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KIHEI – On Thursday, July 14, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) will present, as part of its Innovation Series, a workshop entitled “Hidden Gems: State Programs To Save Your Business Money.”

This free workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at MEDB’s Malcolm Center located at 1305 N. Holopono St., Suite 5, in Kihei.

Attendees will learn about two state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) programs that can benefit their business.

Under the Enterprise Zones (EZ) Partnership Program, new or existing businesses may be eligible to receive various state credits and benefits for up to seven years, including 100 percent exemption from the General Excise Tax, up to 80 percent nonrefundable state income tax, and up to 80 percent tax credit for Unemployment Insurance premiums.

Under the Hawaii State Trade and Export Promotion Assistance Program (HiSTEP-AP), companies could receive direct awards to participate in export marketing activities. Applicants may request a minimum of $2,000 and a maximum of $6,000 for various business activities, including trade shows, travel, collateral materials, compliance testing, shipping and other expenses.

Thom

The workshop speakers are Jamie Lum and Wayne Thom.

Lum, an economic development specialist with DBEDT’s Business Development & Support Division, administers the Hawaii State Trade Expansion Program, HiSTEP, which is supported through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration. HiSTEP is a multifaceted export development program for companies that are new to exporting or already exporting.

Thom, the community economic development manager with DBEDT’s Business Support Branch, oversees the operations of the Community-Based Economic Development (CBED) and the Enterprise Zone (EZ) Partnership Programs.

The CBED program provides training and capacity-building opportunities to qualified, community-based non-profits, and invests in community economic development projects that result in measurable economic impact.

The EZ Partnership Program creates collaborative relationships between the state, county governments and participating businesses that encourage, via tax and other incentives, certain types of business activity, job creation and economic diversification.

Admission is free. Breakfast will be provided.

Reservations are required for this MEDB workshop; space is limited. To register, visit www.medb.org/ez2016.

Presented by Maui Economic Development Board, this workshop is part of MEDB’s Innovation Series, a grassroots effort to help small businesses establish strong systems, processes, tools and best practices to build a solid foundation for success.

The “Hidden Gems: State Programs To Save Your Business Money” workshop is sponsored by the county Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.