Small Business Highlight: Smart Charge Connect
Has your phone ever died while you were out shopping or dining? In today’s age of technology, having your phone die is very inconvenient. Smart Charge Connect has found a solution to this problem. Christy Craig and Nahja Clayton sell charging stations stocked with portable chargers to local businesses. These chargers can be rented for $1.99 an hour or $7.99 daily for up to 72 hours. The business partners were kind enough to let me interview them, so keep reading to learn about Smart Charge Connect!
Christy and Nahja founded Smart Charge Connect in January 2022 because “...we’ve seen a gap in portable charging when it comes to people being out and about and being able to still have a connection to their phone and their loved ones.” Phones keep us connected to our friends and family, and often, payphones are no longer available, so having a portable charger can save someone’s life. The local stores in Memphis love this idea, but Nahja told me that getting into bigger corporations has been difficult. It’s hard to pitch a product to big companies when you have to go through so many people to get to the right employee. But, once Nahja and Christy can talk to the right person, “Smart Charge sells itself.” They have stations at Billy Hardwick’s All-Star Lanes, Crosstown Concourse, FedEx Forum, and more! To see all of their current locations, check out their website.
Smart Charge also has an app that you can download on your phone. The app is where you can connect to the portable chargers and use them. The app can also tell you their pricing and where a charging station is located. Christy promoted the app by saying, “The app is super user-friendly, and you don’t want to miss out on any great promotions that we may have if you don’t have the app.” According to the FAQ page on their website, if your phone is already dead, ask a friend to download the app, and they can rent a charger for you.
Smart Charge Connect is growing quickly, so I asked what the partners’ plans were for the future. Nahja said they want to expand across the South to cities like Nashville, Dallas, and New Orleans. She also said in the next ten years, “we plan to make Smart Charge a household name where people are familiar with it and even expanding beyond just portable charging for handheld devices.” This may include charging vehicles, but you’ll have to keep an eye out because they have some exciting plans for the future!
Memphis is a great place for starting a business, and Nahja and Christy know this. Christy told me, “we wanna always keep in mind when we expand to these other states and cities…Memphis is our start…Memphis will also be our headquarters.” Nahja was born and raised in Memphis, so she has a special connection to our city. I asked what makes Smart Charge uniquely Memphis, and Nahja responded, “this is our starting point…this is going to be our foundation…Memphis is known for women businesses within the tech field, so…it was perfect for us to come in to add to that growth.”
So, the next time you are out on the town, and your phone is low on battery or dead, remember to look for the Smart Charge Connect charging stations. The chargers are convenient and affordable, and you’ll support a local Memphis business. Check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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