There has been a surge of interest among Hawaiians in starting and managing small businesses of their own. Alu Kike's ETP program which began in the spring of '89 has since graduated over 2,000 students. The Waimanalo Class will be its 90th class. Classes are also taught on the Big Island, Maui, Kaua'i and Moloka'i. Classes are relaxed and informal, but full of information.
Students learn a lot and have fun doing it.
The first day of class begins with a Ho'olauna by the kupuna, which reinforces Hawaiian values and how they can be practiced and maximized in the marketplace. The curriculum covers the A to Z's of small business ownership which includes business attitudes, marketing, organization, operations, financial management, business planning and keys to excellence. The classes feature guest speakers from the business and public sectors and are aimed at assisting small business start-ups. Those who decide at the end of the course not to go into business, find it has opened up a new career option and avenue of exploration to supplement their basic salaries should they want to do business on a part-time basis in the future. Just brainstorming on a potential business idea and venture gives students a new outlook on themselves and their environs.