Please share your experience in starting your own business in Maui (sales, rental)

[larisa.murren]

Hey everybody!
I am planning to set up my own business in Maui. If anybody have established own business in Maui, please share your experience with me. I would like to know:

How hard to start a new business in Maui?

What was the more difficult part of it?

How long it was taken to start it (paperwork)

Is your business successful or you are regretfulof starting it?

I thank all of you!!!!

[hothulamaui]

start my own business can be anything from a butcher, a banker to the candlestick maker. you should already have a good idea what it takes to run the business you are interested in. more than anything you need lots of cash that you are willing to put on the line, lots of cash.

[larisa.murren]

I am planning to set up my own tourism business and my husband is planning to set up his handyman service.
Any advices would be greatly appreciated.

[hothulamaui]

Originally Posted by larisa.murren

I am planning to set up my own tourism business and my husband is planning to set up his handyman service.
Any advices would be greatly appreciated.

tourism? do you have something special or an idea that isn't being done? the tourism business on maui is pretty well saturated. you would be competing with local business that have been doing it for 40 years. have you been to maui, is there something you can offer that isn't being covered?

the handy man you will have better luck. lots of service people just don't show up or return calls. it's great when you call one that does.

[maui-intoxicated]

Originally Posted by hothulamaui

tourism? do you have something special or an idea that isn't being done? the tourism business on maui is pretty well saturated. you would be competing with local business that have been doing it for 40 years. have you been to maui, is there something you can offer that isn't being covered?

the handy man you will have better luck. lots of service people just don't show up or return calls. it's great when you call one that does.

Interesting... I wonder why they simply do not show up. I hope I do not experience this too often.

[hothulamaui]

Originally Posted by maui-intoxicated

Interesting... I wonder why they simply do not show up. I hope I do not experience this too often.

partially because a lot of the good reliable handymen are too busy working and have as much jobs as they want to handle. have a good handyman pay him well and tip!

some service people will answer the call but if the job isn't big enough won't bother, or can't fit you in right away. so you either wait a few weeks to get the work done or call somewhere else.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

It's always more work and more frustration than you had hoped. But everyone else has managed to get through it, so you can too.

You are going to have to register a fictitious business name, get a business license, do whatever registration they want so that you can collect sales taxes.

Then you might have to find a commercial rental zoned for your business. You'll need insurance and for the travel business, probably bonding.

You'll need a website and advertising, and bookkeeping, and a program to organize reservations. Decide on your name and grab up the internet registration for that name.

Tourism: the vehicles need a special license and sticker and their permit number has to be on the outside of the vehicle.

Really, you need to be contacting the county and asking them. Some of the information you need is on government websites. Government websites can be frustrating to negotiate, but keep digging.

Also, talk to a lawyer about getting registered as a limited liability company.

[OpenD]

Here's a link to the State FAQ page about registering to collect and report the General Excise Tax.

FAQs

[OpenD]

Hey, look at what I found on that FAQ page... a link to the State Page for starting a business... :

Q: Can I apply for a general excise tax license online?

A: Yes, Hawaii Business Express is the quick and easy way to start a business in the state of Hawaii. One simple interface covers all the forms with all the state agencies and partners. For more information, please see the Hawaii Business Express website.

[larisa.murren]

Originally Posted by hothulamaui

tourism? do you have something special or an idea that isn't being done? the tourism business on maui is pretty well saturated. you would be competing with local business that have been doing it for 40 years. have you been to maui, is there something you can offer that isn't being covered?

the handy man you will have better luck. lots of service people just don't show up or return calls. it's great when you call one that does.

And about handy man service? it is needed to be official registration for it? Or it is most of the time cash payment for the service? We are living in CA right now and here is almost always cash payment for the handy man service.

Thank you,