The City of Norfolk has helped Peoples Pharmacy since its inception in May of 2015, to establish a pharmacy in a medically underserved community. To do so, they have received City funding, attended one-on-one business sessions with the staff from the Economic Development Department, and participated in business development seminars, coaching services, and mentoring workshops provided by the department’s Biz Cafés and the Women’s Power Lunches.
Dr. Anna Peoples mission is to solve the problem of a high prevalence of diabetes in the Norfolk area. Her pharmacy, Peoples Pharmacy and Diabetic Clinic, is a conventional and holistic approach to the disease and “where people come to get healthy and stay healthy.” In there, one can find a one-stop service, eliminating the need for the patient to go to several locations. “We are not just your neighborhood pharmacy,” Dr. Peoples says. “At Peoples Pharmacy, a patient can see a physician, have lab work done, and fill a prescription.” It is a gem for the City since it fills a real community need.
The annual Women’s Power Lunch is a program that Dr. Peoples describes as an “awesomely wonderful experience” and one in which she looks forward to attending every year. “Being surrounded by so many positive women and working towards a common goal is a thrilling experience that is shared by all the women that attend the program.” What the attendees enjoy the most is the opportunity to be connected during and after the program. Dr. Peoples was initiated in it as someone who was being mentored and later progressed in becoming a mentor herself.
Lastly, another help from the City and the Department was when Dr. Peoples got selected for the Capital Access Program (CAP), which allowed her to acquire the necessary capital to expand and develop her business further. Using the grant money, she was enabled to explore and boost marketing and advertising options which have resulted in positive business growth.
Dr. Peoples success story is one that the City of Norfolk and the Department of Economic Development proudly tell businesses as a great example for the long-term benefits of being a Norfolk-based business. There are a plethora of resources that are designed to enable businesses of all sizes and capabilities to succeed.