About

About the Hawaiʻi Small Business Development Center

The Hawaiʻi Small Business Development Center, established in 1990, provides professional business advice, research and training to business owners and new entrepreneurs in order to promote growth, innovation, productivity and management improvement. To accomplish these objectives, we link federal, state and local resources, the educational community and the private sector to meet the needs of Hawaiʻi’s businesses.

All of the fees for our Advising Services are underwritten through funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the State of Hawaiʻi.

Neither SBA’s funding nor that from UH Hilo is an endorsement of any products, opinion or services. SBA and UH Hilo programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Small Business Administration or other sponsors.

Proclamation with the Governor

Our Mission

To provide small businesses with comprehensive business advisory, training, and research services to empower them to form, grow and thrive.

Our Vision

To be the key organization facilitating the development and growth of Hawaiʻi businesses and of Hawaiʻi’s economy by addressing the unique needs of our island communities.:

Our Values

Integrity: Keeping the best interests of our clients foremost.

We approach our clients with empathy, knowing the challenges of business ownership.

We conduct ourselves with professionalism in accordance with accepted standards.

We are dedicated to continuous improvement incorporating innovation for the benefit of our clients.

We strive to be of service to our local business communities.

Aloha is our guiding principle.

Our Strategic Priorities

Our Strategic Priorities are listed on our Balance Scorecard Strategy Map and Scorecard as Strategic Objectives across four perspectives:

Stakeholder/Client Perspective

SC 1: Foster Business Success

SC 2: Promote Program and Brand

SC 3: Continuously Improve Client Satisfaction

SC 4: Continuously Improve Key Stakeholder Satisfaction

Internal Process Perspective

IP 1: Use Data Effectively

IP 2: Develop and Share Expertise and Tools

IP 3: Leverage and Share Best Practices

Learning and Growth

LG 1: Build Staff Skills and Knowledge

LG 2: Advance Employee Professional Growth

LG3: Create Culture of Strong Engagement

Fiduciary

F 1: Increase Return on Investment

F 2: Increase Funding and Diversity of Funding Sources

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    Our 2023 Advisory Board

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