Resources for Hawaiʻi Businesses
Organizations, agencies and free help worth knowing about. No strings, no signup.
We built this because we get asked. Most of it has nothing to do with funding.
Free business help
Hawaiʻi Small Business Development Center — free, confidential advising statewide. Business planning, financials, loan applications. Offices on four islands. hisbdc.org · SCORE Hawaiʻi — free mentoring from experienced business people. No cost, no forms. score.org/hawaii · Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi — free legal help for qualifying business owners. 1-800-499-4302 · Hawaiʻi State Bar Association — free legal hotline, Wednesday evenings.
Starting or running a business
Hawaiʻi Business Action Center — licenses, permits, registration. cca.hawaii.gov · DCCA Business Registration — entity filings and business search. cca.hawaii.gov/breg · Hawaiʻi Department of Taxation — GET licensing, filing, payments. tax.hawaii.gov · DBEDT Business Development — state programs and support. dbedt.hawaii.gov · HTDC / HI-CAP — state capital access programs through participating lenders. htdc.org.
Chambers and business organizations
Storm and disaster recovery
HIEMA — dod.hawaii.gov/hiema · County recovery — Maui: mauirecovers.org · Hawaiʻi County: recovery.hawaiicounty.gov · SBA Disaster Assistance — sba.gov/disaster · 1-800-659-2955 · DCCA Insurance Division — claims help and complaints. 844-808-3222.
Chamber of Commerce Hawaii · Small Business Chamber of Commerce Hawaii · Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce · Hawaiian Council · Kaneohe Business Group · North Shore Chamber of Commerce · Maui Chamber of Commerce · Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce · Kauaʻi Chamber of Commerce
Farms and ranches
USDA Farm Service Agency — Hawaiʻi Island (808) 871-5500 x2 · Honolulu (808) 861-8538 x2 · Kauaʻi (808) 245-9014 x2 · Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity — (808) 973-9460.
Capital sources that aren’t us
SBA 7(a) and microloans — through participating Hawaiʻi lenders. Lower cost than we are if you have the time. sba.gov · Hawaiian Council CDFI Loan Fund — working capital for Hawaiʻi businesses. hawaiiancouncil.org · Lei Hoʻolaha — Native CDFI, affordable loans for Native Hawaiian and low-income businesses. leihoolaha.org · OHA Loan Programs — for Native Hawaiian borrowers. loans.oha.org · Local banks and credit unions — if you qualify for a bank loan, take the bank loan.
When you need someone to talk to
Aloha United Way — dial 211, 24 hours, free. Housing, food, financial help, case management. Crisis Line of Hawaiʻi — 1-800-753-6879, 24/7. Running a business under financial pressure is hard on people. Support exists.
Looking for a person, not a website? Business owners ask us for accountants, bookkeepers, attorneys and insurance agents all the time. Call us and we’ll point you toward people we trust — we don’t get paid for it and you’re under no obligation. (808) 848-3403.