Start a Business in Lahaina, Hawaii

Thinking about starting a business in Lahaina, Hawaii? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Lahaina.

Are You Ready for Life as an Owner?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

Talk to other entrepreneurs in Lahaina. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Which Business to Choose?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Evaluating Your Idea.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Table Tennis Business guide or our Starting a Plastic Rotational Molding Business guide.

Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Lahaina. Some businesses will do better in Lahaina than others. Make sure you fully understand Lahaina demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Lahaina, Hawaii Demographic Information

Lahaina has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Lahaina demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lahaina.

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	1278
5-9 Employees	658
10-19 Employees	438
20-49 Employees	195
50-99 Employees	99
100-249 Employees	45
250-499 Employees	27
500-999 Employees	9
1000+ Employees	0
All Lahaina Businesses	2749

As a new Lahaina entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lahaina 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
Architectural Services	2
Art Dealers	22
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	1
Beauty Salons	7
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns	2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	1
Book Stores	2
Bottled Water Manufacturing	1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores	2
Caterers	3
Child Day Care Services	4
Clothing Accessories Stores	8
Commercial Photography	1
Confectionery and Nut Stores	2
Convenience Stores	10
Convention and Trade Show Organizers	1
Couriers	2
Credit Unions	2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers	2
Document Preparation Services	1
Drafting Services	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	1
Electrical Contractors	3
Elementary and Secondary Schools	3
Environmental Consulting Services	2
Family Clothing Stores	22
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	1
Fine Arts Schools	1
Finish Carpentry Contractors	3
Fish and Seafood Markets	1
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	4
Floor Covering Stores	2
Florists	5
Food (Health) Supplement Stores	2
Framing Contractors	1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets	1
Full-Service Restaurants	65
Furniture Stores	4
General Automotive Repair	2
General Rental Centers	1
General Warehousing and Storage	2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	43
Glass and Glazing Contractors	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Graphic Design Services	2
Hardware Stores	2
Historical Sites	1
HMO Medical Centers	1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores	1
Household Appliance Stores	1
Ice Manufacturing	1
Inland Water Freight Transportation	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	1
Janitorial Services	10
Jewelry Stores	45
Kidney Dialysis Centers	1
Landscaping Services	8
Limited-Service Restaurants	38
Locksmiths	1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores	1
Mail-Order Houses	1
Marketing Consulting Services	2
Masonry Contractors	1
Men's Clothing Stores	4
Miscellaneous Intermediation	1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers	2
Motion Picture and Video Production	1
Museums	1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores	1
New Housing Operative Builders	2
Newspaper Publishers	2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	1
Offices of Chiropractors	4
Offices of Dentists	8
Offices of Lawyers	2
Offices of Optometrists	2
Optical Goods Stores	5
Packing and Crating	1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	5
Parking Lots and Garages	9
Passenger Car Rental	7
Periodical Publishers	2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	3
Photography Studios, Portrait	5
Private Mail Centers	1
Real Estate Credit	6
Recreational Goods Rental	7
Residential Property Managers	17
Residential Remodelers	6
Retail Bakeries	1
Roofing Contractors	1
Savings Institutions	2
Securities Brokerage	2
Shoe Stores	5
Sign Manufacturing	1
Site Preparation Contractors	1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	14
Sporting Goods Stores	9
Sports and Recreation Instruction	10
Tax Preparation Services	1
Telephone Answering Services	1
Television Broadcasting	1
Temporary Help Services	1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters	3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors	2
Tour Operators	10
Travel Agencies	5
Used Merchandise Stores	4
Veterinary Services	1
Video Tape and Disc Rental	1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems	2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	2
Women's Clothing Stores	15
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing	1

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Lahaina, 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?

Our recommendation is that you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Find Financing for Franchises. 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.

Representative franchise opportunities include Shoes-N-Feet and Arabica Coffeehouse. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Dollar Store Franchises and Dry Cleaning & Laundry Franchises.

Note on Lahaina Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Lahaina.

Naming the Company

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Lahaina, it's very important that you make sure no other Hawaii company is using the business name you want to use.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Hawaii.

Building Up Your Sales

Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Lahaina or are selling to customers throughout Hawaii, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Compensating Sales People is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Never Give Up

You have a dream -- starting a business in Lahaina. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Lahaina and elsewhere to achieve real success. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Lahaina, Hawaii

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lahaina.

Resources for Lahaina, Hawaii Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Lahaina entrepreneurs.
Hawaii Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Hawaii.
Hawaii Small Business Development Center - The Hawaii SBDC Network provides you with the resources you need for starting a new business or expanding an existing one.
Lahaina, Hawaii Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Lahaina, Hawaii newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Lahaina area.

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