The Shoppes at Coldwater
Click Synergy, LLC was originally formed when the owners saw a need for content creation and media guidance for small businesses. They quickly realized that they could use their retail expertise to help other businesses grow and this led them to create a retail incubator. The idea was to house these businesses under one roof and teach them how to grow and own their own brick and mortar business. They could help the businesses find their target audience, create media, and social media content. Thus, increasing their sales by way of proper marketing. Out of this effort, their own retail venture grew so large that they now needed the entire space to focus on what is now known as The Shoppes at Coldwater.
The business began to explode and then the pandemic hit. This is what led them to seek out counseling services from the SBDC. They needed help navigating the CARES Act legislation and also support on how to continue their business when everything was shut down. The Capital Access team helped with all of their PPP, EIDL and expansion loans. They utilized any resource they could find and leveraged access to specific software technology and created a retail app for their customers.
Ashley and her team of 7 would create Facebook live videos daily to keep in touch with their clients. Clients were able to order from the app and have their items delivered or brought out to them in their car. During unprecedented times, they were able to create a sense of community. While navigating their own small business, they stepped up and showed support for other small businesses through media. Ashley says, “We have created community for our customers. A place to come and get gifts and clothes that fit and a team that cares about them and sees them. It’s more than a transaction here!” It is because of this they were named the 2021 Emerging Retailer of the Year for the State of Alabama!
The future is bright for The Shoppes at Coldwater. They have recently purchased a much larger space on a busier street and continue to see successes! They have been able to add new members to the team found through On The Job Training Program and are launching a 401k program for their employees this year.
Ashley and Click Synergy are very involved in the community assisting multiple municipality leaders in citizen communication, projects, and strategic planning. She serves on the boards of the Chamber of Commerce and Alabama Leadership Initiative, among many others. The impact of Click Synergy and The Shoppes of Coldwater stretch much farther than locally and statewide; their impacts are seen throughout the country by the ever changing digital marketing industry that Click Synergy continues to support.
She says, “I love getting to share with clients and friends that own businesses the greatness that is the SBDC. I look like a hero and they get the help and assistance to take their business to the next level.”