Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 1, 1 January 2016 — Sweet SUCCESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Sweet SUCCESS

Hawai'i Gourmet Cookies improves efficiency with Mālama Loan

By Francine Kananionapua Murray II A 11 entrepreneurs * * / \ have dreams," said f\^ Miehael Ching, # % owner and operator / \of Hawai'i Gourmet Cookies, in a video interview with OHA. "Your aetions, not well planned, end up being another ehapter in your book

of dreams. It never ends up being real." One bit of adviee he offers to Native Hawaiians thinking of going into business is "by all means do it. Make your dreams a reality by putting a solid business plan together, mapping out every single detail, and then do it." There are a lot of things that need to eome together for a business to be successful besides a great product or idea. The support of friends and family contribute, but you also need to have startup money and the financing to continue operating. "You can't

turn your dreams and plans into actions without money." Ching applied for a Mālama Loan. "OHA was very supportive. They offered a lot of classes to teach things like Ananeial statements, cash iiow, and profit and loss." He explained that he had some knowledge of these things, but OHA provided a more detailed understanding of business tools and how these tools ean help his eom-

pany to thrive. For example, they taught himhow a good business plan ean convince people to support a company, a vital asset when applying for a business loan. "They were very attentive. If you submitted and you were missing some information they helped you complete it. They coached you

in such a way that the loan officers could make as favorable a decision as possible." Ching used the Mālama loan he received to buy equipment that made the production more efficient. His company uses a high volume business model, whieh typically means the business markets its product at a low price and low profit SEE SWEET SUCCESS ON PAGE 17

www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS

Left to right, Miehael Ching, owner and operator of Hawai'i Gourmet Cookies, Timmy Wailehua, OHA Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Manager, and Robert Crowell, OHA Loan Fund īeehnieal Assistant Specialist. - Photos: James Hall

SWEET 3UCCESS Continued from page 16 margin but is successful because of the high quantity of product that it is able to sell.

The Native Hawaiian-owned business has just a few customers, mostly wholesale clubs. Hawai'i Gourmet Cookies makes specialty snacks like chocolatedipped shortbread, assorted cookies

and Island Lava - a bakers' brittle - not a eookie or a candy, but a delightful crisp crowd-pleasing treat in brownie, passion fruit and coconut flavors. Whenever possible the ingredients are locally sourced, whieh Ching says makes them the

best ingredients. "We ean be more than we are today and I think we are moving in that direction. Go get the support from OHA to be the best you ean be." "For me, I would rather manage my own destiny than have my destiny managed for me," says Ching. "The best business is going to be built on what you enjoy. What you have passion for. Figure out what that is and just do it." Watch Miehael Chino's

interview on video at https://vimeo. eom/148165119. For more information on OHA's Malama Loan Program visit www. oha.org/malamaloan. ■

Tropical T-Mac cookies by Hawai'i Gourmef Cookies.