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In this week’s business section, we take a look at new entrepreneurs channeling their passion into two successful, local establishments.
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Capturing Culture the ‘Krishna’ Way New
By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com While The Leader has many businesses nestled in the many business parks in the area, perhaps none is more unique than Krishna Culture, located in the Brookwood Business Park at 3522 East TC Jester Blvd. Offering everything from statues of Hindu deities to saris, posters, paintings, incense, meditation beads, yoga clothing and more, Krishna Culture attracts customers from the Hindu faith as well as those outside of it. Manager Jiva Parker said 12 years ago the store moved from its location near the Hare Krishna Temple & Cultural Center on 34th street to its present location. “We needed more space,� said Parker, who noted that the business itself began 35 years ago in Philadelphia. He said the owners looked nearby for a new location because they sell a lot of their merchandise to the temple store and also because Krishna Culture’s employees wanted to be close to the temple for spiritual reasons. The store is both retail and wholesale and there are three full-time paid staff members. Parker said that they get about four shipments of merchandise a year. About half of it comes from India and the other half, primarily the statues and canvas prints, come from their own manufacturer in China. Aside from supplying the temple, Krishna Culture also supplies its wares to Indian grocery stores and yoga studios. The yoga pants they sell are not the modern spandex but the more traditional pant worn by practitioners. Customers not from the Hare Krishna Temple find them through the Internet or word of mouth. “They find us on Google when they are searching for tabla (Hindu percussion instrument) or harmonium (a type of reed organ),� said Parker. He said more than 50 percent of customers are not from the temple, but rather Hindus from other temples or those who aren’t affiliated with any temple or Hindu sect. “They’re looking for clothing,� said Parker. The statues are a big draw
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Phillips Tire & Service Center 2212 Mangum Rd | as well with Krishna, the supreme deity, being the number one seller and Ganesha, the elephant-headed god and god of wisdom and learning, a close second. “It’s traditional in India to have [Krishna] no matter the sect,� said Parker. There are also plenty of statues of Rama (the embodiment of chivalry and virtue), Shiva (the god of the yogis) and Durga (the mother of the universe). “The whole upstairs is overstock [of statues],� said Parker. One recent customer was Hanumatpresaka Swami who is also known by Professor Huber Hutchin Robinson. He is a monk who was in town to visit the temple on his way to India and wanted to pick up some children’s books to take back to his community in Murfreesboro, TN.
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There is no place on Earth Tina Ozcelik would rather live than the Houston Heights. For this busy wife, businesswoman and mother of two youngsters, the Heights offers the type of community she most admires. “A wonderful blend of neighbors of different ages, cultures, backgrounds and professions,� Ozcelik said. “I grew up on Houston’s westside. There, everything was the same. It was a cookie-cutter neighborhood. In the Heights, everything and everyone is unique. We love it here.� While motherhood keeps her on the run, so too does Ozcelik’s business. She is the founder of Houston’s three Eye Gallery stores, which features up-to-the-minute fashion eye wear and are renowned for caring customer service. Eye Gallery stores can be found in Rice Village, and River Oaks with the newest one located in the Whole Foods center on Post Oak Blvd. “I work six days a week and you might not think that the Heights would be the best
choice of locations to get from home to the stores, but it is,� Ozcelic said. “I can be at any one of the locations in 10 minutes, depending on Houston’s unpredictable traffic.� The entrepreneur is the first to state that eye wear has taken on a new life in recent years. While many women grew up with the old chestnut, “boys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses,� things have changed dramatically. “Yes, we went through the ‘minimalist’ trend, when many of the glasses were rimless, and tried to be invisible,� Ozcelik remembered. “That trend has moved on. Eyewear is now one of the strongest statements regarding personal style one can make. Today, fashion designers will often choose to put models in glasses to compliment their designs.� Are you a person who wants to celebrate your artistic side? Try a sculptural pair of glasses in a bold color. Are you funloving? How about a design in pink and lime green? Looking to project credibility? Look no further than CNN. Nearly all its news anchors wear glasses of some sort - both the men and
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$ 00 Photos by Betsy Denson (Clockwise from top) Hanumatpresaka Swami (left) and Harilila Das peruse the children’s literature. Krishna and his divine consort Radha are a popular statue. Ganesha is the elephant-headed god and god of wisdom and learning.
“We are going to do storybook dramas for the kids,� he said. While the most expensive item in the store is a $3,600 marble statue, the large majority of merchandise is $30 and under, with skirts as inexpen-
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sive as $9. Customers can also purchase items from the web site, but a trip to the store is in order, if only to take in the sheer volume of merchandise. For more information visit http://www.krishnaculture. com/
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Do You Have Enough?
Heights entrepreneur has ‘eye’ for success with Eye Gallery stores Kim Hogstrom For The Leader
Houston, TX 77092
Retirees today are hard pressed to reply to this basic question, “Do you have enough?� When planning for retirement income, the answer often eludes them. Do you have enough to live on the rest of your life at the current standard of living? If you are like the majority of baby boomers retiring today, you will need enough money to last for thirty-five years. To keep pace with inflation, your income will need to double during this time or it will fall behind in purchasing power. Low interest rates on savings, money markets, and bonds add difficulty to the already daunting task of creating income endurance. Most financial advisors recommend a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds with an initial withdrawal rate of 4%. A $1,000,000 portfolio would distribute 4% or $40,000 in year one and then the income amount would increase each year by 2.5% to keep pace with inflation. Morningstar Investment Research revealed this strategy had only a 50% probability of lasting to the end of both lives of a married couple! Many retirees may rely more frequently on the stock market as the investment of choice to provide income over their lifetimes. After all, the stock market is at an all time high and historically has given the highest rate of long term growth. However, if you retired with $1,000,000 in 1999, invested the money in the S&P 500 and drew out 4% with annual increases to keep pace with inflation, today you would have less than $160,000 in remaining value! While the stock market has reclaimed all time highs for the long term investor, sadly this is not the case for a retired person in need of income.
Tina Ozcelik, Founder of The Eye Gallery, far right, and some of her crew.
the women. One of the reasons Ozcelik is devoted to her business is because she truly enjoys it. “It is so much fun when a client comes in and tries on something unusual or unexpected. They are often surprised that an uncommon design can really reflect their personality. It’s a very rewarding experience for me,� she said. Originally, Ozcelik graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in biology, and entered the eyewear industry
in 1995. She often travels the world in search of new ideas, inspirations and design concepts. Her keen sense of design and experience as a buyer has helped her arrive at the top of her profession. Ozcelik is also quick to credit her success to her associates. “I have the most wonderful staff in the stores. They really care about our clients, and that makes all the difference. I could not do it without them,� Ozcelik said.
Investments which took you to retirement may not be the best to get you through retirement. To learn more, order our complimentary report “10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PLANNING YOUR RETIREMENT INCOME� at our website scottandassociatesoftexas. com or email me your name and address at William@scottandassociatesoftexas.com William Scott President of Scott and Associates of Texas, Inc. www.scottandassociatesoftexas.com 713 957 0685 & ASSOCIATES OF
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