Small Business News
February 2005 | Online Edition
Mayor's Speech Highlights | SBH Success Stories | SBH Awardees | Governor's Proposals | Conference Sponsors
Mayor Announces Five Initiatives at SBH Conference
Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann laid out his plans for the first 100 days in office, including an audit of the entire city, which will be headed up by Paul Yonamine (Hannemann encouraged the public to get involved in the evaluation by volunteering to help Yonamine and calling him at 527-6250).
Hannemann promised to keep in the forefront his philosophy of evaluating projects and expenditures with “do we need it, can we afford it and can we maintain it?”
He also laid out five major initiatives that will consume his focus:
Get the potholes fixed. Oahu is rated as having the worst roads in the nation and Hannemann says he plans to work in conjunction with the state to fix that problem. He also wants to synchronize traffic lights to better the traffic flow and stop the city’s controversial and costly Bus Rapid Transit System, so he can use the money funding the system elsewhere.
Get the sewers repaired. Oahu’s aging sewers frequently overflow into the oceans when there is a rainstorm. The sewer systems need an estimated $2 billion to be repaired, and Hannemann says the effort and funds will need to be committed to fix the problem, which continues to negatively impact the environment.
Improve the parks, especially in the outer regions of the island. Oahu’s parks and park facilities are in disrepair, especially in the outlying areas of Oahu, where some bathrooms and other facilities have not been repaired for over a decade. Hannemann plans to focus on repairs and maintenance of these parks and facilities.
Move city jobs to Kapolei. The city of Kapolei on the west side of Oahu was laid out to be a “second city” on Oahu, but the city government did not move many of its employees or agencies from Honolulu to Kapolei. Hannemann, in an effort to reduce traffic congestion, says he will move jobs to Kapolei, work in Kapolei himself, and hold cabinet meetings there. “This should help reverse traffic flow,” he says.
Improve homeland security and public safety. Safety is always on the top of Hannemann’s priorities and he says he will strive to ensure the city’s debt does not eclipse expenditures on safety. Under the Harris administration, the city debt climbed to 18 percent of the city’s total expenditures.
SBH CONFERENCE PHOTOS ONLINE: GALLERY 1 | GALLERY 2
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Awardees Share Business Success Stories
During the 29th annual Small Business Hawaii Conference on January 12, three small business owners were recognized as the annual SBH Small Business Success Story Awardees. The companies are nominbated and elected by small business members and SBH Directors. The three owners shared their secrets to success and ways they’ve overcome challenges .
Kim Taylor Reece, who operates his own art gallery and highly successful art business with his wife Kanoe, talked about believing in himself and not relying on the government rather on his background and talents. He mentioned he’d contacted the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts before he was well known to ask if the state would display his art. He was told he didn’t meet the state standards. Just out of curiosity, he approached the state again after he was well known, and the state again refused to display his art.
Angie Runyan, owner of Cha Cha Cha Salsaria Restaurant, talked about her experiences as a restaurant owner on the East side of Oahu, and the importance of having good people on staff and as vendors. She gave an example of one of her challenges — when she lost her lease last year for her restaurant in the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, she found another space just a block away on the marina, which ended up being a better place for her growing restaurant.
Eric Carson, owner of Reflections Glass, shared the secret to his success in both his personal and professional life. He says leadership equals success and his acronym for “LEADS” sums up his philosophy: L is for level of commitment; E is for education and knowledge; A is for attitude; D is for discipline; S is for sense of urgency.
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Small Business Awards Presented
Small Business Hawaii's members annually issues awards to those in the community who best reflected the values and principals of the free market, and performed outstanding work in the year prior. The board members vote on those nominated by members. (The awards are presented at the Annual Conference and are not told in advance that they won!)
The highest award, which was for Small Business Person of the Year for 2004, went to Bill Green of Kahala Shell. The award was presented to him by both Dale Evans of Charley’s Taxi, who was the Small Business Person of the Year for 2003, and the governor.
