Aloha, my name is Borys Rasin. I’m an immigrant from Ukraine who arrived in Hawaii in 2015 with no money, no connections, and no knowledge of English. Today, I own and run several multi-million-dollar businesses.
First, there’s Best Flooring Honolulu, a thriving flooring store that features world-renowned brands like Mohawk, Shaw, Armstrong, Karndean, Mannington, and many others. Second, I created Nroro, a brand that imports and sells flooring, wall paneling, moldings, underlayment, and various other products.
On this channel, I share my journey and offer advice to help business owners like myself avoid the mistakes I made. I don’t record fake flashy videos next to an expensive vehicle, in a big mansion, or next to a private jet to increase my status. I don’t know how to make millions overnight doing nothing. All I know is that if you work as hard as I do and avoid mistakes, you will get the results you dream of. If you want to learn how to achieve results by working hard and avoiding the mistakes that I already made, join me on this journey. Also, please subscribe to my channel and like this video to support the creation of more practical content like this.
This video is dedicated to the most popular businesses that people start in the tourist industry in Hawaii and similar vacation destinations. I will cover the first 6 out of 12 business ideas that people often pursue. In my next video, I will share 6 more niches. Stay tuned so you don’t miss it. Without further ado, let’s dive into this topic.
It’s no secret that Hawaii is one of the most well-known destinations for tourists. In 2023, almost 10 million people visited Hawaii for leisure. And that’s not including military personnel, medical staff, and others who traveled for work. The reasons vary, but the result is the same: people from all over the globe come to Hawaii with their families or loved ones to spend their money on these dream islands.
It’s important to emphasize that Hawaii is marketed and all the infrastructure is designed for families and couples, not solo travelers. This results in an increased number of people coming per trip, including children, parents, grandparents, significant others, friends, and more. It also creates an additional audience for businesses—kids and elderly people at the vacation destination.
Moreover, since Hawaii is such a remote location and the only way to get here is by air, this increases the quality of the travel audience, as they must have enough savings to afford the ticket. This is further amplified by the cost of all other services: transfers, hotels, taxis, food, etc. In other words, low-budget travelers who would just hitchhike to Hawaii with no money have minimal representation in this market.
Let’s also add the fact that the prime activity when traveling to Hawaii is exploration. There is almost no nightlife, absolutely no gambling, or other entertainment like in Las Vegas. This forces visitors to spend money on small businesses for tours, food, souvenirs, etc., instead of leaving money to big businesses like casinos or major entertainers.
By the way, did you know that Hawaii has minimal seasonal variation? This means we have tourists visiting us all throughout the year, non-stop. We do not have any pronounced low or rainy season. Since the weather here is stable and the water is warm year-round, business can be done continuously.
All the conditions mentioned above create perfect opportunities to start or run a business in the tourism niche.
- Food Trucks in Tourist Areas
Selling food anywhere in the world is a highly profitable and very stable business. But in a tourist state like Hawaii, running a food truck or a small restaurant business is an amazing idea since tourists are prepared to spend more and are open to new types of food. Also, since most people don’t cook while they travel, they eat in restaurants 3-4 times a day. The advantages of opening a food truck business in a place like Hawaii are:
– Tourists don’t cook at home and eat more in restaurants.
– Tourists are ready to pay more since they are on vacation.
– Tourists are ready to eat on the go, without needing seating.
– Tourists drink more while on vacation.
– Tourists love local food since they come here to experience the local lifestyle.
Of course, a place like Hawaii comes with its own challenges:
– High competition.
– Hard to find a good spot.
– Highly dependent on the tourist situation in the state.
– High initial investment if you are renting a place in a prime location and buying professional equipment.
Over the years, I’ve seen many people start businesses in this sphere since it’s simple—you can buy products at any grocery store. It’s highly profitable, with most businesses having over 300%+ margins on the dishes they sell.
**Bonus:** It’s not the best idea to start by renting an expensive place, especially if you’ve never done this kind of business before. A better idea is to start small, for example, from catering, where you don’t even need a location. This way, you can test different menus and recipes to see what works better. Another approach is to participate in farmers’ markets and festivals with a food stand. We have at least one going on at least once a week.
- Selling Souvenirs
And of course, who wouldn’t want to buy a souvenir while visiting Hawaii? Selling souvenirs in tourist places has been a primary business for hundreds of years. It all comes down to three factors: location, location, location. If you can find a good spot on a touristy street, your business will bloom! The pros of opening a souvenir business in Hawaii are:
– A ton of tourists.
– Every one of them wants to bring a memory or a present from Hawaii.
– Easy to sell.
– Good margins, especially if you can make them yourself.
– Simple business.
The downsides are:
– The price for retail real estate, especially on the main street, is super high.
– You need to be there all the time to make sure the store or kiosk operates smoothly.
– Big competition, as expected.
– Inventory will require substantial investments.
The potential of selling souvenirs to tourists in Hawaii is limitless. It’s the essence of business, selling to people that want to buy, what and where they want to buy.
**Bonus:** Same as with the food industry, you can test your products or increase your sales by participating in farmers’ markets and festivals. Another great thing is that if your souvenirs are small and priced right, they can be sold online and shipped all over the world, especially if they are Hawaii-related.
- Street Performance
Before I moved to Hawaii, street performances were not even on my business radar. But after I did, I realized that it is a great business opportunity. From what I was told by multiple street performers, with a little talent or a proper business plan, street performers can easily make $120k+ per year working 3-4 hours a day. And the best part, most of the income comes in cash as donations. The options are limitless: from playing musical instruments to singing, from showing tricks to drawing caricatures, from offering photos with parrots to dancing, etc. Here are the benefits:
– Minimal to no investments to start.
– Most income comes in cash or as donations.
