For local small and micro businesses, simply surviving the ravages of the current rampaging COVID-19 will be a considerable achievement. The odds, in just about every department are stacked against them; what remains, in some instances is sheer will and a ‘logic’ that says ‘we have come too far to give up now.’
If you understand the stories behind the origins of the mostly women-run local micro and small businesses, particularly in the agro processing sector, you are likely to get a sense of where the will and determination of their proprietors come from. They derived, in many, perhaps most instances from desperate searches for options to destitution. Once you understand that you come closer to appreciating a perspective that sees COVID-19, for all its rampaging as just another hurdle to get across.
Anne Bristol-Peters is not indifferent to COVID-19. Rather, she appears to be possessed of a mindset that sees the malady as just another hurdle to cross. The journey that she has traveled with her seven year-old enterprise, Anne’s Products has taken her down demanding paths over the years. Over time she has been a Cake Decorator, Baker, Florist, Cook and Cosmetologist, among other things. You get the impression that Anne’s products is her last defiant stand.