2015 Maui Small Business Week Scheduled for May 4–8

By Debra Lordan

The second annual Maui Small Business Week is scheduled for May 4 through 8, 2015. This year’s Maui SBW will offer free, daily educational workshops and seminars in the mornings and afternoons at various locations in Central, South and West Maui.

Every year since 1963, the US president has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners through award ceremonies.

Nationwide, business award ceremonies and free educational events are usually scheduled during the second week of May.

In larger cities, SBW offers an intense program of award and educational events, which also include sponsored parties to boost the SBW message: “We celebrate small businesses that fuel America’s economic innovation and prosperity.”

In smaller cities, the SBA offers webinars in place of live events.

In the Aloha State, the SBA Hawai‘i District celebrates SBW with award ceremonies on each of the islands. The event schedule will be announced soon.

But in 2014, Maui County officials chose to also celebrate SBW following the national calendar, prompted by a Maui Business Brainstormers initiative to hold an inaugural week-long event—the first on Maui and in the state. The event offered five days of free, educational events to benefit local small businesses owners and managers.

Maui Business Brainstormers is leading the event again this year with an entire week devoted to educational workshops and seminars.

“Maui County has continually supported and encouraged entrepreneurship to thrive through its many existing projects,” said Grace Fung of Maui Business Brainstormers. “Since 2014–with the principles of ‘keeping dollars in the local economy’ and ‘community well-being’–Maui County has embraced a greater SBW with a program of events similar to those hosted by larger cities. This is one of many ways that Maui County validates and celebrates its small business community role in making the local economy more vibrant.”

“The momentum of planning and preparation continues to build, attracting attention and collaboration with local government agencies and private organizations to help make this year’s SBW happen,” said Fung.

“More sponsorships are welcome,” added Fung. “Please join in Maui County’s opportunity to network, grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation and increase Hawai‘i’s global competitiveness. We want to use education to strengthen Maui’s economy and future employment opportunities.”

MBB members met with the state Department of Business, Econominc Development & Tourism a week after last year’s very successful Maui SBW to discuss the possibility of mirroring the Maui Small Business Week program in other counties. As a result, the first O‘ahu Small Business Week is also being held May 4–8.

Guest Presenters

Maui SBW’s guest experts are donating their time and sharing their knowledge with the Maui small business community.

Chester Santos (California): Your Memory, an Asset in Business
Santos is a memory expert, who, in a NOVA scienceNOW segment entitled “How Smart Can We Get,” taught New York Times columnist and CBS News correspondent David Pogue how to improve his memory.

Craig Swift (Maui): Fast Tracking Your Business Plan
With more than 20 years of experience in the field of finance, business and economic development, Swift is the current MEO Business Development Center director and lecturer at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College where he teaches a course in small business management.

Frances Bellows (California): Pricing, Pricing, Pricing
How do you set prices for your business or service? Are they working? When should you change them? This interactive workshop will address these topics as well as the role of pricing in the overall marketing mix. In the US and abroad, Bellows has worked for governments, shipping companies, multinational corporations and entrepreneurs. She has streamlined projects ranging from emergency preparedness, building new corporate departments and adding business lines, to guiding start-ups from concept to profit.

Kelly Flint and Elyse Tager (California): Speeding Business
Flint has over 18 years experience supporting small business, with a background in marketing, advertising, nonprofit marketing as well as firsthand experience as a business owner. Tager has over 20 years of experience as a writer and educator known for providing marketers with the practical tools, techniques and strategies that are essential in order to grow their businesses using the combined firepower of email and social media marketing.

Kristin Holland (O‘ahu): The ABC’s of Intellectual Property
Holland has litigated copyright, trademark, trade secret, advertising, defamation and false light claims for media companies throughout the US. Her clients have included a variety of rights-holders, from social media websites and film studios to clothing retailers.

Kristine Carey (California): Get Clients Now
Carey is passionate about unplugging you from the collective and finding success on your own terms. She strives to bring small business owners and independent-minded professionals the clarity that is required to build and maintain a successful career.

Shannon Presson (California): Mind Your Money
Presson is a Master NLP Facilitator, Wealthy Mind Trainer and ICF certified coach who’s passionate about tracking down the old stories and limiting beliefs that get in the way of her clients’ success. With over 30 years in business, she has worked with senior management for companies like Anheuser-Busch, Earthgrains and MCI Communications and also co-founded DSP Associates Inc., a successful seven-figure IT consulting firm.

Panel of Five (Maui and California): Revamp Your Business BS
This workshop will focus on taglines, elevator speeches and mission statements.

Also in attendance will be representatives from SBA headquarters in Washington, DC.

Maui Now will update information regarding registration, schedules and locations as it becomes available.

2014 Maui Small Business Week: (top image, left to right) Wayne Wong, guest presenter Kelly Flint, Kimberly Haueisen, Teena Rasmussen and Grace Fung. Courtesy photo.

2014 Maui Small Business Week: (bottom image, left to right) Rev. Keoki Sousa, guest presenter Alan Pollock, Kimberly Haueisen, Craig Haueisen Karen Arakawa and Dan McMahon. Courtesy photo.

2014 Maui Small Business Week: (left image) Guest Presenter Craig Swift; (right bottom image, left to right) Danielle Miller, Grace Fung, guest presenters Frances Bellows and Daniel Chun, and Jenny Chan Takemoto and Wayne Wong. Courtesy photo.