“It was super easy to get started, and it’s just been a breeze. When you’re neck-deep in all the other things of starting a business, it’s really nice to have something be easy.”
Once Offord chose Clover for her business, she started using Flex right away to build capital, even in advance of opening her brick-and-mortar location. This helped her jump-start her revenue stream as well as her customer base.
To build awareness in such a vast state, AK Cycle Chic took Flex on the road.
“We even traveled to Homer, Alaska, which is about 200 miles southwest of Anchorage, just to get our name out,” shares Offord. “We partnered with a bike shop in Homer to do that. Flex has been perfect for things like that. It’s very fun to use.”
After setting up in their Midtown Anchorage storefront, Offord immediately started hosting gatherings for the community.
“Our community events have been a huge component in helping spread the word,” Offord tells. “On the First Friday of the month, we host an event with a featured artist in our gallery space, live music and complimentary food/drinks.”
These events don’t just build community for Alaskan women cycling enthusiasts. They also help AK Cycle Chic source new customers.
“People come who wouldn’t normally shop with us because it’s not their niche, but they show up for the art and live music,” Offord shares. “We’ve gotten some repeat customers from that. I feel like that’s been a really good investment, let alone just a lot of fun.”
Flex comes in handy inside the store, just as it does for events on the road.
“When we get a lot of walk-in traffic on First Fridays, a line forms at the register,” Offord explains. “Then we’ll get Flex out and use that in addition to the Station Duo.” Offord likes how this handheld device holds an 8-hour charge, includes a built-in receipt printer and accepts virtually all payment types even when offline.
Offord analyzes Clover reports to track sales, pay the artists she supports, and restock inventory.
“Our artists are all on consignment, so I categorize their art accordingly when it sells. When we run our monthly reports on the sales, we can see how much we owe each artist,” shares Offord.
“I’ll also check my reports to see what we need to order, based on what brands and sizes are selling.”
Settling into the rhythm of a new enterprise—both in and out of the brick-and-mortar—requires flexible payment solutions to grow alongside your business. For that partnership, AK Cycle Chic is grateful to have found and use Clover.
