Technology
5 most important tech skills for an entrepreneur
by David
Recently I came across a blog about the 5 most important tech skills for an entrepreneur to have. The earnest author believes that entrepreneurs should learn:
- writing code and web development
- wireframing
- react native
- data analytics
- search engine optimization
I was laughing hysterically by number 2. You might as well ask small business owners to learn the Klingon language. Klingon would probably be as profitable.
That’s one of the key ideas the author missed: what tech skills are the most profitable and useful for an entrepreneur to know for their operations?
Every business coach I know tells entrepreneurs to focus on what makes them money.
I’ve been helping small business owners with their technology since 1999. Here are my 5 most important tech skills for an entrepreneur.
5 most important tech skills for an entrepreneur
1. How to manage passwords
You have a password for your computer, your phone, your voicemail, your email, your alarm code, your social media accounts, your web site, your domain registrar, etc. Using the same password for all of those is inviting disaster. Invest in a password manager like LastPass. If you don’t have a password manager you will waste a lot of time and resources trying to locate the information or having to reset the password. An enterprise password manager will help you securely share account information with employees and contractors.
2. Learn the software the makes you the most money
I asked a client what were the most profitable tech skills he learned. His answer: how to update Facebook and how to send monthly email blasts to his clients. What technology makes you the most money? Get training.
3. Run reports from your financial software
When I worked with a sales coach, every week she would ask me what were my sales for the last week, the last month and the last year. I learned how to produce those reports with a couple of clicks in Quickbooks. Can you quickly produce a report on who your top clients are and what items are your top sellers in your financial software?
4. Plan your technology
Got a business plan and/or annual goals? Did you include technology? How long will your tech assets last? Do you budget for technology?
5. File Management
Can you find your business logo file? Your headshots? That important excel file you were using to create a big quote for a big client for? Do you have a backup of these files?
The main point is to focus on technology that helps you make money and manage your business better. Anything else is petaQ (that’s Klingon for useless, garbage).
