Business Person of the Month: Dean Harrison

Dean Harrison’s company, hSoft Consulting, LLC, has been providing computer services to Baton Rouge businesses and individuals for fifteen years and the Perkins Computer Center is its new home.  The new location offers convenient computer services in the thriving Garden District/CityPark neighborhood.  “It’s a very exciting time for us, “says owner Dean Harrison.  “We’re thrilled about the new location.”

Services offered at the Perkins Computer Center include onsite and offsite home computer service, as well as business services like network and server administration, software development and web-based programming, website and email hosting, and website construction.

Harrison defines his business as service to the customer.  As a business network systems designer, he builds computer networks to fit the customer’s needs and wants.  As a home computer technician, he’s the family computer doctor.   Business at the Perkins Computer Center is 50% walk-in and 50% off site and Harrison credits his growth to “word of mouth” advertising. Read More….

Business Person of the Month: Keith O’ Connor

Super Cool Fashions, a one-stop-shop for men’s wear, can outfit a man from head to toe with everything he needs. Suits and men’s leisure sets are available in a full range of sizes from 36 through 60, and boys’ suits come as small as toddler size.

With suits in an array of colors and cuts, owner Keith O’Connor can help coordinate a look with matching or contrasting shirts, ties, belts, socks, shoes, and hats as well as cufflinks, tie tacks and other accessories. He has three employees and offers expert tailoring. The shop carries the basics as well as the newest offerings of the ever-changing fashion industry. “My vision was for a men’s store that took fashion to a new level.” Read More….

Business Person of the Month: Rosalind Thomas

Rosalind Thomas thinks most people should be able to find their style at her clothing store, Roxxanne’s. With attire for all occasions, Roxxanne’s can satisfy the need for something skimpy and sexy; no-nonsense business attire; elegant formalwear; or that fashion staple, blue jeans.  At the moment current brand name clothing dominates, but Thomas wants to acquire more of the retro and vintage items (often with original store tags on them.) Her vision is for the shop to be half modern fashion, half vintage. Though she caters mostly to women, Roxxanne’s does have some men’s fashion.

Thomas has been in the clothing business off and on for over 30 years. Her first foray into small business ownership was a booth called Rags to Riches in the flea market on Florida Boulevard.  Then she opened a store named The Real Roxxanne, which lasted about eight years and grew to two locations–downtown as well as on Highland Road near the LSU campus.   People continue to call her Roxxanne (often prefaced by the words “the real”) so she stuck with that name for her newest business. Read More…

Business Person of the Month: Lucy Ramos

Lucy’s Health Foods specializes in organic foods, supplements, vitamins, food allergies, sports nutrition, gluten free foods and more. Her organic foods include meat, dairy and canned goods. Gluten free dairy items such as soy ice cream, cream cheese and sour cream are big sellers. Lucy Ramos has always wanted to help people and her health food business satisfies that need.

Ramos’s introduction to the health food business came from a friend who worked at Living Foods. Ramos got a part-time job there and using knowledge from her degree in Business Administration, she began doing inventory and organizing the business. After her efforts resulted in the store doubling in size in less than a year, the owner offered her a partnership. She moved into management full-time and ran the second location. When her partner retired and sold Living Foods on Perkins Road, Ramos renamed the Highland Road store, Lucy’s Health Foods.

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Business Person of the Month: Krista Scurria

Krista Scurria has been teaching Jazzercise for five years and has had her own studio for the last year and a half.  The majority of her clients are female, “but there are a few brave men who take the classes.”  All ages, levels, and sizes are welcome; currently her participants range in age from thirteen to eighty-four. Scurria has a BS in Physical Therapy from St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO and still works part time as a physical therapist for EarlySteps, Louisiana’s Early Intervention System under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.   She employs eight Jazzercise instructors.

Jazzercise, which has been around for 38 years, is great for weight loss and cardiovascular conditioning.  Each class combines cardio moves to enhance endurance and burn calories; strength training to define muscles and strengthen the body’s core; and stretching to increase flexibility. “We’ve taken moves from hip-hop, yoga, Pilates, jazz dance, kick-boxing, and resistance training and bundled them into one hour. Most clients say they have fun while blasting the fat.”   

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