Kasanita "Nita" Faagau-Tiliti sat down and talked about her experiences as a co-owner of Continental Appliance Company in San Francisco. They offer appliance repair services in the Bay Area.

​Nita is a hard-working Polynesian business owner, wife, and mother of three. She and Sal (husband and co-owner of Continental Appliance Co.) feel blessed to run their own business and serve customers in the Bay Area. She explained the value of investing in home appliances. In a rich place like the Bay Area, there's a temptation to throw out defective home appliances especially if the warranty expired or if there's no warranty at all. But Nita talked about the convenience of calling her appliance repair company to come to the homes of customers and repair the appliance, and the environmental benefit of re-using the repaired appliance as opposed to throwing it away and adding to the landfill.

This is a Two Part interview. Click on the links below to listen:
Part One: (1/2) Continental Appliance Co in SF
Part Two: (2/2) Continental Appliance Co in SF

Pacific Business Podcast

Who is the Pasifika community? Pasifika people are indigenous to the Polynesian, Melanesian, and Micronesian islands. But they live in the diaspora, such as the United States.

Many societal problems that the pasifika community faces require economic solutions. For that reason, there is a strong push for business development because of the potential for wealth and job creation. Surplus of money can help in paying for solutions in education, health, and civic engagement.

Here are some helpful Small Business Resources:

U.S. Small Business Administration: is a government agency that helps start and grow your business with free business counseling, finding a SBA lender for business loans, and much more. Visit their website to find the nearest SBA District Office.

Coconut Wireless United States facebook page: has 3000+ followers which means that it has a large reach. Business owners should contact the page, and ask if they can share announcements which helps promote events/products/services

Islander Elevation app: reinvests in our Islander People by connecting Pacific Islander businesses with each other, and providing job resources. This app is great for iPhone entrepreneurs who do a lot of business and communication on their phones. (The link leads to their Instagram page, but from there you can download the app.)

Pacific Business Podcast: is my own podcast in which I interview Pasifika business owners, and talk about their business experiences in the United States. Please subscribe to hear us talk story about interesting community topics.


If you know of additional resources, then please comment below and I will update this blog entry.

If you're thinking of starting a small business, then you're probably wondering:
Should I operate as a Sole Proprietor, or form an LLC (limited liability corporation)?

Well, it depends.

First, there are various business structures you can consider such as sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, corporation, and S corporation. But sole proprietorship and LLC are the more simple and common structures.

​Second, which state do you plan to run your business? In some states, it is especially  more expensive to operate an LLC.

​Third, is your business vulnerable to lawsuits? The more likely a client or merchant will sue, then the more likely you may need to invest in forming an LLC. If you do need legal advice, then it's best to seek a business law attorney. 

Below are some comparisons between the two structures:

​Sole Proprietor
As a sole proprietor, there is no separate business entity. This means that the sole owner is one in the same with her business because the owner is personally liable for the company's debt.

There is no formal registration for a sole proprietorship because the owner automatically becomes a sole proprietor as soon as she performs business activities.
However, you may still need to obtain necessary licenses and permits depending on your industry. 

LLC
Forming an LLC creates a separate business entity from the owner. This means that the owner is shielded from most personal liabilities.

Formal registration is required in order to form an LLC, but the forms and filing fee depend on the state in which you conduct business activities. 
Below are some of the state websites:

• Hawai'i: Business
• California: Secretary of State
• Utah: Division of Corporations and Commercial Code
• Washington: Secretary of State
• Texas: Secretary of State
• Nevada: Secretary of State
• Alaska: Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development

To see a bigger list or research a different state, visit: U.S. Small Business Administration.

​
​Consultation: If you'd like additional help in determining whether to operate as a sole proprietor or form an LLC, then contact me today.

​Ruby

Fanaika Fa'agau Consulting, LLC
(775) 237-8667
[email protected]