PRINCEVILLE — There are several ways businesses can affordably market their product and becoming a member of Kaua‘i Made is one of them, said Debra Jason, president of the Kaua‘i North Shore Business Council. Beth Tokioka, a founder of the
PRINCEVILLE — There are several ways businesses can affordably market their product and becoming a member of Kaua‘i Made is one of them, said Debra Jason, president of the Kaua‘i North Shore Business Council.
Beth Tokioka, a founder of the program, was one of the guest speakers at KNSBC’s general annual membership meeting Thursday evening at the Prince Restaurant and Bar, along with George Costa, director of the Office of Economic Development.
“In general, businesses are slow, but I also think those people who have the ability to tough it out, be market savvy and manage their budgets, hopefully will still be around after this year,” Jason said.
It is beneficial to become a member of organizations like KNSBC, which allow business owners to mingle and network, and participate in programs such as Kaua‘i Made, which helps promote locally made goods and increases chances of a products’ exposure, Jason added.
“The program is one of the best buys on the island in terms of marketing,” Tokioka said, noting that an annual membership costs $50.
The program was launched in 2006 after realizing the importance visitors place on purchasing authentic island-made products.
Since then, members have reportedly grown from 72 to 114.
“The program is kind of limitless in its potential,” Tokioka said.
But, she added, “we’re a little bit limited in our financial resources” this year and are “making the most of our small amount of marketing dollars we have.”
This year, as county budget is considerably lower, she said, certain areas might be affected, including magazine advertisements. Nevertheless, Tokioka promises to do the best she can to “try and make it work.”
“The county will never be able to fund this program to the level it could and should and so we’re looking at maybe some merchandising opportunities, like Kaua‘i Made logo T-shirts,” she said.
Tokioka finds that the businesses that “really work it,” and use the logo to their advantage, do benefit from the program, regardless of budget cutbacks.
Costa also detailed the efforts his office is undergoing to help encourage spending at local businesses.
“We keep looking towards having a positive outlook that we’re going to get out of these economic times,” he said.
He added that a particular question which keeps reoccurring in the community lately is “where are the billions of dollars and jobs we keep getting promised?”
“With the unemployment we have on our island, there is money set aside where we can help to train dislocated workers and train them in other fields,” he said.
While many of the funds are in federal and state projects, the OED has reportedly either applied or received funding for various projects, including $127,163 for worker training and employment services.
With more than $93.3 million in federal stimulus money specifically for Hawai‘i to help laid-off workers, only about 7 percent has been set aside for job training and employment counseling, according to a recent article by Pacific Business News. The article says that “more money is spent on keeping unemployment checks coming.”
Nevertheless, attendees Thursday seemed hopeful that difficult times would soon be a thing of the past.
“Everybody is doing as well as they can in light of the circumstances,” said Mike Loo, secretary of KNSBC. “People are generally positive and that’s the spirit of Kaua‘i.”
For more information visit www.knsbc.org
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com
