But after the youngest started preschool, Taueetia says she "got bored." So she started Denise's Baskets & More, which grew into Molokai Furniture. Her success story was the winner of the 2007 Hand-Up Entrepreneurial Award presented by MEO Business Development Corp, The Maui News reported.

According to the agency's chief executive, Susie Thieman, Taueetia sought a small loan at her bank in 2002 and was turned down. She then turned to MEO Business Development Corp. and its loan program after she heard that agency would have a loan fund manager on Molokai to meet with residents regarding startup microloans for their businesses. Taueetia borrowed $2,500.

Taueetia thought she was doing really well as a gift shop, but she also needed to expand and offer more.

Market research (talking with her customers) revealed a desire for a furniture outlet. After about a year of operating her gift store, she decided to bring in unfinished hardwood furniture.

She thought bringing in unfinished furniture packed in boxes would be easier to handle than bulkier finished furniture. But dealing with a wholesaler located in Canada proved very costly.

Again, she listened to her customers and decided to venture into island-style rattan and wicker.

Taueetia has participated with MEO Business Development Corp. twice in its booth at the Maui County Fair, Thieman says. On both occasions, she virtually sold out the inventory she brought to sell.

In October, Molokai Furniture celebrated its fourth anniversary. It now carries products from 15 manufacturers and has outgrown its space at the Kualapuu Center. Soon it will move into a larger space in the new building located in the same center.

Denise's Baskets & More is still going, too, now under the name Denise's Gifts of Molokai.

In January, Taueetia will hire her first nonfamily employee.

Already Afa Taueetia has quit his full-time job as a supervisor at a resort to help her.

He assembles the unfinished furniture (which is still part of her line) and makes deliveries.

Daughters Jaylene and Saydee make jewelry from shells and freshwater pearls.

The gifts now account for about 40 percent of her sales, but Taueetia says she does not try to stock Molokai-made items.

The reason, she says, is that most Molokai craftsmen either sell on their own or on consignment to Friendly Isle gift shops, of which there are many.

So Taueetia searches other islands for gifts.

Her businesses are "just a blessing from God; I just wanted to stress that out," she says.

Taueetia was nominated by Kuulei Arce, Business Development Corp. Molokai loan fund manager. Taueetia says she has learned that beginning entrepreneurs "should really know what's going on with their business. . . Knowing the bookkeeping portion as well as the sales side and always paying attention to their customer's needs and wants. Both play a large part in their business' success."

The Hand-Up Entrepreneurial Award, which is presented annually to the client who most represents the value of the MEO Business Development Corp. in the success of a small business, was presented at the Maui Microenterprise Alumni gathering on Nov. 28.

For more information: www.molokaifurniture.com.