AI for Small Business: Where to Start

“I know I should be using AI. I just don’t know where to start.”

I hear some version of that from almost every business owner I talk to. They’ve tried ChatGPT or Claude a couple of times, got something generic back, and decided it wasn’t for them. Or they’re overwhelmed by the hundreds of AI tools that show up in their feed every week.

Here’s my advice: forget the tools for a minute and start with your tasks. AI pays off fastest on the work you already do over and over, the same way, every week.

Step 1: Pick one AI assistant

You don’t need ten subscriptions. Pick one general-purpose assistant like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and get comfortable with it. They all have free versions, and the paid plans run about the same as a couple of lunches a month.

Then use it for a couple of weeks before you go looking for anything else.

Step 2: The first five tasks worth handing to AI

1. Email drafts

Paste in the email you received, add a line about what you want to say, and let AI write the first draft. It’s great for the emails you dread: following up on an unpaid invoice, saying no politely, or explaining a delay.

2. Summaries

Long email threads, contracts, reports, meeting notes, a 40-page PDF from a vendor. Ask for a summary, the key dates, or “what do I need to do here?” You’ll still want to read anything important yourself, but you’ll know where to look.

3. First drafts of content

Blog posts, social media captions, product descriptions, a page for your website, an FAQ. AI is excellent at getting you past the blank page. Then you edit it to sound like you and add the details only you know.

4. Turning one thing into many

Record a video, and AI can turn the transcript into a blog post, an email, social posts and short clips. I use an AI transcription tool for exactly this. Here’s my review of it:

5. Brainstorming

Stuck on a name, a headline, an offer, a lead magnet idea or an answer to a tricky customer question? Ask for 20 options. Most won’t be right, but one or two will get you thinking. If you’re not sure what kind of content you could create from what you know, try my free 60-Second AI Authority Analysis.

Step 3: Give it context

Most disappointing AI results come from short prompts. “Write a blog post about roofing” gets you something bland. Compare that to:

Treat it like briefing a new assistant. Tell it:

• Who you are and what your business does
• Who it’s for
• What you want and how long
• The tone you’re after
• An example of something you like, if you have one

And if the first answer isn’t right, don’t start over. Tell it what to change: “shorter,” “less salesy,” “add a section on costs.”

Step 4: Save what works

When a prompt gives you a great result, save it. A simple document of prompts you reuse, like “follow-up email after a quote” or “turn this transcript into a blog post,” turns into a real time saver. Most AI assistants also let you save instructions about your business so you don’t have to repeat them every time.

Step 5: Always review before it goes out

AI is fast and confident, and sometimes confidently wrong. Before anything goes to a customer:

• Check facts, numbers, names and dates.
• Make it sound like you. Cut anything you’d never actually say.
• Don’t paste in sensitive information without knowing how your AI tool handles your data. My AI Safety Checklist covers the basics.

What comes next

Once you’re comfortable, AI assistants can do much more than chat. They can connect to your email, calendar, files and even your website and do the work, not just write about it. I cover that in Connecting AI to Your Website.

But start simple. Pick one assistant, pick one task from the list above, and try it this week. Most people are surprised how quickly it becomes part of their day.