Digital Foundations for Social Startups was an interactive online workshop designed to help early-stage and small social enterprises build confidence with essential technology.
Delivered by WASEC Social Enterprise member Zentient, the session guided participants through the digital tools and systems that can streamline operations, improve collaboration, and reduce risk—without requiring any technical expertise. From CRMs to cybersecurity basics, this workshop offered practical, affordable solutions tailored for micro-enterprises navigating the startup journey. Watch the full session below to build your digital foundations and future-proof your social enterprise.
Thank you Stephen Hodgkin for designing and delivering this incredibly practical and impact-focused IT workshop!
Key takeaways
Digital development isn’t about having more tools, it’s about building digital culture.
Organisations need to shift from one-off tech projects toward sustained capability: training staff, embedding habits, and building confidence. Technology should enable teams, not overwhelm them.
Get set up from day one with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
Startups don’t need dozens of tools—just the right ones. Zentient recommends setting up core systems (email, calendar, backups, security, collaboration tools) as early as possible using trusted cloud platforms. These lay the groundwork for identity management, file sharing, and secure access.
Digital culture is the ecosystem of software, data, people and documentation.
Rather than chasing flashy new platforms, the session urged social enterprises to focus on how people interact with tech. A mature digital culture feels seamless: onboarding is quick, information is centralised, and data is accessible across the organisation.
When tech projects succeed, it’s often because the organisation already has a strong foundation
Many small organisations jump into projects (like websites or CRMs) without internal clarity. Start up social enterprises need to carefully plan tech changes with people in mind—prioritising digital literacy, internal champions, and continuous improvement over one-off fixes.
Watch the recording of our Digital Foundations Workshop here!
And you can view or download a copy of the presentation below.
WASEC presented this online workshop as part of our Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI)- funded program to develop start up social enterprises across WA.
Explore the rest of WASEC’s online workshops and resources for microenterprises across Western Australia on the Learning Community tab on our website.
