Small business needs assistance from state

According to the Feb. 22 issue of the Honolulu Advertiser, business starts in Honolulu increased 26.2 percent from 1996 to 1997.

By the creation of 371 new businesses, Honolulu ranked higher than any of the country's fifty largest cities, an indicator that small businesses may hold the key to an economic upswing.

If we are to pull our state out of the economic slump it has been in since 1991, we will need to foster the development of small businesses. The reasons are obvious:

• Small businesses keep money local, unlike large corporations who are more likely to take profits elsewhere.
• The benefits of small business growth can be extended more readily to the leeward side of the island, employing more local people.
• Hawaii's small businesses are better positioned for export growth than mainland companies. Because of our tourism industry, Hawai`i has become a household word across the globe.

We have the tools to create our own prosperity. The only thing we nee is the support of local government to capitalize on our own assets.