Other awards included:
Small Business Booster, Michael W. Perry of KSSK radio;
Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Brandon Hughes of Cartridge World;
Jean Fukuda SBH Civic Leadership Award, Jed Gaines, Read Aloud America;
SBH Public Servant Leadership Award, Mark Recktenwald, director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs;
SBH Education Leader Award, Laura Thielen, member, State Board of Education;
Outstanding business reporting, Malia Zimmerman of Hawaii Reporter;
Outstanding Business Publication, Hawaii Reporter, Jay McWilliams and Malia Zimmerman
SBH CONFERENCE PHOTOS ONLINE: GALLERY 1 | GALLERY 2
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Governor Unveils Major Business Proposals
Governor Linda Lingle and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann gave the keynote addresses, with complementary presentations on how the state and city will work together to eliminate waste and duplication in government and address top of mind issues such as the pothole problem that plagues Hawaii roads and the traffic.
Lingle unveiled some of her business-related proposals she plans to present to the Legislature this session, including six measures aimed at fostering a business friendly environment in the state.
The governor will lobby to allow the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to have freedom to reduce fees and return money to business owners if the special fund exceeds a certain amount. Since coming into office, the governor and her director, Mark Recktendwald, have reduced by $10 million fees charged to businesses, however those reductions had to be approved by the state Legislature, delaying the reductions and actually lessening them.
Workers’ compensation reform, the number one concern of businesses in the state according to numerous surveys, will also be a major focus of the Lingle administration’s lobbying efforts as it was in 2004. Hawaii is only one of 8 states with an “F” grade -- in fact Hawaii ranks lowest in the nation in terms of workers comp conditions for businesses. The governor wants to help lower premiums and increase penalties for fraud.
For consumers, Lingle in conjunction with her budget department plans to have the state help distribute more than $104 million in unclaimed property to its rightful owners. This program currently is responsible for collecting abandoned property from holders (companies, states, state agencies, etc.), holding the property in a custodial capacity, and returning the property to the rightful owners. Abandoned property commonly includes dormant (no activity for 5 years) checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, stock certificates, and contents of safe deposit boxes. Holders of abandoned property are required to report annually by Nov. 1 for the fiscal year ended June 30. The state annually advertises property valued at $100 and over by March 1. Owners have until April 20 to claim their property directly from the holders. All property not claimed by May 1 are turned over to the state. For more information on the Unclaimed Property Program, see http://www.hawaii.gov/budget/uncprop/
In terms of insurance companies that hold on to millions in premium payments, withholding that money from the economy, Lingle says she wants that to stop. She plans to push for legislation to cap health insurance companies’ reserves at 30 percent of their premiums rather than the 50 percent they are currently allowed by law. The insurance cap could mean a rebate of up to $67 million to consumers, or about $100 per person, she says.
Cable television operators pay the state an annual fee, which the companies can and do pass on to cable subscribers. Over the years, the state has accumulated more funds than it requires to cover the costs of administering cable television regulations, so Lingle says her administration is seeking the authority to rebate the surplus funds to cable subscribers.
Identity theft is a growing problem in Hawaii and Lingle wants to address that by allowing, as four other states do, consumers the ability to prevent credit reporting agencies from issuing credit reports should they suspect identity theft and thereby protecting consumers from credit card fraud.
Lingle added she is optimistic about 2005 and the growth the Hawaii economy is experiencing in large part because of the business community’s willingness to take risks, invest capital and employ people.
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SBH Conference Sponsors Recognized
Small Business Hawaii sends its warmest Aloha to those businesses who stepped forward to sponsor the 29th Annual SBH Business Conference onJanuary 12, 2005. Those sponsors include: Heavy Metal Barbell Co., ALTRES Inc., Club Kona, JS Services, Salem Media of Hawaii/KHNR Radio, The SystemCenter/1 Hot Garage, Clear Channel, AIG Hawaii Insurance Co., Care Hawaii Inc., E Noa Corp./Waikiki Trolley, Fernandez Entertainment, Kaiser Permanente, Metcalf Construction, Mylene’s Floral, New England Financial, Reflections Glass Co., Aloha Petroleum Ltd., Arla & Walt Harvey ®, Blue Moon Builders/Home Inspections Inc., Charley’s Taxi, Communications Pacific, Edwards Enterprises, HAATA, Hawaii Healing Arts College/Massage Professionals, HMA/Summerlin Insurance, Peterson Sign Co. Inc., Techniques Hawaii, The Quorum and Hawaii Reporter.
SBH CONFERENCE PHOTOS ONLINE: GALLERY 1 | GALLERY 2
Mayor's Speech Highlights | SBH Success Stories | SBH Awardees | Governor's Proposals | Conference Sponsors
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Copyright 2005 Small Business Hawaii. Last update: February 9, 2005
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