Inaugural Maui Small Business Week, May 12-16

Maui Small Business Week Logo.

By Maui Now Staff

Small businesses on Maui have a new opportunity to network and grow through the first-ever Maui Small Business Week, May 12-16 at the Mākena Beach and Golf Resort, the non-profit Maui Business Brainstormers group announced.

The inaugural event features educational workshops, seminars, and presentations that are provided at no cost to participants, but attendees must RSVP in advance.

“We want to use education to strengthen Maui’s economy and future employment opportunities. Guest subject matter experts are graciously donating their time and sharing their knowledge with the Maui small business community,” organizers said in a press release announcement.

“The attendance numbers allow us to ensure proper capacity handling and ultimately provides the justification statistics to sponsors to continue having support to offer FREE educational events that help local individual, micro and small businesses grow stronger,” said Maui Business Brainstormers volunteer organizer Grace Fung in a statement.

Event organizers released a preliminary topic list of workshops and seminars that includes the following: Sell more by Selling Less; Curing the Start Over Blues; Thriving in Low Season; Pricing Right; Care Taking the Land, Sky and Sea; Hawaiian Values and Business Perspectives; Supercharge Your Online Marketing; Managing Conflict to Resolution; and a closing party with remarks provided by Teena Rasmussen, director of Maui County Office of Economic Development.

“This Small Business Week is much more about Maui and Hawai’i than about MBB,” said Fung.

By supporting free small business educational events, organizers say Maui and Hawai’i will have a “role in cultivating a vibrant and sustainable economy and lifestyle.”

“The focus is on individual, micro and small businesses that are resource constrained. Once a business achieves success, it can afford to pay for expensive training and pay-for services outside help,” the announcement said.

Sponsors of the Maui Small Business Week event include the Maui County Business Resource Center and the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development as well as: the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce; Tri-Isle Resource C & D; HI SBDC; MEO Inc; A Big Wow; Alaska Airlines; Constant Contact; Mākena Beach and Golf Resort; Organize Your Life; A Maui Blog; Harrison Tsai Industries; and Small Business Solutions/EdVenture at UH Maui College.