– Only 3-4 hours in prime time in the evening are required.
– Maximum profit margin.
– Occasionally hitting a jackpot from a generous tourist.
However, there are disadvantages:
– Hard to scale, especially if it’s a one-person show.
– Income is unpredictable.
– Highly dependent on the tourist situation.
– High competition.
– Not everyone in the crowd is pleasant and cheering.
Street performances have been done for ages. A good performance can bring high income with relatively low time consumption. It all comes down to having a better-than-average show and knowing how to work with the crowd.
**Bonus:** It’s super hard to have natural talent, like having a great voice or playing a musical instrument like a pro. However, thorough preparation and working in groups increase chances for success significantly. Also, performers with good shows are often noted and invited to different places, like restaurants, hotels, etc.
- Equipment Rental
Since getting to Hawaii requires flying, many necessary items are left behind at home to avoid unnecessary charges. But tourists still need that gear for comfort or exploration. This is where a business owner comes into play by offering equipment rental services. There are many options to explore, but here are some ideas. For the beach: chairs, umbrellas, big floaters, towels, shades, snorkeling equipment, etc. For hiking: shoes, hiking poles, tents, backpacks, etc. For sports: kayaks, surfboards, stand-up paddleboards, tennis or pickleball rackets, etc. The positive results are:
– High margins since there is minimal cost.
– High demand if properly marketed.
– Minimal investments since the same items can be reused repeatedly.
– Extra margin if customers accidentally damage your items.
– Extra money from late returns.
However:
– Hard to find a good location to be seen.
– Not the highest average check.
– Items will require servicing over time.
In my opinion, this business works best as part of a larger business. For example, you offer hiking tours and rent hiking gear simultaneously.
**Bonus:** I found a service that helps with this called Yoodlize, where you can list items you’re willing to rent, and they give you customers, for a commission, of course. It’s important to remember that this kind of business works best next to the place where tourists might need it. Renting beach gear—on the beach, hiking gear—next to the hike, sports gear—next to the playing area.
- Air Tickets
The only way to get to Hawaii is by air, and to do that, you first need to buy flight tickets. Selling airline tickets to Hawaii is a great tourist-related business. I’ve never said you should
only sell tickets to Hawaii. You can sell souvenirs all over the world, and you can sell tickets to other destinations too. This business is done by becoming a distributor for an airline or adding a premium to each ticket as a reward for your services, like helping book a flight. Some obvious advantages are:
– You can do this business from anywhere in the world.
– You don’t need to limit yourself to Hawaii only.
– You don’t need to keep inventory.
– It’s almost a virtual product.
– You can have customers anywhere in the world.
But of course, there are disadvantages:
– Hard to find customers since purchasing tickets is so easy nowadays.
– Limited margin that you can get as a commission or add as a premium.
– Hard to become a distributor for airlines.
– Required investments to build credibility and trust with potential customers.
However, if you find customers and have everything in place, you can work from anywhere and have customers all over the world. A friend of mine runs a business where he offers concierge services to a number of wealthy clients. When they ask him to book tickets, he adds his premium to the ticket price. However, his services are not limited to airplane tickets; he also books cars, entertainment, events, etc.
**Bonus:** Selling not only tickets but a full package that includes flights, accommodation, entertainment, etc., brings more profit, especially if you are the one who organizes everything. For example, organizing a tour to Hawaii where you show the best places or experiences that a potential customer would have a hard time finding on their own. Group tours like this can generate enormous margins, with part of the profit coming from selling air tickets.
- Vacation Photography and Videography
Unforgettable memories—that’s what everyone wants when coming to a place like Hawaii or other tourist destinations. And what can hold those memories better than beautiful photos or videos? Offering tourists the chance to capture and edit some of the best moments of their trip is a classic business. Especially if you have a good eye for shooting photos and videos, or if you are good at editing. The benefits are:
– Sky-high margins since most of the money you get from the customer becomes your profit.
– Sometimes all the shooting can be done in a couple of hours.
– People prefer to capture beautiful moments charged with great energy.
– Helping people to save positive emotions.
However, there are downsides:
– Initial investments to buy good quality equipment can be pricey.
– Editing footage can take a lot of time.
– High competition makes finding customers harder.
– If you shoot outdoors, like in Hawaii, the weather is not always on your side.
This kind of business is fun and pretty straightforward. Not everyone can become a good photographer or videographer since it does require talent. However, if you are in this business, it brings joy to you and makes your customers smile. Not to mention, it allows high-margin sales. When the business is organized and going for multiple years, good photographers and videographers are booked months in advance, but it’s hard in the beginning.
**Bonus:** Being present or having a location next to a place that generates positive emotions attracts many potential customers. Standardize the final results that customers want to receive. I recently did bungee jumping, and of course, I wanted to record those emotions. There was a videographer offering his services right on the spot. Other examples could be sports like surfing or skydiving, beautiful moments like sunrise or sunset at a scenic point, and friends and family moments like at a restaurant or event.
So here we are, the first 6 niches to start a business in a vacation place like Hawaii, in the tourist sphere. Many of these niches can be combined for better results, like offering a short-term rental and a car rental for the same period at an extra charge. Let me know in the comments below if you like these business ideas, or give me your feedback. If you already run a business in one of the mentioned spheres, please share your experiences in the comments. I read all of your comments and would love to hear your thoughts.
In my next video, I will share six more businesses that you can start in the tourist sphere in Hawaii. Please like this video and subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay updated with my latest content. I will be sharing a lot of valuable information that you won’t want to miss.
If you are currently in Hawaii, take some time off—enjoy the beach and watch a gorgeous sunset. If you are not in Hawaii, buy a ticket right now and come here as soon as you can! See you in my next video. Mahalo!
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