Hawai'`i SmallBiz Week Newsletter
from
The Business Research Library
(BRL)OF THE HAWAI`I
SMALL BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT CENTER
NETWORK
A Partnership Program between the University of Hawai`i at Hilo
and the U.S. Small Business Administration
Previously Published Issue
A Summary of News for Small Business in Hawai`i
10 June 1998 - Volume 2 - Issue 7
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HAWAI`I
•Tax Hike Killed, But No Real Changes
•Best Beaches Ranking Lists Six From Hawaii
•Samoan Service Providers Association Receives Grant
•ThermoTrex Gives Maui's High Tech Industry A Boost
NATIONAL
•ThermoTrex Gives Maui's High Tech Industry A Boost
•Small Business Energy & Conservation Loan Available
•Pennyslvania's Studied Approach To Trade Development
•Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Recreation Trends
Revealed
INTERNATIONAL
•China's 21st Century Will Be Senior Citizens Century
HAWAI`I
TAX HIKE KILLED, BUT NO REAL CHANGES
Small Business Hawaii's Legislative Committee rated the 1998 legislative
session a "C", the highest grade in a decade. This grade is due
mainly to the facts that no tax cuts for business, no reduction or elimination
of pyramiding in the tax scheme, no genuine privatization, no tort reform
and little downsizing of the government was passed by the legislature this
session. Small Business Hawaii has posted the legislative records for all
senators and house representatives in their most recent newsletter. (Small
Business News, June 1998)
BEST BEACHES RANKING LISTS SIX FROM HAWAII
Kailua Beach Park (Oahu) received the #1 ranking in the annual list
of the nation's top beaches. Hanalei Beach and Po`ipu (Kauai) also made
the national Top 20 beach list, along with Kaunaoa on the Big Island and
Wailea and Hamoa on Maui. Stephen Leatherman, an environmental studies professor
has released his list for the last eight years and uses 50 criteria to rank
the beaches, including wave size, water color, lifeguard protection and
amenities. The closest competitor to Hawaii was Florida who earned eight
spots in the Top 20 ranking. (Garden Island, 22 May 1998)
SAMOAN SERVICE PROVIDERS ASSOCIATION RECEIVES GRANT
Last year, the Samoan Service Providers Association received $600,000
in funding from the Administration for Native Americans to develop three
specific areas of business development over a three-year period. Two project
already in place are the Entrepreneurship Training program and The Samoan
Business Incubator Center. Although still in the conceptual stage,
another project will focus on a commercial marketplace where tenants will
represent the Samoan culture, commerce and community. (Pacific Business
News, 25 May 1998)
THERMOTREX GIVES MAUI'S HIGH TECH INDUSTRY A BOOST
ThermoTrex of San Diego will be leasing space at the Maui Research and Technology
Center and plans to employ more than 100 high-tech employees. ThermoTrex
is a leading manufacturer of mammography and minimally invasive breat biopsy
systems and also specializes in other imagery systems. ThermoTrex had been
working with Boeing as a U.S. Air Force subcontractor on Maui and was interested
in expanding its operations on Maui. The company's management hopes to employ
mostly current and returning Hawaii residents. (Pacific Business News, 1
June 1998)
LAS VEGAS NAMED MOST ENTREPRENEURIAL CITY IN AMERICA
According to a survey performed by County Data Corp./The Lead Sheet,
Las Vegas is the "entrepreneurial oasis" of America; the most
entrepreneurial city in America. Boise (Idaho) came in second place, followed
by Anchorage (Alaska), Ann Arbor (Michigan), and Austin-San Marcos (Texas).
Metro areas were ranked by per capita start-up rate (the number of start-ups
in 1997 divided by population). The top home-based start-up business is
general contracting followed by construction and computer services. The
top start-up business overall is retail store (misc.) followed by general
contracting, construction, and computer services. (INC Magazine, 19 May
1998)
SMALL BUSINESS ENERGY & CONSERVATION LOAN AVAILABLE
A pending agreement between the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) calls for a joint effort
to publicize the terms and availability of SBA's Small Business Energy and
Conservation Loans to small businesses in the solar industry. The SBA believes
that this type of financing must be available if the President's goal of
installing one million solar energy systems on buildings across the United
States by the year 2010 is to be met. Call the Hawaii SBA office at 808-541-2965
for more information. (SBA Press Release, 12 May 1998)
PENNSYLVANIA'S STUDIED APPROACH TO TRADE DEVELOPMENT
In 1995, Pennyslvania's state government Administration decided to use
export development as a vehicle for enhancing the state's manufacturing
base and fostering the growth of high-tech jobs. But the existing trade
development system was viewed as not being up to the challenge. A task force
was set up by state officials and identified nine strategies to strengthen
the systems: 1) elevate the state trade director to a Deputy Secretary position;
2) foster peer contact; 3) develop in-country intelligence networks; 4)
target small businesses of all types; 5) update the transportation infrastructure
to accomodate technology-driven changes; 6) develop a hub-and-spoke system
of state-funded export service providers in each region; 7) forge a partnership
among stakeholders to increase access to and options for financing; 8) use
new technologies to promote
trade; and 9) prepare students at all levels for global business. Pennsylvania
is one of a few states that have such a detailed,
decentralized, and written plan of attack for generating international business.
(Clearinghouse on State International Policies, May 1998)
FISHING, HUNTING, AND WILDLIFE RECREATION TRENDS
REVEALED
According to the 1996 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated
Recreation, 77 million Americans 16 years or older, or 40 percent of the
adult population, enjoyed some form of wildlife-related recreation during
1996. They pumped $101 billion into the national economy. Texas and California
sportsmen spent the most in 1996, $5.7 billion in each
state. Big spending on bait and buckshot boosted Michigan to third ($4.4
billion in spending), Florida to fourth ($3.5 billion), and Illinois to
fifth ($3.4 billion). The single largest expenses are for gear and travel.
Equipment averages 61 percent of spending and trip-related costs average
29 percent. Top spending states are not necessarily the most sporting states.
The share of Hawaii residents who hunted or fished in 1996 was 15 percent,
just under the national average of 20 percent. Full report available at
http://www.census.gov/prod/3/97pubs/fhw96nat.pdf (American Demographics,
April 1998)
CHINA'S 21ST CENTURY WILL BE SENIOR CITIZENS CENTURY
Demographers have predicted that the 21st century will be the century of
senior citizens. According to an article in the China Daily, statistics
indicate that by 2000, China will have 134 million people over the age of
60, accounting for 10.48 percent of China's population. Shanghai is the
city with the largest number of elderly people in China, with 2.31 million
people over 60 years old at the end of 1996. China expects that the development
of industries like tourism targeted toward the elderly will become a key
economic project, Chinese economists say. According to the article, one
third of all international tourists are elderly. (Source: China Commercial
Brief: China Daily 25 March 1998)
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