New Hawai`i Traffic Count Data Received

The Library has recently received the latest traffic count data from the Hawaii State Dept. of Transportation. Hourly traffic count information is now availabe up to Sept 2008 by traffic station. Traffic counts provide information to small business owners and managers who are interested in knowing how many people are driving by a small business storefront each day and at what time of day. For more information on traffic counts for your area, please email to library@hawaii-sbdc.org.

Hawai`i Business Top 250 List 2008

Hawai`i Business magazine compiles this list of the top 250 businesses in Hawai`i every year. Criteria used includes: 1) sales of greaer than $23 million per year; 2) completed company data information sheet; and 3) a signed survey by the company's chief executive officer. Click here to view the list.

KINDLE: Carry Your Library in 10.3 Ounces

The Kindle with its ergonomic design and high-resolution screen has page-turning buttons on either side and can download a book in about a minute, including most bestsellers, for only $9.99. Click here to read more about this revolutionary reading device: Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device

Comings & Goings

Sonia Avasthi has recently joined the Library as an Administrative Research Associate responsible for library and research support; esp. on the Maui County Data Book. In addition, she will provide administrative and fiscal support to the Library as a whole. Avasthi, as she is familiarly known, is a graduate of Emory University with a BA in Environmental Research, and plans to pursue studies in the the field of Library and Information Science. She can be reached at hbrl.admin@hawaii-sbdc.org, or by phone at 808-875-2400, neighbor islands 808-509-3100.

Article: The Changing Face of the U.S. Consumer: What We Can Learn from Census Data, and Why It Matters for Brands

by Peter Francese, Advertising Age, published July 7, 2008.

FROM THE INTRO: "The marketing community, already dealing with a slumping economy and an increasingly consumer-controlled media marketplace, must confront another new reality: The face of the American consumer is changing dramatically. It's not news that the nation is aging, but the fact that the average U.S. head of household is just six months shy of 50 is a startling statistic. Also factor in that regional demographics are diverging more than ever before. The young, multicultural West bears little resemblance to the old, largely white Northeast, where many communities are nearly childless. And that's to say nothing of the rapid and economically vital influx of immigrants. To examine what these demographic shifts mean for brand marketing, let's take a look at some of the most prominent trends." Click here to read the full-text.

2007 Maui County Data Book Released

The Hawai`i Business Research Library, a specialty center with the Hawai`i Small Business Development Center Network, and in collaboration with the County of Maui Office of Economic Development, is pleased to announce the release of the new, updated edition of the Maui County Data Book, with data thru the end of December 2007 for the tri-island County of Maui.

Updated, published and maintained annually by the Hawai`i Business Research Library (HBRL), the data book is the definitive statistical reference for Maui County. Included is data and statistics on population, education, construction and housing, finance and labor, visitor industry, domestic trade, maps and more. Users typically include small business owners and managers, business assistance organizations, trade associations, government officials and their staff, grant writers, educators, planners, and more.

The 2007 Maui County Data Book is available in print for $20 and may be purchased at the Hawaii Business Research Library in Kihei at 590 Lipoa Parkway #136; at the Maui County Business Resource Center at the Maui Mall; or Borders Books’ Kahului location. Users may also view the entire contents of the book on the Library website at http://www.hbrl-sbdc.org/.

In addition to publishing the data book, the Hawai`i Business Research Library provides free and low cost digital information programs and expert research assistance to individuals, business and the greater small business community.

Popular services include customized business research packages, quick answers and referrals, sample business plans, demographic and statistical data, market research reports, and industry trade articles. The Library also publishes the popular Hawai`i SmallBiz E-News; a monthly electronic newsletter highlighting current events, both Hawai`i and national, that affect or are of interest to small business and their community of advocates. A calendar of small business training events and conferences can also be found in the newsletter. Recently, the Library published its first issue of a new quarterly publication of economic indicators for Maui County.

Questions, information or subscription requests can be email to library@hawaii-sbdc.org, or contact the Hawai`i Business Research Library at (808) 875-2400.

Hawai`i SBA District Office Announces Hawaii Award Winners 2008, Statewide and County Winners

A list of all the Hawaii winners, statewide and county winners, can be found on the Hawaii Women's Business Center website. Click here to read more.

Maui's Own "Top Chef" Bev Gannon Earns Top SBA State Honor

Bev Gannon of Haliimaile General Store earns top SBA state honor to be named "Small Business of the Year". Click here to read more about this exceptional small business owner and how she did it.