The pandemic of 2020 highlighted the importance of having an online presence and forever shifted the business landscape further towards a basis in e-commerce. Beyond a company website and social media presence, listing your business in a Big Island directory can help to establish credibility, increase promotional reach, and enable business to business networking opportunities. Though not exhaustive, this list of Big Island business directories will help you get started to find the best registry that fits for your business needs.
Before you start looking at listing your business in these Big Island business directories, make sure you are properly registered with the State of Hawaii Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division. This is a requirement for many of the listing sites, and helps to secure your business name and trademarks from being used by another business entity. More information about registering with the State DCCA can be found here.
Looking to support local Big Island businesses? Whether you’re shopping for Big Island products or Big Island services, be sure to bookmark these registries and start with them when you’re looking to buy local!
Free to List Big Island Business Directories
Big Island Made
Big Island Made promotes mostly handmade businesses and products on the Big Island. To join this registry, you must make a physical product or have retail space on the Big Island. Membership is free for the remainder of 2021. Your business must be registered with the DCCA Hawaii Business Registration Division (BREG). As one of the newer, niche registries on this list, there are fewer entries so far, allowing for great exposure opportunities! Big Island Life is proud to be a community partner of Big Island Made — we even highlighted their Wahine Makers last month for Women’s History Month.
Hawaiiverse
Hawaiiverse is a locally-based (Hilo) online directory for businesses in the state of Hawaii. Hawaiiverse utilizes a model similar to Groupon, promoting businesses via their special offers available on the site. Hawaiiverse has a strong and active social media presence, with a monthly reach of over 50,000 people. Consumers can search their listings for special (often exclusive) coupons and deals from local companies. Smartly, Hawaiiverse organizes their listing by geography, then industry type, making it ideal for our Island geography! Visit their site for more information.
ShopBigIsland by Hawaii Island Visitors Bureau
The ShopBigIsland registry is hosted by the Hawaii Island Visitors Bureau, supported in part by the County of Hawaii. It’s a free platform where local businesses can host their information, including current specials. The directory is searchable by Big Island region, divided into the following areas: Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Ka’u, Kohala-Waikoloa, and Puna and by industry. To be listed on the registry, the physical business address must be located on the Island of Hawai’i. Listing on this site would be especially helpful for businesses in lower populated areas to help with exposure.
Food-a-Go-Go
Food-A-Go-Go is a free service to support local restaurants on ALL Hawaiian islands and to serve as a community resource during this COVID-19 pandemic. The website is provided thanks to Hawaii Agricultural Foundation and Hawai’i Food & Wine Festival. Restaurant owners can list their information, including open hours, contact info, social media, photos, and the various services that they provide, on this free platform. No word yet on how this resource will be used post-pandemic, but it’s free, so what’s to lose?
Shop Small Hawaii by Central Pacific Bank
Shop Small Hawaii by Central Pacific Bank began as an extension of the Shop Small campaign by American Express. The goal of Shop Small Hawaii is to establish and support the small business community in Hawaii. Membership is free and open to small businesses throughout Hawaii. Shop Small Hawaii hosts frequent free business workshops and networking events. In addition to their site they also have a Facebook group for small business owners.
Buy Hawai‘i, Give Aloha by the State of Hawaii Business Development and Support Division (BDSD)
The Buy Hawai‘i, Give Aloha (BHGA) website is a portal to facilitate shopping on the websites of local companies. Listing on the site is open to Hawaii businesses with products that meet the requirements to be labeled Made in Hawai‘i, which are set forth in §486-119, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (HRS). Qualified businesses must have the capability to take and fulfill orders online. All customer inquiries and communication will be directed to the company in question. There is no cost to be listed on the site, but the application is time consuming and requires a lot of information. The consumer site is entirely free and open to the public.
Links:
Consumer site for shopping
Application for businesses
Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau is a nationwide business website with a presence in every state. Standard listing with the Better Business Bureau is free, with the option to apply for accreditation. The Better Business Bureau is known for their highly regarded accreditation program that gives consumers confidence that they are dealing with a trustworthy vetted business held to a high standard of accountability. Accreditation comes with annual dues which vary depending on the size of the business.
