Program aids technology-wary
By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer
At age 56, Karen Neal felt too old to start learning how to use a computer.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
But Neal fought off her doubts and plunked herself down in front of a Dell computer at the Small Business Resource Center in Chinatown because she realized she couldn't launch a business just using pencil and paper.
David Brown, an economic development specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration, gives a lesson in computer use to Jeff Pagay, a small-business owner, during a session of "Computer Boot Camp."
"I felt so stupid, I was almost in tears," Neal said. "But every business runs on its books, and you have to have everything on a computer these days or you can really be in trouble."
Neal's one hour of free basic computer instruction gave her — and 150 others over the past year — the confidence and foundation to navigate on a computer by herself.
Like other potential startup business owners, Neal quickly discovered that she needs computer skills for everything from spreadsheets to e-mail to simply printing up a flier for advertising.
But she didn't know where to get started and didn't have the cash to pay for an expensive, full-blown course.
The weekly sessions in the Chinatown center are titled "Computer Boot Camp" and are just one of the programs offered at the Small Business Resource Center, which is run by the Small Business Administration, the city Office of Economic Development, the Hawai'i Small Business Development Center Network, the Hawai'i Women's Business Center and SCORE.
Although the boot camp is intended as a one-hour primer, instructors David Brown and Bob Souza try to adapt each hour to the skill levels of the two to six people who come each week.
"Many people have never sat down in front of a computer before," Souza said. "Many of them have never even touched a mouse. But they're all trying to see how they can apply the use of a computer to their business."
Jeff Pagay uses a hand-me-down Fujitsu laptop for e-mail. But Pagay lacks lots of other computer fundamentals he wants for his various art businesses — which range from teaching children's art at Windward Mall to making signs and banners.
Yesterday, Pagay's eyes widened in the first few moments in front of a PC as Brown directed him through various menu bars, leading to all sorts of programs.
"I don't know anything about gigabytes and jigabytes," Pagay said. "None of my friends have time to teach me, so I think this is the way to go. I hear I can even draw on the computer."
Cheryl Tsui, 56, taught herself QuickBooks and an old version of Excel for her last office job.
But Tsui never got any formal training. She now owns an iMac that she wants to use for a potential flower-arranging business.
"I went down to check out what they have to offer," Tsui said, "because at my age, I need to keep going."
Neal had much more computer anxiety going into her boot camp session.
"My 14-year-old granddaughter knows everything about computers," Neal said.
Neal, a retired Army nurse, hopes to start a home care business. And she now feels confident that she can learn the necessary computer skills.
"I had kind of lost hope," Neal said. "David and everyone in the class is so sweet, and they all made me feel real good."
Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.
