How To Get Started In Your Business
If there is one topic that has moved from “interesting” to “unavoidable” for small business owners in the last year, it’s artificial intelligence. Not because AI is trendy. Not because “everyone is doing it.” But because the gap between the businesses using AI and the businesses avoiding it is getting wider and fast.
A recent survey showed that nearly all small businesses are now using at least one AI-enabled tool. Not because they have time or expertise, but because the tools are finally simple, cheap, and accessible. It is changing how we do work, how we interact with our customers and clients, and changing what is possible for many small business owners.
The question isn’t, “Should you be using AI?”, it’s, “Where is AI already costing your business time, money, or opportunity because you haven’t adopted it yet?”
That’s a different conversation.
AI is not replacing small business; it’s replacing bad systems. Small businesses aren’t at risk because AI is taking over. They’re at risk because their competitors are using AI to fix the things that slow everyone down and that make it difficult to be productive:
- Slow responses
- Manual processes
- Administrative clutter
- Marketing bottlenecks
- Poor documentation
- Inconsistent customer experience
AI simply lets the disciplined operator widen the gap. This isn’t about having “better tech.” It’s about having more time, more clarity, and fewer errors, all without hiring
The real barrier for most small business owners isn’t AI, it’s the overwhelm that comes with thinking about AI.
Most small business owners feel two things simultaneously:
- “I know I should be doing something with AI.”
- “I have no idea where to start, and I don’t have time to figure it out.”
That’s normal. You’re running a business, not a research lab. So, let’s simplify the entire conversation to one question:
Where do you waste the most time each week?
That is your first AI opportunity. Not “What’s the coolest tool?” Not “What’s the most advanced AI can do?” Just ask yourself, “Where is your business painfully inefficient?”
If you want inspiration, here are the first AI use cases most small businesses adopt:
- Customer communication: automated replies, FAQs, proposals, follow-ups
- Marketing content: social posts, email drafts, blogs, ad copy
- Administration: summarizing meetings, creating SOPs, writing job descriptions
- Internal documents: creating checklists, forms, templates
- Data tasks: cleaning spreadsheets, categorizing transactions
You’ll notice none of this replaces people. It removes friction so people can do higher value work.
Here’s your first assignment, and yes, it will actually move your business forward.
- Take a sheet of paper (or open a doc).
- List the top five tasks you dislike doing or routinely avoid.
- Circle one that is:
- repetitive
- predictable
- rules-based
- time-consuming
- Go to https://chat.openai.com/ or https://www.perplexity.ai/.
- Type: “Help me automate or simplify this task: [describe the task].”
Let the tool show you options. This is not committing to a solution. It is exploring what’s possible. You don’t have to already have the answer to use AI, in fact it is likely better if you don’t. Let it help you solve your problem.
Once you see that AI can remove 5 to10 hours of annoying work each month, the conversation shifts from fear to opportunity. Small business owners don’t need to “understand AI.” They need to see one win; one task made easier, one hour saved.
Momentum starts with a single efficiency.
Helpful Resource
If you want a simple intro without tech jargon: https://www.futuretools.io/ is a curated directory of AI tools explained in plain language.
You don’t need to overhaul your business or “go digital.” You just need to fix one problem with one tool. Slow, steady digital adoption beats “wait until we have time” every single year. Be curious!
