AI for Small Business: Real-World Ways to Get Started

If you’re a small business owner, you’ve probably heard that AI is going to “revolutionize everything.” But what does that actually mean for your day-to-day? Spoiler: it’s not about replacing your team with robots or building a self-driving delivery van (unless you really want to).

The Everyday AI Toolkit for Small Business

AI used to be a very niche technology: mainly for startups and large companies with significant funding for expensive developers and infrastructure. But that’s largely changed, fast.

I certainly work quite a bit in that larger scale world day to day, but I’m interested in how the newest models are impacting the “normal jobs” that make up the vast majority of the economy. After a little experimenting, I found a bunch of ways AI can actually make running a business easier (and maybe even a little more fun):

• Customer Service Chatbots: Tired of answering the same questions over and over? AI-powered chatbots like Tidio, Intercom, or Zendesk Chat can handle FAQs on your website, book appointments, or even take orders, leaving you free to tackle the stuff only you can do. These are easy to set up and play nicely with platforms like Shopify and WordPress.

• Automated Email Replies: Tools like Gmail’s Smart Reply or Superhuman can help you clear your inbox faster (and avoid typing “Thanks, will do!” for the millionth time). If you work with a team, Missive offers shared inboxes with AI-powered suggestions.

• Social Media Magic: AI tools like Canva’s Magic Write, Buffer’s AI Assistant, or Lately.ai can help you brainstorm post ideas, write captions, or even schedule content, so you can spend less time staring at a blinking cursor and more time actually running your business.

• Inventory & Sales Forecasting: Some point-of-sale systems now use AI to predict which products will sell best, so you can stock up (or run a sale) before you’re caught off guard. Square and Shopify both have built-in analytics, and Inventory Planner offers even deeper forecasting if you want to get fancy.

• Personalized Marketing: Platforms like Mailchimp and Klaviyo use AI to suggest the best times to send emails, recommend products to customers, or even write subject lines that get more clicks. It’s like having a marketing assistant who never sleeps (or asks for a raise).

A Few Tips from the Trenches

• Start Small: You don’t have to automate everything at once. Even a little AI (like automating your email replies or social posts) can save you hours each week. It’s key to understand that AI is going to work best in automating processes that you’ve defined and systemetized, so a great starting point might be simply using AI to document and standardize your process (so they can be automated later).
• Keep It Human: The best results come when AI handles the boring stuff and you focus on what you do best: building relationships, solving problems, and growing your business. Always review and personalize when you can. There are of course some regulations that can come into play here, but even if they don’t you want to keep the human parts of your business human: don’t alienate customers.
• Ask for Help: There are tons of tutorials, forums, and (yes) AI assistants out there to help you get unstuck. Most of these platforms have great support, and you can always ask an AI assistant itself for help.

ChatGPT Prompts Every Small Business Owner Should Try

If you want to get the most out of AI tools like ChatGPT, the magic is in the prompt. Here are some real-world examples you can copy, tweak, and use to save time, brainstorm, or get unstuck (inspired by these great ideas):

• Branding & Strategy:

  “Act as a branding strategist. Help me develop a unique brand identity for my [type of business], including a brand name, tagline, and a short description of my target audience.”

• Content Ideas:

  “Brainstorm 10 blog post or social media content ideas for a [type of business] that would appeal to [describe your audience].”

• Marketing Plan:

  “Draft a simple marketing strategy for my [type of business], focusing on low-cost ways to reach new customers in [your city or industry].”

• Customer Service:

  “Write a friendly response to a customer asking about my return policy. Keep it clear, helpful, and on-brand.”

• Productivity & Operations:

  “Suggest ways I can automate repetitive tasks in my small business using free or affordable tools.”

• Business Planning:

  “Help me outline a basic business expansion plan for my [type of business], including a SWOT analysis and first steps.”

• Employee Training:

  “Create a short training guide for new employees joining my [type of business], covering the most important things they need to know in their first week.”

• Market Research:

  “Summarize the latest trends in [your industry] and suggest how a small business like mine could take advantage of them.”

Pro tip: The more specific you are about your business, your audience, and your goals, the better ChatGPT (or any AI assistant) can help. Don’t be afraid to experiment, iterate, and ask follow-up questions!

Bottom line: AI isn’t just for the big guys. With a little curiosity and a willingness to experiment, you can put artificial intelligence to work for your small business: no lab coat required.