Thinking about starting a business in Hilo, Hawaii? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Hilo.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Before quitting your day job, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Hilo. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Hilo, Hawaii Demographic Information
Hilo has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Hilo demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Hilo.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2024 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1104 |
| 10-19 Employees |
699 |
| 20-49 Employees |
417 |
| 50-99 Employees |
120 |
| 100-249 Employees |
48 |
| 250-499 Employees |
21 |
| 500-999 Employees |
3 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Hilo Businesses |
4436 |
As a new Hilo entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Hilo for each business category. By looking at this chart, you can get
a general sense for how much competition there is in the business niche that
you are pursuing.
| Business Type |
# of
Businesses |
| Advertising Agencies |
2 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
3 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Armored Car Services |
2 |
| Art Dealers |
3 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
16 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Boat Building |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
5 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Breweries |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
6 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
12 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
12 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Collection Agencies |
3 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
3 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
3 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
1 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
3 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
5 |
| Convenience Stores |
12 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing |
2 |
| Couriers |
3 |
| Credit Unions |
7 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
4 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
5 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
15 |
| Dry Pasta Manufacturing |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
16 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
12 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
14 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
4 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
7 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
2 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Flooring Contractors |
6 |
| Florists |
7 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Canning |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
45 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
7 |
| General Automotive Repair |
21 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
5 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
14 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
20 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
5 |
| Jewelry Stores |
11 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
3 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
8 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
60 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
4 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Marine Cargo Handling |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
4 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
5 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
3 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Navigational Services to Shipping |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
4 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
17 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
6 |
| Offices of Dentists |
44 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
36 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
5 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
4 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
7 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
11 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
5 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
4 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
4 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Radio Networks |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Record Production |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
8 |
| Residential Remodelers |
4 |
| Retail Bakeries |
3 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
4 |
| Scheduled Freight Air Transportation |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
2 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
6 |
| Sewage Treatment Facilities |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
6 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
8 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
12 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
3 |
| Specialty Canning |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
9 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
4 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
2 |
| Temporary Shelters |
3 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
5 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tour Operators |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
8 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
5 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
9 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
6 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Wood Preservation |
1 |
| Zoos and Botanical Gardens |
1 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Hilo, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?
We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Benefits of Owning A Franchise. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include The Pool Doctors and Dr. Vinyl and Associates, Ltd.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Bagel Franchises and Convenience Store Franchises.
Note on Hilo Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Hilo.
What About Buying an Existing Hilo Business?
We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Hawaii. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Hilo.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Company Formation in Hilo, Hawaii
It's very important that you form your business as a legal structure. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Hawaii, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Hawaii. As it turns out, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Company Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Hilo, Hawaii, our information on Incorporating in Hawaii may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Hawaii.
Ramping Up Sales
Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Hilo or are selling to customers throughout Hawaii, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Sales Training is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
Good entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.
With your business being located in Hilo, Hawaii, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Hawaii educational institutions. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Hilo networking organizations.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Hilo. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Hilo and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Hilo entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Hilo, Hawaii
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Hilo.
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