Areas Where AI Can Help You Take Back Time

AI is not about adding more software or complexity to your business. Most small business owners already feel buried in systems. The point is to replace complexity, and make the work you do a whole lot easier.

After working with many businesses, I’ve noticed there are five AI-powered tools that consistently reduce stress, workload, and cost and what is even better is often immediately. None require technical expertise, and most have free versions or trials.

Let’s walk through what they are and how to apply them.

1. AI Writing Assistants for Communication

Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Copy.ai can help you do things like:

• Draft emails
• Brainstorm social posts
• Create proposals
• Outline presentations
• Rewrite confusing paragraphs

If you hate writing, or you’re always behind on communication, this one tool can save hours each week.

Try this in your business:

Write:
“Rewrite this email more professionally and clearly: [paste email].”

This small action can have big results. What is even better is that these models can be instructed to write in different way to reflects not only who you are, but the voice that people generally hear from you.

To put a different twist on it, write:

“Rewrite this email in a playful and joking way but clearly: [paste email].”

You will get an entirely different version of the same email, to match your writing style, mood or topic. Give it a try!

2. Meeting Summaries and Transcription Tools

If your team has meetings, you need summaries. If you don’t create them, information slips through cracks.

Tools like Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai record meetings, generate summaries, extract action items, and send them to your inbox. We have been using Fireflies for over a year and have found it to be a terrific addition in what we do.

Not only does it cut down on the work that goes into putting together meeting notes, it often does a better job at identifying action items and keeping track of key information identified in the meeting.

Try this in your business:

• Turn on Otter or Fireflies for your next team meeting (make sure to let others know you are recording the meeting).
• Let it create the summary.
• Forward it to your team and see how accurate it can be in capturing that meeting.

Delegation becomes easier when everyone sees the same information.

3. Project & Workflow Tools with AI Built In

Tools like ClickUp, Notion, Scribe and Asana now have AI modes that:

• Write project plans
• Create checklists
• Build SOPs
• Coach you on tasks

You don’t need to build systems from scratch anymore and even if you find that you need to tweak them after, for the most part, the heavy lifting has been done for you. We have all put off these kinds of things because they can be tedious and time consuming. You will be amazed at how these tools can make a real difference getting things done.

Try this in your business:

In Notion AI:
“Create a step-by-step onboarding checklist for a new employee in a small service business.”

Use it as your base and then make adjustments from there. I will guarantee that it will identify points that you have never even considered.

4. Spreadsheet Support (Excel & Google Sheets)

AI can clean data, write formulas, and structure financial templates and project templates.

If spreadsheets frustrate you, but you know that working with them is essential, this is the easiest win.

Try this:

Paste messy data into ChatGPT and ask:
“Clean this data and generate a formula that sums revenue by month.”

You’ll be surprised how much work disappears.

I have tried to identify a variety of tools, but I can assure you there are many, many more out there. I am not endorsing any of these but have used most and found them to be pretty effective.

While most tools do have a free version or trial where you can see how they work, depending on the level of use, they can also come with a fee. Some small business owners get spooked by having to pay for tools such as these, but I challenge you to not see them as a cost in your business. Think about the time they are saving and channel that time into doing the things that generate income in your business. Saving time in your business on the little things can add up to big savings overall and put more time and money in your pocket.