Links:
Free Listing
Accreditation Application
Prepky Hawaii
Prepky provides free online business directory listings in the United States and Canada. Paid advertising on the State landing page is also available. Businesses are responsible for maintaining and updating their own listings. Though not as commonly used in Hawaii, Prepky is used in other states and may be a resource for expanding reach to Mainland customers.
Fee for Service Big Island Business Directories
Kama’aina Business Directory
The Kama’aina Business Directory is another newcomer, offering an attractive and easy to navigate registry. To be eligible for listing, your business must: offer services or products on Hawaiʻi Island, be incorporated and headquartered in Hawaiʻi, and be owned by one or more full-time Hawaiʻi residents totaling at least 50% of the ownership. Strict eligibility criteria keeps the list selective and truly local. Membership starts at 3 months for $120. On the Kama’aina Business Directory, you manage your landing page, giving you more access to keep things updated and customized to fit your current business needs. If you register your business, be sure to tell them BigIsland.life sent you!
Ladies Artisan Market (LAM)
Ladies Artisan Market (LAM) is an all-female business organization focused on empowering women in business. LAM is membership based, with three membership tiers starting at $22 a month. The registry with LAM is still being established, but current members enjoy access to ongoing education, promotion and regular business to business networking opportunities. Their Facebook group is very active and a great place to promote your Big Island business or service.
Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce
The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce is an organization that lobbies on behalf of legislation and policies that benefit Hawaii Island small businesses. Beyond being listed in their Big Island business directory, the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce provides promotion and networking opportunities. Membership dues are billed annually and vary depending on the size of the business.
Chamber of Commerce Hawaii
The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii is a statewide, non-profit organization whose mission is to advocate for business in Hawaii. Membership dues are calculated based on their ROI calculator, which can be found on their website. This is not the most extensive or active of the Big Island business registries on the list, but membership with the Chamber is highly regarded.
General Contractors Association of Hawaii (GCA)
The GCA works to support General Contractors, Subcontractors, and Material and Equipment Dealers in the state of Hawaii. Membership dues are a one time security deposit of $400 and an initiation fee of $50. Membership benefits include listing in their directory, discounts on technology and equipment, a special pricing Verizon Wireless plan, members only Temporary Disability Insurance Program, and the ability to bid on jobs only available to GCA members. Visit their site for more details.
Native Hawaiian Organizations Association (NHOA)
The Native Hawaiian Organizations Association provides business networking and directory services to non-profit Native Hawaiian organizations certified by the Small Business Administration. NHOA works to keep Native Hawaiian organizations apprised of current pertinent legislative and community information. To learn more, email Daphne at [email protected].
Hawaii Directory Online
Hawaii Directory is a website where businesses in the state of Hawaii can create business listings in their online registry. Hawaii Directory Online is unique in that they allow businesses to list list events they are hosting. Listings are free for 90 days, then there are options for either 12 month ($19.95) or 24 month ($59.95) featured listings.
Other Big Island Business Directories (not web-based)
Hawaii Island Regional Business Directory (HIRBD)
The Hawaii Island Regional Business Directory is a Big Island business directory that comes out annually as a print publication for the Waimea/Kamuela and North Kohala regions. The publication is primarily created for and distributed to concierge desks, making this an ideal way to list your business if your product or service directly caters to tourism in these areas. To list your business or for more information visit their website.
Pop Up Mākeke
Pop Up Mākeke is a unique sales and promotional opportunity for small businesses in Hawaii. Similar to a QVC style of shopping, Pop Up Mākeke offers sales via live broadcast in a “buy it now while supplies last” fashion. For their third season in Spring 2021, Pop-Up Mākeke is looking to purchase 90% of its inventory at wholesale, the remaining 10% of its inventory will be on consignment. There is no fee for participating businesses. Businesses selected must agree to their eligibility criteria, which can be found on their website.
Wherever you list your business on one of these Big Island business directories, remember that your listing is an extension of your business and will establish your customers’ first impression. Keep product and service descriptions simple and to the point. Use high resolution photos whenever possible without complicated or distracting layouts. Make sure that what you include in your listing represents the image and quality you want the public and other businesses to see. For further advice on marketing and promotion, consider an advising session with your local Small Business Development Center or a marketing professional in your area. We wish you success in the 2021 business year!
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