Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
Business Plan Writer & Consultant
Hawaii Business Plan Writer for Kamaaina and Visitor Sales
Waikiki hotels and Kahului Airport arrivals set the pace for visitor sales, while Hawaii residents carry the slow months on every island. Each of the Neighbor Islands moves on its own timeline, and Hilo leans on UH Hilo, Maunakea and county jobs. Dr. Paul’s plan splits your sales between visitors and residents, so a lender sees what holds up when tourism dips.
Visitors or kamaaina? Call or text (321) 948-9588. Dr. Paul answers personally.
Last Updated: 10/31/2026 · Written by Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
From Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest
A Marketing Book for Island Owners Who Need Both Crowds
Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School · Book 4
Marketing for Small Businesses
Marketing for Small Businesses teaches an owner to name a customer, pick the message that reaches that customer and track what each effort brings back. A Hawaii shop usually needs that work done twice: once for visitors who plan the trip online, and once for residents who buy all year.
Visitors come with the tide and leave with it. The neighbors who buy in the quiet months are the market you must learn to name.
Doctor Owl, Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business SchoolHelp for Hawaii Owners Selling to Visitors and Residents
Every option below starts from the same split: what residents buy all year and what visitors add on top.
Business Consulting
Visitor counts down and costs still climbing? A session with Dr. Paul sorts out which customers to chase first and how long your cash lasts until the busy season comes back.
See consulting options →Business Plan Writing
FeaturedVisitor and kamaaina sales split out, each island’s calendar respected, and the whole package prepared by Dr. Paul for the bank or community lender reviewing your request.
Start your plan →Business Plan Templates
Kitchen near Waikiki or in Kakaako? Give kamaaina diners and visitor tables their own lines in the restaurant template’s Excel model.
Browse templates →Small Business Education
Selling to two very different crowds is a skill you can learn. Dr. Paul’s marketing and cash lessons show how to reach residents and visitors on their own calendars.
Start learning →City Spotlight
Honolulu, Kahului and Hilo Don’t Share a Busy Season
A forecast built on one island’s customers will mislead a lender reading a plan for another. Each city below has its own crowd and its own question.
| City | What Drives Demand | The Plan Question |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | Honolulu Marathon runners, Waikiki hotel guests, Kakaako condo residents, Downtown workers | Is marathon week worth planning around? |
| Kahului | Rebuilding crews, Central Maui residents, visitors arriving at Kahului Airport | Contract work or visitor sales first? |
| Hilo | Merrie Monarch crowds, UH Hilo and Maunakea staff, Hilo Farmers Market shoppers | How much stock for Merrie Monarch week? |
The Honolulu Marathon runs from Ala Moana to Kapiolani Park each December, filling Waikiki hotels along Kalakaua Avenue.
“Should a Kakaako coffee and smoothie bar plan its December around the Honolulu Marathon?”
The Plan FixLine up a backup fruit supplier, and take marathon-week deliveries the day before, since Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue close before dawn on race morning. Set standing order sizes on Kakaako condo residents and the Downtown workers who drive in on H-1.
Crews on wildfire rebuilding jobs buy supplies along Dairy Road and Kaahumanu Avenue in Central Maui. Visitor counts on the island are still below where they stood before the fires.
“How should a Central Maui supply or service business plan while Maui is still recovering?”
The Plan FixKeep rebuilding contract work separate from visitor sales. Base visitor lines on the monthly Maui counts from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) rather than on past peaks, and confirm grant eligibility on Maui County’s recovery site before counting on any award.
The Merrie Monarch Festival fills the Banyan Drive hotels the week after Easter. UH Hilo and Maunakea observatory staff steady sales the rest of the year.
“How does a Downtown Hilo gift shop stock up for Merrie Monarch week?”
The Plan FixOrder Merrie Monarch stock early for Kamehameha Avenue walk-ins. Plan the other months around Hilo Farmers Market days and Waiakea shoppers, and review reorder points with the Hawaii Island SBDC center.
