YOU AND YOUR OHANA
What is your name?
Max Mukai
Where were you raised?
Kuliouou, Oahu
Where is your ohana originally from?
Kuliouou, Oahu
Do you come from a family of entrepreneurs or have people close to you who have encouraged and supported your entrepreneurship?
Yes
YOUR BUSINESS
What is the name of your business?
Kahui Palaka
What is the best way to contact you/your business?
Insta: @kahuipalaka or email: info@kahuipalaka.com
Does your business have a website and/or social media presence? If so, please provide a link/s.
Our website: Kahuipalaka.com
Native Hawaiian Business Directory listing: https://kanakaeconomy.com/listing/kahui-palaka/
How long has your business been in operation?
2 years
Where is your business located today?
Oahu/Online
What products and/or services does your business provide?
Apparel for the whole family!
Please describe your business in 1-2 sentences.
Kahui Palaka brings you all the nostalgia of old Hawaii with a palaka pattern.
Why do you do what you do?
Kahui Palaka provides me an incredibly creative outlet, and I enjoy being able to design and find ways to bring value to our amazing customers!
STARTING YOUR BUSINESS
When did you first think of starting this business?
My family was all out of work at the beginning of the pandemic. We got to sewing and learned new skills. We had palaka fabric was stored away, and we thought it would be a great look for face masks. The word got out and we have been growing and innovating new designs we think people will love.
What type of experiences (education, work, life) were most important in shaping the skills you use to run your business today?
We owe this company’s start to our mom. She grew up sewing and had all the supplies we needed to just jump in. She taught us to sew, and before we knew it, we built out a nice production line.
YOUR BUSINESS TODAY
In what stage of development is your business: pre-formation, early stage, growing, or mature?
Growing!
Do you have employees? If so, how many?
1 contractor
Are you working to get your business to the next stage in development? If so, where are you in that development?
We are really aiming to secure a line of credit to better manage our production needs and be able to keep more of the cash we earn over time. Any bankers willing to work with small businesses would be a real game changer for us!
CHALLENGES
What is the greatest challenge you have experienced as an entrepreneur?
Managing cash flow is important and finding ways to capitalize our production was critical. It helped to grow our operations quickly but at a risk.
How did you overcome that challenge? (Or are you still working through it?)
We are still working through it. Using credit cards to get production done is helpful but not as flexible as a LOC.
THE FUTURE OF YOUR BUSINESS
How do you envision your business in the future?
Eventually I see us building out more of our own designs, having a steady flow of production in smaller batches, and building out a small retail boutique.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT A HOBBY, INTEREST, OR TALENT YOU NURTURE OUTSIDE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
I love to watch movies at the actual theatre again! Also, I’ve been getting into yoga. Gotta get the kino stronger to keep up with all the other things in life!
