- Eggshell Lighting
- Kenworth Hawaii
- Royal Kitchen
- Sig Zane Designs
- Eight Point Distributors
- Autosource
- Island Topsoil
- Honolulu Eye Clinic
- Local Joe
- The Pig & The Lady
- T&C Surf
- Aloha Personal Training
- MD Restoration
- Goldwings
- AW Dental Group
- GreenPath Technologies, Inc.
- Heaven on Earth
- Honolulu Coffee Co.
- L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
- McKinley Car Wash
- Mountain Apple Company
- The Pâtisserie
- Scott Hawaii
- The Systemcenter, Inc.
- Town Hospitality Group
About the Entrepreneur
Since 2008, Daniel Ng has been at the helm of his custom apparel print shop, Blank Canvas. From their retail workspace in Chinatown, he and business partner Caleb Taosaka, offer digital direct-to-garment printing and traditional screen print, notably with no minimums or set-up fees. Their ability to produce orders of any size, from small one-off orders to large bulk orders, sets them apart.
Ng is the second generation of his family to bank with Hawaii National Bank. His parents have been clients since they started their business more than 25 years ago, and Ng’s father introduced him to HNB when he started a business of his own.
More with Daniel
Tell us a little about how your business grew to where it is today.
It started somewhat out of necessity, when I realized that the T-shirt printing industry was lacking options when it came to smaller orders. I wanted to open a shop front with a "retail" setting, using newer printing technology that could accommodate that. After years of doing "warehouse" mass production screen printing, in 2011 I opened Blank Canvas on Bethel Street in Chinatown. Another major milestone was when Caleb Taosaka became a partner, after many years of dedication. With his knowledge and creativity in computer graphics, and excellence in customer service, he has helped the company grow to where it is today.
How has Hawaii National Bank helped you with your business?
Building a business banking relationship with HNB has been easy due to how helpful the staff are with everything from everyday deposit transactions to questions about financing.
Is your future in Chinatown?
When we outgrew our first location, we wanted to stay in the same neighborhood and moved directly across the street. Now, about 12 years later, we will make another move to a larger space, still in the same neighborhood. We bring a bit of diversity to the community in the services and products we provide.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned since starting your business?
The most important thing would be to build a strong team of people you can trust to run your business day-to-day with. It’s also important to start with a well-developed business plan, have patience, and build a good banking relationship. There will be hurdles along the way and having that banking relationship will help you overcome some of them.
“I love the Chinatown community. It's just a great place to be and all of our neighbors are supportive and kind. It feels like home and makes coming to work here every day enjoyable.”
