In recent years, artificial intelligence has had a tremendous impact on small businesses. More than half (54%) have cited AI as a key reason behind their growth, and nearly three-quarters believe that internal use of AI tools could give them an edge against competitors.
While many business owners who currently use AI are using it for tasks like content creation, marketing automation, and customer service via chatbots, there are new business use cases for this technology emerging every day. Here are three surprising ways AI will change the way small businesses operate.
[Read more: Ready. Set. Scale. How Small Business Can Leverage AI]
Service-based entrepreneurs will ‘clone’ themselves to be available to clients 24/7
For consultants, business coaches, and other service-based entrepreneurs whose personal expertise is integral to their business model, being able to “clone” themselves would mean they could serve more clients. With software like Coachvox and SiteSpeak AI, they actually can — at least digitally.
Business owners can create AI chatbot versions of themselves to interact with current and prospective clients on their behalf. Just upload written materials like course instructions, blog content, and answers to frequently asked questions, and train your bot to deliver the same personalized insights and interactions you would give, even when you’re “off the clock.”
Whether it’s answering client questions, scheduling appointments, or providing preliminary consultations, these chatbots let you maintain a constant, engaging, and personalized presence without your direct involvement. As a bonus, it also frees you up to focus on more strategic aspects of your business.
Entrepreneur Joseph Holguin did this all the way back in 2018 and wrote a step-by-step guide for how he built his “Joey Bot.” While there are many more tools for building chatbots now, the basics of how to train an AI chatbot to think and speak like you are a great resource for anyone thinking of this approach.
AI tools can speed up the process of competitor analysis and give you more helpful, detailed information, faster than you could find it on your own.
Employee training will happen faster and in more engaging ways
Using AI for employee training and professional development can help your small business reduce training costs, improve employee engagement, and reach professional development goals faster.
Two emerging use cases for AI-powered tools in employee training are:
- Creating standard operating procedure documentation and videos. Tools like Waybook, Guidde, and Scribe can automatically create standard operating procedures by taking screen recordings of software usage and generating step-by-step written instructions to guide a new employee through the process. This can save tons of time for managers as they develop training content for their teams.
- Automating employee learning and professional development pathways through dedicated software. AI-powered learning management systems like 360Learning, iSpring Learn, and Schoox make it easier and faster to create, distribute, and complete training courses. Features like personalized learning modules, interactive quizzes, and gamified elements make learning more engaging for your team. These tools also help you track employee learning with usage and progress data, so you can reward high performers and work more closely with employees who are falling behind.
If you implement AI solutions for employee development, gather feedback from your team about their experiences so you can continuously improve the training content and platform effectiveness.
[Read more: How to Create an Employee Training Program]
Small businesses will be better equipped to compete with bigger industry players
AI tools can speed up the process of competitor analysis and give you more helpful, detailed information, faster than you could find it on your own.
Here are a few broad categories of AI tools that can help you understand what your competitors are doing well (and where they fall short):
- SEO and content strategy. Software like Semrush, Moz, and Ahrefs analyze competitors' search engine optimization strategies by identifying their keywords, backlinks, and content performance.
- Social media monitoring. Tools like BuzzSumo and Sprout Social track competitors' social media activity, analyzing content types, engagement rates, and overall performance.
- Product and service benchmarking. Platforms like Comparables.ai and Similarweb allow you to compare your products or services directly with competitors so you can more easily identify areas for improvement or differentiation.
- Technology and innovation scouting. Tools like Crunchbase and CB Insights track emerging startups and technologies to provide insights into industry trends and potential disruptions. This helps you stay ahead of the curve and identify growth opportunities.
There are also all-in-one competitive intelligence platforms like Crayon and Klue, which track competitors across their websites, social media, and other online activities to compile insights about their overall strategy.
These AI tools can help you pinpoint areas where you can outperform your competitors for greater growth and success.
[Read more: 6 Steps to Performing a Competitive Analysis and How It Can Improve Your Business]
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professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.
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