Up until fairly recently, AI was considered a future technology that was to be used by major corporations; in the last few years, we have learned that’s far from the truth. AI now has the ability to be a practical daily business tool for businesses, both small and large.
It feels like every conversation now includes AI, and every other person claims to be an AI expert. With all the hype, it’s difficult for small businesses to know where to start.
Focus on practical uses
AI use should be one of those things you approach with a proper strategy. It’s no good trying to chase every new AI tool and make it work for your business. Focus on your real problems first and how to solve them, then find the right tool, not the other way around.
For example, using AI meeting assistants that record meetings, produce summaries and action points from in-person and online meetings can be a great way to let a member of the team get on with work rather than being the designated meeting note-taker, making it a more effective use of everyone’s time.
AI can also be great for creating first or rough drafts of marketing copy, social media posts and emails. You can always tweak it to suit your style, but AI can be very helpful for generating ideas when you know what you want to say, but you’re not sure how to say it.
In general, AI is great for proofreading and improving written communication and lets business owners save time rather than pouring over drafts again and again to check if they made any mistakes.
You can also use it for research, brainstorming and idea generation as it allows you to see a lot of different ideas and data in one go rather than going through everything individually and creating a lot of content you ultimately won’t use.
However you use it, the main thing is that the businesses that benefit most won’t be those trying to replace people with AI, but those using it to remove repetitive tasks so their teams can focus on higher-value work.
Using AI for company culture
Another great way AI can be used for businesses is for company culture and core values. AI creates a leadership questionnaire, analyses the responses, summarises the findings, and is able to produce a visual representation.
This is something we used in my business and was so helpful when briefing our creative design team. What was great about this is how it didn’t have to replace people or human input, but it significantly accelerated the project.
Another one of the most exciting developments is ‘vibe coding’. This is where small businesses build simple internal tools and apps using AI, without the need for traditional software development.
It allows us to test ideas quickly, automate repetitive tasks and create bespoke solutions that save time every day.
Where AI is overhyped
What small businesses can sometimes get wrong about AI is trying to use it to replace entire teams – that’s just not realistic. The biggest opportunity is removing repetitive, low-value tasks so people can spend more time solving complex problems, building important relationships and serving key customers.
For example, AI voice agents and chatbots definitely have their place for small businesses. They are excellent for answering FAQs, booking appointments and handling enquiries outside of office hours.
However, they shouldn’t replace a real worker and genuine human interaction. Customers and clients often get frustrated if it’s impossible to get in touch with a real human, especially because AI can sometimes get things wrong and struggles to understand more complex issues.
The best customer experiences certainly still come from human interaction, even if AI is supporting them behind the scenes.
AI is here to stay
AI is one of those things that is here to stay. Businesses should be taking the time to explore how it can use these tools in the way that’s best for their business and productivity processes.
The aim shouldn’t be to replace staff, but to equip them with better tools, improve productivity and give them more time to do the more complex and creative work that humans do best.
AI doesn’t need to be complicated or overwhelming for small businesses. The biggest gains often come from making small, practical changes that free up time and make people’s jobs easier. Businesses that take the time to understand exactly where AI can add value will be better placed to make the most of it, without losing the human skills that make their business successful.
