Putting AI to work for your business

June 18, 2024 2 min read

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In the ever-evolving landscape of commerce, small business owners continually seek innovative solutions to enhance efficiency, drive growth and remain competitive. Among the arsenal of tools available, Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands out as a transformative force, offering an array of capabilities that cater specifically to the unique needs and challenges of small businesses. From streamlining operations and automating repetitive tasks to gaining actionable insights from data analytics and improving customer engagement, AI presents an unparalleled opportunity for small business owners to amplify productivity, foster innovation, and ultimately, thrive in dynamic market environments.

(That was written by AI, could you tell?)

In all seriousness, AI has only grown smarter, more versatile and more useful for people around the world – and it is definitely here to stay. But AI can be used for more than just generating silly images and writing descriptive paragraphs – it can be a handy tool for small business owners to optimize their day-to-day operations. Not sure how AI fits into your business? Here are just a few ideas.

Keep your agenda current

As a small business owner, it’s safe to say you’re pretty busy – sometimes too busy to even keep up with a to-do list. AI tools like TimeHero can essentially plan your day for you. They’ll keep an up-to-date calendar of your meetings and events, log your working hours and even suggest times to complete the items on your list. Who would have thought that staying organized could be this easy?

Get real-time information on market trends

AI platforms like ChatGPT aren’t just a resource for when you’ve got writer’s block. They can be a starting point for conducting market research as well. Ask these tools questions on customer trends, your competitors and the industry your business falls under. This information might help you make better-informed operating decisions in the future.

Hiring just got a lot easier

If you’ve ever hired new employees, you know the process can be incredibly time-consuming – especially when it comes to filtering through job applications and resumes. Luckily, there’s software and bots powered by AI, like Skillate that can review these materials for you. With this technology, each application and resume can be scanned for key words and qualifications, leaving you with a narrowed-down pool of candidates to potentially contact for an interview.

Step up your customer service game

There are 24 hours in a day, but odds are, you aren’t available during every single one of them to provide support to your customers online. Through certain AI platforms like HubSpot, you can implement a chatbot on your website that can be programmed to answer common customer inquiries and direct users to specific web pages, 24/7. Of course, a chatbot won’t be able to answer niche customer questions – but it’ll free up your inbox so those questions can become a top priority.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed (and a little puzzled) by the sheer number of capabilities AI has to offer, but as this technology becomes smarter and more relevant globally, it doesn’t hurt to give it a test drive. Even if you don’t use every tool AI can offer, you might stumble upon a solution that could make your life as a small business owner a bit easier – and you can’t put a price tag on that.

Now that you’ve got the basics of implementing email marketing under your belt, why not launch a campaign of your own? Even reaching just one customer could lead to a ripple effect of growth for your small business.

 

While AI-powered software can be a fantastic resource for business owners, it’s important to remember that it is largely considered experimental since it is so new to the public. When using some of the tools mentioned here, you might encounter some snags as developers work to finesse the technology behind each software platform. 

The content of this page is for informational purposes only. It is not designed or intended to provide financial, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice since such advice always requires consideration of individual circumstances. Please consult with the professionals of your choice to discuss your situation.