Since National Entrepreneurship Week's relaunch in 2017, Maui Business Brainstormers have contributed annually to the initiative's programming and social media outreach. MBB is a grassroots group founded in January 2012, based in the County of Maui. This entirely volunteer organization has one purpose: finding and creating ways to help local entrepreneurs and new and existing businesses thrive on their journey from the ground up (fostering self-sustainability and business growth).
Maui Business Brainstormers' 2022 NatlEshipWeek Program
Entrepreneurs, Startups, and the Booming Food Waste Business
Monday, February 14 | 10-11:30AM HST
The COVID-19 pandemic has created massive disruptions in the food system, from farm to fork - exacerbating an existing problem. In some cases, severe food shortages. In others, food in abundance cannot reach end consumers and is ultimately wasted (e.g. milk, produce, ...) Reports published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, show that more than one-third of the food produced annually, i.e., around 1.6 billion tons, is either wasted or lost. Americans waste nearly a pound of food per person per day.
Waste happens at every stage of the process, from farm fields—where food may be abandoned if a farmer has a surplus or the food has imperfections—to distribution centers, supermarkets, restaurants, food processing plants, and homes. Entrepreneurs and startups working on solutions to tackle food waste have being increasing. However, there's no one solution that will fix our food waste problem which has brought great minds together, synergistically involved. Hear from six guest panelists, six leading food waste innovators, as they share why and how they entered into the food waste solution and what the food waste brought to them.
Entrepreneur: Is TikTok for Your Business?
Tuesday, February 15 | 9:30 - 11:30 am HST
Many businesses still ignore TikTok, thinking it’s a fad or only for kids. Founded in 2016, TikTok has gained immense popularity over the last few years, with over 800 million monthly users in over 150 global markets. GenZers and Millennials as a form of entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic. TikTok growth was enormous in the United States: 180 percent among 15-25 year old users. It was the most downloaded app globally in 2020. About one in six people in the United States is now a weekly user of TikTok. It has multi-generational viewership (parents, grandparents and children). GenZers and Millennials are also using it. Although TikTok initially gained notoriety for starting 15s viral dance trends, the social media platform has increasingly seen a rise of entrepreneurial influencers sharing their business wisdom with TikTok's 800 million active monthly users. Even if you are not thinking of using TikTok now (nor 'never'), we hope you can attend this workshop so you can find the answer to "Is TikTok for my business?"
Your Business' Cash: Where to stash, and when to flash, to avoid a crash?
Wednesday, February 16 | 9:00 - 10:30am HST
Cash flow is the life blood of every business. A business that has steady cash flow will always be in business. But at times, entrepreneurs get so caught up in managing their business that they forget to manage their cash flow. In this fun and informative 90-minute presentation, financial author and speaker Peter Bielagus will serve up simple tips and tricks that any entrepreneur can use to increase and manage cash flow. Participants will learn:
Where to “stash” your cash to get the best returns: opportunities beyond your local bank.
When to “flash” your cash: When and where is it okay to spend?
Avoid the “crash”: Remember, your business can crash even if the economy doesn’t. Learn how to protect yourself.
Surviving New (and Old) Challenges in 2022
Thursday, February 17 | 9:00 - 10:00am HST
A great deal has changed in our lives and businesses during the global pandemic. You can check this out on Google and learn from the 5,250,000,000 results, or come to this 1 hour presentation and learn about the most critical areas that impact your business. Whether you deal with products or services, a brick and mortar store, or e-commerce, small businesses can take advantage of simple technologies, trends, and new demands to succeed this year.
Question: What does your business need to stay afloat or grow in 2022? Answer: Finances, marketing, sales, and people, plus their underlying processes. These 4 elements have always been critical, but each has drastically changed in the last 2 years. Some of those changes are here to stay. The changes you should take advantage of will be highlighted. You'll hear answers to: What do you need to do more of, and what should you let go of, in order for your business to succeed? We will look beyond barely surviving to leading the way to more income, less burn-out, and sustainably thriving in these changing times.