From Local Experiment to Regional Impact: The Evolution of the Digital Storefront Program

Nov 18

Written By Code Works.

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From Local Experiment to Regional Impact: The Evolution of the Digital Storefront Program

Date
November 12, 2025

Author
Alex Sejdinaj, Co-Founder, Code Works

Type
Op-ed

Topics
Empowering Small Businesses Through Technology
From Pilot to Proven Success
Removing Barriers for Small Businesses
Technology for Resilience
Scaling Impact Through Collaboration

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Empowering Small Businesses Through Technology

When we first launched the Code Works Digital Storefront Program five years ago, our goal was simple: help small businesses in our community thrive in an increasingly digital world.

The research we found was clear: tech-enabled small businesses earn twice the revenue, hire twice as many employees, and retain twenty times as many customers. And yet, most only have two months of cash on hand, and adopting the right tools still takes time, cost, and know-how.

From Pilot to Proven Success

We went live with our first application for the program in 2021, and in two weeks over 160 businesses applied for assistance just in the city of South Bend.

What began as a local experiment pairing technology assistance with hands-on support has become one of our region’s quiet success stories. Today, more than 100 small businesses in Indiana and Southwest Michigan have built or rebuilt their online storefronts through the program.

These businesses anchor our neighborhoods and keep our local economy vibrant, and in many cases they also have the ability to reach beyond our local market: think of your favorite restaurant that has a house branded sauce that they could sell online or the local manufacturing company that could be selling and shipping product to consumers coast to coast with an online store.

Removing Barriers for Small Businesses

Our program was designed to remove two of the biggest barriers small businesses face: cost and knowledge. Through regional matching grants, we’re able to deliver real solutions through functioning storefronts with hands-on training and support. The ROI has been clear: small investments, big community impact.

We’ve seen that impact firsthand. The power washing company that gains more clients in two weeks than they have in their company’s entire existence, the company that was able to keep their business alive with online sales after their store flooded due to a plumbing issue, the manufacturing operation able to transition from strictly B2B sales to selling B2C through digital enablement.

Participants report earning more than $6,500 in new revenue within just six months of completing the Digital Storefront Program. Even more telling? Every single participant says they’d recommend the program to another entrepreneur.

Technology for Resilience

Technology is advancing at a pace that most small and mid-sized businesses can’t keep up with. Whether it’s point-of-sale systems, generative AI, or simply getting a website online and showing up in search,"technology know-how is no longer a bonus, it’s the cost of entry. Our belief is that by giving businesses access to these technologies and skills, we are giving them resilience and the power to grow in our ever evolving digital age. It turns out when you make technology accessible, everyone has the ability to reap its benefits.

“We think this is just the beginning.”

Scaling Impact Through Collaboration

The Digital Storefront Program has shown what’s possible when technology, entrepreneurship, and civic collaboration come together. With the right funding, we can scale to enable even more businesses through technology.

We are actively seeking to expand and replicate this model through partnerships with local organizations, cities, and chambers who share our belief that when small businesses grow, communities do too. We welcome outreach from interested collaborators.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and are responsible for the creation of two-thirds of new jobs in the U.S. In a world where digital presence drives growth, access to the right tools and knowledge matters. At Code Works, we’re proud to help level the playing field with digital storefronts that keep small businesses moving forward.

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Interested in collaborating? Message me directly or reach out to info@codeworks.com.