i3 - September/October 2020 - 10

Tech

overlooked and it's not a flaw in our business plans: instead, it's the increasing cost
of tariffs and uncertainty that the U.S.China trade war is imposing on American
companies, such as Austere.
My business, like many others,
operates on modest profit
margins - a choice we made
in order to provide quality
products at an accessible
price. But the added cost
of the tariffs is potentially
crushing. The trade situation was very difficult to
navigate, especially
in our first year of business. Our priority was
to get into retail and
establish ourselves as a
brand. We have already
agreed on pricing and
to increase a cost when
you're still an unproven
entity would have been
detrimental. We made
some hard decisions,
such as moving all
manufacturing out of
China and with the help
of CTA have been able to
navigate those waters.

anti-microbial and
anti-bacterial and still
safe for home electronics. It's been of huge
interest to our partners
and customers as we
navigate COVID.

Q Has COVID-19

Q How important is

We knew from
day one that the
power of the
brand would
make or break us.
We needed the
right name, style,
out-of-box experience, product
innovation and
how we add value
to both the retail
partner and the
consumer.

changed your business
operations?
A The one-two punch
of tariffs followed by
a global pandemic is
tough. We are weathering the storm by staying
focused on our core market: the home. Like most
other companies we had
to get a PPP loan and we also had to make
reductions in spending and resources. But
thankfully our focus is on the home, which
is now the epicenter for work, education,
entertainment...everything. Its serendipitous that we produce goods that are really
important to keeping homes running,
such as power solutions and cleaning
products. For example, Austere Clean &
Protect is one of the very few that is both
10

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

i3_0920_08-10_Tech_Innovator.indd 10

CES to your business?

A Austere would not

exist if it weren't for
CES 2018 where I met
with many retailers
who told me they need
something new to
address the loss in the
accessories market.
And then the next year
being able to show those global retailers and
distributors the brand, product, talk through
the solutions, and incorporate their feedback
- would not have been possible outside of
CES. There simply is no other more important
window in time than the first week in January
where we have access to global partners. The
time and money it would take to reach the
same people in all of their locations would
have been a non-starter. The access to the

right people in one place during one week
is undeniable.

Q Can you talk about your experience on
CTA's Executive Board?

A If there's ever been a time to be involved

with the CTA Executive Board, it's now. We're
transitioning to a new format for CES that
will set the tone for CTA for the next 10-20
years. The format will enable more people
to be able to participate, observe and be
involved regardless of where they live. And
while it's a bummer to not kick off 2021 with
a show that is exciting and motivating to
attend in person, the virtual event allows us
to still meet and do business in a way that
eliminates borders and keeps everyone safe.
There is a particular part of the Executive
Board that I am passionate about. The
Diversity & Inclusion subcommittee is
where CTA put their money where their
mouth is to change the percentage of
funds allocated to women-and-minoritylead businesses. To that end, CTA is
investing $10 million in venture firms and
funds focused on women, people of color
and other underrepresented startups and
entrepreneurs, which is so important and
timely for the world right now.
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

9/2/20 4:13 PM
i3 - September/October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - September/October 2020
