Elevate advisor Ini Augustine’s top tech tip: Focus on the tech you have

Elevate advisor Ini Augustine’s top tech tip: Focus on the tech you have

Figuring out business technology can be an all-consuming activity, but Elevate Hennepin advisor Ini Augustine, founder of Technologist Computers, says there are a few ways to keep up and get ahead.

The first thing she wants every business owner large and small to know: nobody has it all figured out.

“I really wanted to dispel that myth that it’s only small businesses that have issues,” said Ini. “Almost nobody has a handle on their technology.”

She said anyone who does, probably won’t for long because business technology opportunities, threats, and the landscape is always changing. To stay resilient in the constant evolution, businesses need to adapt where they can and prepare for things they can’t control.

To adapt, Ini suggests just keeping up with the day-to-day technology needs, like updates.

“I'm just going to keep saying this because it can't be said enough. For the love of everything, please update your antivirus,” urged Ini. “That one thing is so easy and provides a lot of protection.”

As for preparing, Ini advises taking some things offline. In an era of ransomware, major outages, hardware disasters, and all the other threats to essential business data, paper and pen can do a lot. If a major issue occurs, a business needs to identify what the issue is, talk to the people impacted, and get working on a solution—all likely without a working computer.

“In an ideal scenario, you would have something like a crisis book, or at least a book with the names and numbers of all your vendors in it,” said Ini.

Beyond the scary stuff, there are plenty of opportunities with technology too. Ini is eager to support small businesses as they explore new tools, new functionalities, and seek out transformative technology for business owners. But often the tools already being used in a business are underutilized.

“This is a really common example. Take a small business that accepts all their payments through Squarespace or through Square. It’s super simple to do,” she said. “Well, Square has a customer relationship management (CRM) system built into it that you can invoice from, it has an inventory control system as well.”

She said many clients she works with are only using a fraction of the software they’re already paying for. One of the first things she does with a new client is just make a list of what technology is already being used and see how to use it better.

“In some situations, you genuinely do need that new thing,” said Ini. “But for the vast majority of businesses, we're paying for three or four subscriptions that do the same thing. We just didn't know.”

Her advice to business owners in Hennepin County struggling with technology: connect with her via Elevate Hennepin. She’s certified in cyber security, develops websites, helps strategize around apps, offers guidance on business technology and helps translate all the tech jargon. And as someone who grew up in an immigrant household, she has a special skillset for supporting immigrant businesses.

“That is my sweet spot. Kind of translating between the highly technical needs of business and how everyday people use tech,” said Ini.