21 July 2020
Aloha Hawaiian business owners and residents,
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Nick Ponte, I am the founder of the Hawaii Thrive Initiative and a fellow local business owner on Hawaii.
About three years ago I decided to create Nick Ponte Marketing, a Hawaii-based agency that specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), marketing, and web design. I was born and raised on Maui, and because of this, developed a passion for driving customers to local businesses through proven digital marketing strategies.​
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Since starting my agency, we have been featured in Forbes, INC, business.com, as well as ranking as #1 on Google for Hawaii SEO.
When Covid-19 hit, I decided to shift my focus and put my number approaches digital marketing knowledge to work and create the Hawaii Thrive Initiative, a free resource to help Hawaiian businesses and residents connect to support our local economy.​
Like many other local Hawaiian businesses, I was not prepared for what the shutdown or pandemic would mean to our economy. I had just signed a lease on a new office and was getting ready to launch other ventures. I was worried about what this would mean for not only my business but my family.
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Instead of giving in to the fear that I’m sure a lot of business owners experienced, I got to work on developing hawaiithrive.com.
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In just a little over two months we have helped over 500 businesses across the State of Hawaii gain exposure through our website and we continue to increase these efforts daily.
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I continue to be dedicated to helping fellow local business owners, organizations, and professionals as well as aiding the residents of Hawaii.
My goal with all of this is understanding how we can continue to grow and thrive in this unprecedented time, and helping you succeed through my experience owning a business here and the marketing skills and experience I have developed through my years in this industry.