitting process in the counties where they operate has improved in the last few years. We compared this spring’s results to when we last asked the question.

Read other parts of this BOSS Survey 

Part 1: Is a Recession Coming? Here’s What Hawai‘i’s Business Leaders Say.
Part 2: How Are Hawai‘i Companies Responding to Inflation and ESG/DEI Demands?

What Local People Think

We asked business leaders and the general public about:

• recruitment and retention

• remote work

• their enthusiasm for attending events

• mask wearing

• tourism

• made in Hawai‘i products

• water consumption

Here is some of what we learned from the latest versions of the BOSS Survey of 421 local business owners and senior executives, and the 808 Poll of 427 members of the general public. Other results were published in the December issue of Hawaii Business Magazine.

What Are You Doing to Attract Employees?

Business leaders were asked which strategies they’ve used during the past year to recruit and retain employees. They could select all that applied.

O‘ahu (39%) businesses were more likely to allow remote work for their employees compared to businesses operating on the Neighbor Islands (25%). Neighbor Island businesses and visitor industry companies were more likely to have reduced hours of operation and to offer bonuses for new employees.

Remote Work

We asked business leaders and the general public about which of these outcomes best reflected their workplace environment now as compared to pre-pandemic.

How Often Are You Attending In-Person Events?

Each respondent to the BOSS Survey and 808 Poll was asked what best reflects their personal views regarding work-related gatherings of 20 or more people.

dk/da*: Did not know or did not answer

Each respondent was then asked which of the following statements best reflects their personal views regarding social gatherings of 20 or more people.

dk/da*: Did not know or did not answer

Wearing Facemasks

Respondents were asked if they wear a face mask around co-workers, extended family and close friends.

How Many Tourists?

Respondents to both the BOSS Survey of local business leaders and the 808 Poll of the general public were presented with the following statement:

The peak year for Hawai‘i tourism was 2019, with 10.42 million visitors arriving in the Islands. This year, an estimated 9.2 million tourists will arrive. Which of the following three options best reflects your vision for local tourism in 2023?

dk/da*: Did not know or did not answer

dk/da*: Did not know or did not answer

dk/da*: Did not know or did not answer

Made In Hawai’i

Respondents in both surveys were asked if they made a conscious effort to buy made in Hawai‘i products when possible.

Among business leaders, 93% of those on the Neighbor Islands said they made a con-scious effort to buy local and 82% on O‘ahu. Among the general public, 86% of Native Hawaiians and 79% of Caucasians said they made a conscious effort, while 60% of Japanese said they did.

Next, each respondent was asked if they would be willing to pay a premium for Hawai‘i prod-ucts as opposed to less expensive products made elsewhere.

dk/da*: Did not know or did not answer

dk/da*: Did not know or did not answer

Those respondents who said they were willing to pay more for local products were asked how much more.

Home Water Consumption

What About Your Business?

How confident are you that your firm will still be in business three years from now? We compared the answers to this question with the answers we received in November 2020, when confidence was at a low ebb amid the pandemic.

Businesses in the visitor industry were on average less confident of their survival in the latest survey than other local businesses. For example, 61% of businesses that operate outside of the visitor industry were 100% confident that they’d still be operating in three years; only 46% of visitor industry companies were that confident.

What’s Your Company’s Temperature?

Business leaders were asked which best exemplifies the current condition of the companies they own or work for. We added results of the same question from the 808 Poll of the general public in which 243 people who are employed responded.

In the April 2021 BOSS Survey, only 20% of local companies were described as flourishing.

Hiring Now vs. Before the Pandemic

Next, business representatives were asked if they find it more difficult to hire people now than it was prior to the pandemic.

Read other parts of this BOSS Survey of 421 business owners

Part 1: BOSS Survey Paradox: Results vs. Optimism
Part 3: We Surveyed 112 Tourism Leaders to See How They’re Faring