FOR Nick Clark, being lead Click It Local driver for the Maldon district area is clearly more than just a job – it's all part of a life that centres around being a businessman himself and supporting a growing community of other independent local businesses as they find a new way forward following the pandemic.

Nick's wife, Rachael, has a cake baking business in Great Dunmow, where they live. The couple signed up with Click It Local last year and soon discovered a whole new set of customers.

"The thing is, one of the key aspects of Click It Local is that a customer in one part of Essex can order goods from an independent business in another, expanding the potential trade," explains Nick.

"It transformed our business and we haven't looked back."

The couple's involvement with Click It Local meant that Nick met CEO and founder Steve Koch on November at a photoshoot for the Uttlesford lauch – and from there it was only a matter of time before Nick decided to take up an offer of working as a Click It Local delivery driver.

Nick's day starts early when he sees how many orders have already come in, where they're from and where they need to get to.

"I get into my head where we need to go and what routes we can take. Then when the other orders for that day come in, I can work out how we will fit them all in."

Nick works with another driver, Tony, and between 1pm and 3pm they both head out to various locations across the county to pick up the day's orders, meeting up between 2pm and 3pm to make sure they swap any packages the other needs for their deliveries. It's clearly a carefully orchestrated operation and Nick takes great pride in telling how the orders are always with the customer on time.

"If someone orders before 1pm, they get same day delivery unless it's an exempted item, such as a personalised order, for example," explains Nick, "and the latest we will have it there by is 7pm.

"But Tony and I have managed to get them all out by 6pm so far," he smiles proudly.

So what does he find most satisfying about the role?

"It's supporting the local independent business community, but it's also about getting to know them all, too," Nick says.

There's a special mention of Paul and Aiden at one of Heybridge's newest businesses, White Label Pizza (offering artisan pizzas you cook at home) and of Allison Gray at Willow & Fox, who is a regular friendly face at pick-up time – then there are the customers, too.

"We only started in Maldon district in May," Nick says, "but we have regular customers already and people who order from different areas all as part of one order, too. There was one customer last week who had ordered from shops in Brentwood, Kelvedon and Sible Hedingham as well as from Maldon, so it opens up a lot of choice and convenience."

And what would he say to any business thinking about signing up?

"I'd say do it – why not? Click It Local have the platform to give you reach into new areas and the delivery service to back it up, too. It's a great thing for additional business and so easy to do."

To browse what's available to order from Click it Local you can find the website using the link here.

And if you have a local independent business and are interested in joining the growing Click It Local community, head to the website for more details – independent businesses in the Maldon district area can sign up for a trial period for free, thanks to the Keep It Local campaign. Both independent businesses with physical retail premises and those based from home can join Click It Local.

Alternatively, look out for the Click It Local team, who will be visiting Maldon High Street all day on Thursday (17 June).

The Keep it Local campaign is being launched through Maldon District Council's Sense of Place initiative, with funding from the Magnox Decommissioning Fund.