By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Joe Espinoza, left, general manager of Team Clean Inc.,
directs Ron Davin and Hamilton Ho as they clean a hotel
room. Team Clean employees attend workshops at
least once a month.
Businesses must
keep current
to stay afloat
In a slow-poke economy,
By Rob Perez
it's critical to stay ahead of
this fast-paced world
Star-BulletinChange occurs so rapidly in today's technology-driven world that some big businesses have trouble keeping pace.
Pity the small business with far fewer resources.
But keeping abreast of change is critical for entrepreneurs wanting to succeed in Hawaii's slow-growth economy, business specialists say.
If owners want to stay on top of new developments in technology, marketing, customer service, government regulations and other issues vital to their success, if not their survival, they must make training a priority, according to the specialists.
The irony is that as budgets shrink and sales slow, owners tend to pay less attention to areas like training and concentrate more on the daily grind of keeping the business afloat.
"They're caught in a classic bind," said Darryl Mleynek, state director of the Small Business Development Center in Hilo. "At the very time when training is most important is the very time they can least afford it."
Wired World
When budgets are tight, entrepreneurs usually believe they can eliminate or reduce their training expenses and not be hurt in the long run, Mleynek and others say.But that's a risky -- even short-sighted -- strategy, business executives warn.
If a business doesn't keep up with training, it can lose its edge over competitors or lag changes in marketing and customer trends, they say.
"Consistent, proper training is the only way we're going to increase business," said Joe Espinoza, general manager of Team Clean Inc., a hotel cleaning company whose employees attend workshops at least once a month.
A major reason entrepreneurs forgo training is that it historically required classroom instruction away from the business, training consultants say. Owners were reluctant to spend big chunks of time outside the office.
But in today's wired world, that isn't necessary. Many self-paced training programs are available online, via compact discs, on cable television programs or through other high-tech mediums.
The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, for instance, recently started a training program that can be accessed via CD, zip drive, computer disc, facsimile or on paper. Developed with Directions Inc., a training curriculum company, the "Moving Business Forward" program is aimed specifically at new and established small businesses and covers a range of topics.Each of the four self-paced courses costs $250, but the chamber offers scholarships to cover that cost.
Many free services are available online (see accompanying box), and the state offers a fund that pays for training of business owners or their employees.
The Small Business Administration recently launched a free online training classroom for small businesses -- at http://classroom.sba.gov/xtrainx/online.htm.
Some of the Web sites are especially helpful for businesses looking to diversify or expand outside Hawaii. Some are designed to give vendors a shot at government contracts elsewhere in the country.
Back to basics
Training, though, isn't all high-tech.Doing things as basic as subscribing to trade publications and networking at business functions are forms of training that are equally vital to keeping current on trends, specialists say. Local colleges, universities and government agencies also offer seminars or classes.
To succeed, however, businesses must go beyond just learning the latest about their industries, said Mleynek. They must make decisions based on that newfound knowledge and act on the decisions, steps not easily taken, he said.
Helpful Web sites
http://www.sba.gov/ The Small Business Administration's home page includes links to its online classroom, outside resources and other helpful information.
