Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 1, 1 January 1991 — Business center gets $125,000 from OHA [ARTICLE]

Business center gets $125,000 from OHA

By Ken Ige Assistant Editor Hawaiian entrepreneurs needing management and technical assistance will eonhnue to be able to get training and help from Alu Like, ine., thankstoa $125,000 boost from OHA. Alu Like Native Hawaiian Business Development Center's purpose is to provide business assistance to Hawaiians and therefore increase the number of Hawaiian-owned businesses. The center does not provide money directly to clients but rather helps clients with general business knowledge and preparation of business plans. The center received the OHA money for its Management and Technical Assistance Project, whieh had exhausted its start-up money from the Native Hawaiian Vocational Education Program at the end of 1990. The project is the center's second, more

advanced project. The center also offers the Entrepreneurship Training Project for Hawaiians who are interested in running their ov;n business, but who have little or no knowledge of business practices, marketing, financing and planning. Jim Mo'ikeha, the center's administrator, said the Management and Technical Assistance Project will especially help clients before they go to a loan officer. He said AIu Like has found that it takes about 150 hours to put together a business plan, whieh the center helps clients write. It would be difficult for a person to approach a loan officer and ask for money to start or expand a business without first preparing a business plan, Mo'ikeha said. In helping Alu Like's program, OHA also helps its own Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund, whieh benefits from having better prepared applicants. Mo'ikeha said 48 of 100 of the center's clients in 1990 were direct referrals from OHA.