proved a winning combination for People's Pharmacy founders, Ms Donna Pearman and her father, Mr. Norris Pearman. Conceived during the boon years of the 1980s, the pharmacy has weathered not only a recession but competition from bigger and longer established Hamilton drugstores. The first pharmacy to open all-day Sunday and first to install a computerised dispensary system, the People's Pharmacy has gone from strength to strength since it opened its doors for business on Halloween ten years ago. Customer numbers have more than doubled, the Victoria Street premises have been expanded three times, and customers can choose from more than 15,000 different products at the pharmacy cum convenience store. Instrumental in determining the pharmacy's success or failure was finding a good location, said Ms Pearman. It took her a whole year to find the drug store's present Victoria Street premises at the former site of the Health Line Fitness Club. "I took a year off from work to find it,'' she said. "At the time the location seemed the most important thing if we wanted a fighting chance of being successful. "It just felt right to me,'' she said. "There are several doctors in the area, the parking is excellent and we realised that town would continue to expand in this direction.'' Ms Pearman and her father, once she had persuaded him into retirement, admit they had some hard decisions to make when they first decided to open the pharmacy in 1984. The decision to computerise the business at a time when no other pharmacy on the Island used them, was not an easy one. "We put the computers in right from the start,'' said Ms Pearman. "We felt it was a good thing for the public so we took the risk and it paid off.'' But it was the customers themselves who decided that the pharmacy should stay open all day on Sundays.

"We tried to shut at one but they wouldn't let us,'' laughed Ms Pearman. Ever since the store's hours, 8 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m.

until 6 p.m., have been a roaring success with customers. But the real key to success of the family-run business, according to Ms Pearman, is the belief that a good pharmacy belongs to its customers. "I wanted a drug store for everyone. Having already worked in a couple of pharmacies, I saw a need for a drug store where everybody feels comfortable,'' she said of her original plan.

"Hence the name the People's Pharmacy.'' Cash registers were purposely placed together to foster an air of coziness where customers are encouraged to congregate and chat as they pay for their goods. Another unique feature is the low dispensary counter. Often elevated in other drug stores, here pharmacists prefer to be on the same level as their customers. "We wanted to be on the same level as them and do away with any sense of mystery dispensaries sometimes have,'' said Ms Pearman, a qualified pharmacist. "We want our customers to see exactly what we are doing and what we are giving them. This way they can communicate with us on an eye to eye level. "It encourages them to come over and talk to us, too much so sometimes,'' she laughed. "At times people are so much at ease they even come round the other side.'' According to Donna's father and store co-founder, Mr. Norris Pearman, maintaining a happy work force is a vital ingredient to creating happy customers. "We really try to keep our staff happy,'' he said. "If we succeed that atmosphere flows over to the customers. "We have a family-style atmosphere here,'' agreed Ms Pearman. "There is a togetherness between management and staff. People comment on it.'' Staff are invited to approach management with ideas at any time. And employees with special skills are encouraged to use them. "One lady who we originally employed to work in the warehouse turned out to be very creative,'' said Ms Pearman. "So now she makes up Easter baskets. "The opportunity is here for everyone to learn as much as they can and to progress to whatever level they can. There is a lot of scope for learning here,'' she said. "We do try to nurture our staff. In many other businesses, people without qualifications are overlooked. Instead we try to look at peoples' potential even if they don't have a university degree to prove it.'' A mother herself, Ms Pearman says running a business is not unlike raising a family.

And since 90 percent of the staff are parents themselves, they bring their organisational and communication skills into the work place with them. "In families everybody learns to help out,'' she said. "Here it's the same thing.

Everybody, including management pitches in if there is something to be done.'' Ms Pearman said while there are no formal staff meetings, informal discussions take place every day between staff and management. "So we can bounce ideas off each other,'' she said. "That way staff who are part of the business feel they are part of the business.'' And an "open door'' office layout means managers are always in the thick of things. "This concept has been a success for us,'' said Ms Pearman. "We are very proud of the pharmacy. We have been here for ten years and are still going strong. " We even enjoy working here as much as we did ten years ago,'' she laughed. PHOTO NUMBER ONE -- Mrs. Terry Payntor, first customer at the People's Pharmacy is still shopping there ten years on. BUSINESS BUC