If you have always dreamed of living that laid-back, island life, opening a small business in Hawaii might sound like the perfect way to create a new source of in- come to fund your new lifestyle. But moving to a relatively isolated island state with a distinctly dif- ferent vibe from the rest of
the country can be a hard transition, especially if you are trying to start a small business at the same time.
Fortunately, establishing a small business in Hawaii is pretty straightforward; to confirm that, I interviewed three successful entrepreneurs with experience starting a small business in the Aloha State.
The Irish restaurant Black Shamrock Tavern opened fittingly on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2022, in down- town Honolulu. The unique red-brick architecture of the Forester Building has attracted many Hollywood film and television productions over the years, including Ha- waii 5-0, LOST, North Shore, and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.
The owner, Jay Neihbur, moved from New Jersey City to Hawaii in 1999 as an active-duty U.S. Marine. He met his wife and decided to stay on the island of Oahu and pursue his dream of opening a bar and restaurant. His first job out of the armed services was as a bar-back in a restaurant on the same street nearly 20 years ago. He soon began making pizzas there on Friday nights before becoming a full-time bartender.
He said the main tip for anyone wanting to open a business in Hawaii is to have a lot of patience. “Things work on Hawaiian time here,” Neihbur said. “Another stumbling block is that I suggest the would-be entrepre- neur come prepared to spend 20% more on all of their products due to the fact that Hawaii is one of the remo- test lands in the world, and everything has to be shipped in. This is the difficult part logistically.”
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