Developing Strong Systems for the Use of AI in Your Small Business

AI is the buzzword on everyone’s lips right now. Since the advent of ChatGPT in November of 2022, AI technology has been advancing at an exponential rate, and it seems like everyone’s getting on board. It can be a very useful tool, but used incorrectly, it can also cause some very large problems. Today, I’d like to share some tips to help you in developing the systems your team needs to use AI effectively and ethically in your small business. 

The first step in this process involves understanding the functions and limitations of AI. What  can it do, and what should it not be used for? What can it help you streamline, and which parts of the process require human oversight and involvement? 

Once you have this understanding, you’ll want to build policies to give your team a clear understanding of how AI should (and should not) be used in your business. Until you have at least these baseline policies, I strongly recommend making it clear that AI (at least generative AI) should not be used. 

This might seem over the top, but let me explain. New AI platforms and tools are being released on a daily basis. While that’s exciting, it’s also really hard to keep up with – and because some of them work better than others for the tasks in your business, it is necessary to vet them before allowing your team to use them.  

Over the past year, I’ve had a lot of clients ask how they should go about implementing AI in their businesses. I’ve taken a bit of a cautious route on this because I wanted to dig in for myself. I’ve had a chance to do so, as have some of my coaches; following are some tips we would like to share on developing strong systems for the use of AI. 

Tip #1: Don’t Let the Shiny Objects Distract You 

With literally dozens of new tools being released on a daily basis, it’s tempting to be an early adopter for all of them. Not only is this an expensive distraction, it can also create more problems than it solves. 

Many of the tools out there are strong, but they’re not all meant to solve the problems you’re experiencing. Not all of them are going to be tools that will streamline things for your team – and some can actually make things harder. 

Instead of jumping on the bandwagon with new tools and platforms, take a few minutes to evaluate if they’re good investments of time and money. If a team member would like you to invest in a certain tool, ask them why. Have them do a bit of research and write up a few paragraphs explaining what problem it will solve, how much time it will save, and what checks and balances are in place to make sure it’s giving accurate results. (Not all AI tools do.) 

If you decide that the tool is a worthwhile investment, try it out on a limited basis. Have the employee who suggested it record the setup and use of it, and see what results you get. If you decide to implement it team or company-wide, you’ll already have many of the systems you need in place! 

Tip #2: Understand the Limitations 

AI can be a wonderful thing, but it doesn’t replace the humans on your team.  

For example, if you open up Facebook or Instagram, chances are you’ll see at least 5 ads telling you that ChatGPT can create all of your marketing content in minutes. Sounds good, right? 

What these ads won’t tell you is that it takes more than a few prompts or questions to get high quality content – and even when it’s primed correctly, the output you get still isn’t ready to publish. It still needs a person to verify, format, and tweak the copy so that it sounds like you. 

Instead of seeing an AI program as an easy way out, here’s a tip from one of our Marketing Coaches: use tools like ChatGPT to help you brainstorm ideas, to test out different voices and structures, and to collate large amounts of data. Consider it your “jr. copywriting bot.”  

Once you have the basis for your content, choose the outputs you like and work on revising them. Check for plagiarism, correct any information as necessary, change it as needed to fit your voice, and give your own twist.  

A caveat: these steps are essential. “Generative” AI doesn’t actually generate “new” content…it scours the internet and quickly collates relevant information, putting it into a fairly useable form. However, it often doesn’t know the difference between plagiarizing and drawing conclusions, and whenever it is missing information, it will make up whatever it can to fill in the blanks.  

If you’re using it in your business, you’ll want to make sure that the content you put out is accurate, authentic, and ethical. An AI-driven content generator can be a great tool, but don’t use the direct output as your finished product. 

Instead, use it to save time and energy so you can put your focus into the finished product! 

Tip #3: Don’t Be Afraid to Use AI, but Learn How to Use it Effectively 

ChatGPT is the tool that’s on everyone’s mind, but it’s by far not the only tool you might consider using in your business.  

AI can help in so many areas – operations, hiring and talent management, marketing, sales, client satisfaction, financial analysis…the list is practically endless. 

While it’s tempting for some to go all in on AI, that may not be the wisest idea; and while it’s tempting for others to avoid it completely, the fact is that AI is here to stay. It’s going to be pretty challenging to run a profitable business while avoiding it completely. 

My advice? Decide what you want to implement and utilize – and then learn to use it effectively. Create a strong overall policy that governs AI usage, and then work with your team to create processes as the right tools become available.  

This balanced approach will help you stay on top of what’s being used and why, but it will also allow your team to propose new tools that really can make a huge difference. 

Maybe your EA will find a tool that can quickly and easily schedule in your tasks for maximum productivity (and minimum stress). Yes, those exist! 

Perhaps your bookkeeper will suggest a tool that helps you pick out patterns from your financial reports so you can more accurately forecast and plan your year. 

Or maybe your marketing team will present you with a tool that can quickly analyze your website and niche to find content gaps that can increase your SEO and help you reach audiences that your competitors aren’t.. (Yes, these exist as well!) 

And these are just a few of the options that are out there.  

One caveat to be aware of: although many of these tools are great, none of them should be placed on a “set it and forget it” basis. AI is only as strong as its programming and input, and it’s subject to the same glitches and outages as any other piece of software.  

This is why strong systems are so important. Just like you would hire a Marketing Assistant or agency to check and update your website on a regular basis, you need to have a human oversee your AI tools and platforms. Include the WHO Shall Do WHAT By WHEN (weekly, monthly, or quarterly checks, for example) in your systems manual and project management. 

By taking a reasoned and balanced approach to AI usage, you can automate a lot of tasks while still keeping a personal touch in each area of your business. If you would like help building out your AI usage systems and deciding on which tools would be most beneficial for your business, contact us – several of our coaches are up to date on the best tools in their niche and are ready to help!