It was 2005 when Brett Lee first came out to BYU-Hawaii to study hospitality and tourism management. And while at BYU-Hawaii he got an internship at the Sales & Marketing department at the Turtle Bay Resort.
Lee worked alongside the general manager and several other of the decision makers of the Turtle Bay Resort. It wasn't long before he pitched an idea to them about starting a moped business on-site to rent to guests and the outlying community. After pitching his on-site moped business to Bob Doyle, Turtle Bay's general manager, Lee presented to the owners of the resort and was received favorably.
At the same time, he entered BYU-Hawaii's yearly Business Plan Competition, sponsored by The Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship. To prepare his plan for the competition, Lee researched and did market study. Then he polished his business plan with the help of The Willes Center staff. His work paid off tremendously--during the Business Plan Competition, he was named a finalist, then he was back the next week--and he ultimately walked away the grand prize winner, hefty purse in tow.
Financed by the winnings, Lee’s company—Hele Huli Moped Rentals—a Hawaiian name devised from the slogan 'go explore', opened for business July 4, 2009, at Turtle Bay Resort. Since its birth, Lee noted the quick growth they've experienced: "Starting with a fleet of about eight mopeds, we've now grown and have added segway tours, electric bikes, three wheeled mopeds, and other optional rentals like snorkel gear, binoculars, underwater cameras."
And it doesn't end there. Lee noted, "Now that we've been in business over a year, we're able to see how we compare to last year's success. We measure our growth based on our revenues and this year, 2010, July, we've more than doubled our revenue over last year. Every month since then has shown similar results and we're excited to see the growth every month."
He credits The Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship for changing his life, stating, "With the winnings I had won at The Business Plan Competition, I was able to fund the first fleet of mopeds instead of going into debt to do it myself."
Just recently he's been offered expansion by another resort in Maui--and he hopes to see this growth and maturity for his company throughout the years.
He notes, "I'm very grateful for the support and the program itself and I hope that through my success, I'll be able to help in the future and give back."
View Brett Lee's interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A5dIzf1ev0#action=share
Click here to take a quick virtual segway tour with Hele Huli Moped Rentals