Expanding next door? The plan math shifts by state, so compare the pages for California, Alaska, and Oregon.
How Dr. Paul Helps
How Dr. Paul Helps Hawaii Owners Plan Past the Visitor Count
Visitor numbers swing with airfares, storms and the mainland economy. The residents who buy every week keep a business open, so the plan counts them first.
- HI-CAP requests that fit the lender. HI-CAP is Hawaii’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) program, run by the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation under DBEDT. Dr. Paul prepares the request a participating lender or community development financial institution (CDFI) will review.
- Slow visitor months, planned ahead. Dr. Paul’s cash reserve guide walks through sizing a cushion for the quiet stretch between visitor peaks.
- Maui recovery resources in the plan. For wildfire-affected Maui businesses, the plan works in the economic revitalization resources on Maui County’s recovery site, without counting on any grant you have not won.
- Shipping built into every cost. Most goods sold in Hawaii arrive by ship, so the plan prices freight into the cost of each item and holds extra stock for the week a delivery runs late.
- Funding questions sent to the right desk. SBA questions go to the SBA Hawaii District Office in Honolulu, which serves every island, so Neighbor Island owners know exactly who to call.
A Hawaii plan that starts from the visitor count is built backward. The strong one starts with the residents who buy in the slow months and adds visitors on top. Dr. Paul writes Hawaii plans in that order, because a lender wants to see what pays the rent when the hotels are quiet.
Real work in Hawaii: Dr. Paul wrote an investor-ready business plan for an auto repair shop in Hawaii in 2022.
Funding and Licensing Snapshot
Where a Hawaii Plan Gets Read, Island by Island
Most funding desks sit in Honolulu, but they serve every island. Know who reads your plan before you write a word of it.
SBA Hawaii District Office
Based in Honolulu and serving all the islands, with a branch covering Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Neighbor Island owners should plan on remote meetings.
HI-CAP
Hawaii’s SSBCI money flows through HI-CAP, run by the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation under DBEDT. The program works with lenders and CDFIs so more small business loans reach a yes.
Maui County Recovery Resources
The county’s wildfire recovery site has an Economic Revitalization section for affected businesses. Programs open and close, so check what is available before it goes in the plan.
Hawaii SBDC
The University of Hawaii at Hilo hosts the network, and centers on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island offer no-cost advising.
DCCA Business Registration Division
LLCs, corporations and trade names register with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs before you open.
DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing
Contractors and many trades need a license from this division. License timing can stall a launch, so build it into the schedule.
Watch
Why a Honolulu Plan Covers the Website
Visitors find a business online long before they land. Dr. Paul explains how the website belongs in your plan.
Website for a Business PlanDr. Paul’s Honolulu tip on presenting your website in a business plan.
Learn It Yourself
Hawaii Lessons for Owners Who Sell to Two Markets
Visitors and residents buy differently, on different calendars. These lessons teach you to plan for both groups at once.
FAQ
Hawaii Owners’ Questions, From Oahu to Maui
What will a HI-CAP partner CDFI want to see in a startup budget for Oahu or Maui?
Can the restaurant template split kamaaina sales from Waikiki visitor sales?
Can a Hawaii SBDC advisor on Maui help an owner rebuilding after the wildfires?
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
Business Plan Writer, Consultant & Author | 14+ Years | 1,000+ Clients Served
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA is the founder of Quality Business Plan. He writes business plans and financial projections for owners across the United States and Canada, works remotely with clients in every state, and has written plans behind more than $100M in funded projects. He is the author of the Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School series and has published over 1,000 business videos on YouTube. He has taught as an adjunct college instructor and teaches in Florida public schools.
This page is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal, lending, or financial advice. Program rules, loan sizes and local requirements change, so confirm them with the program or agency before you apply. The Fabled Forest and its characters are fictional.