Can AI Help Small Businesses

If you are new to using artificial intelligence, you will appreciate the free tools available to you online so you can try AI without any financial investment. Hopefully, you will find AI is a time-saver that frees you up to take on the work of running your business more efficiently.

AI is no longer the imaginary technology of sci-fi movies. According to a recent Verizon survey of small businesses, AI has become part of the day-to-day small-business landscape, with an estimated 39% of such companies already using the technology. What is driving this trend is how repetitive tasks, customer interactions and even hiring can be successfully delegated to AI, freeing up human employees to address more strategic initiatives. Moreover, businesses are expected to embrace AI in order to stay competitive. For small-business owners who have yet to try AI, here are a few select reasons to inspire you to give it a go:

• Make the hiring process easier — According to a recent report from Gusto on hiring practices, companies that were using generative AI were “45% more likely to report they could fill open roles and experienced fewer hiring difficulties” than those that were not. Gen AI is a game-changer in the hiring process. AI tools can write job descriptions, create employee communications and generate training materials for new hires.
• Find solutions to problems before they occur — AI can track traffic and flight patterns to let you know of any potential delivery delays to your customers, monitor weather patterns to help you prepare for disaster damage, and assist with finding the most cost-conscious ways to ship goods to your customers.
• Understand your business better — AI can help you analyze your small-business data to find trends that are emerging in your own business and compare them to the industry as a whole. With this information, you can react to market shifts and make strategic changes quickly. By identifying opportunities and threats, small- and midsize businesses can enjoy a competitive edge.
• Create business content — AI can help you create or update your company website by editing photos and videos, and help you write blogs, design logos, develop e-commerce product descriptions and schedule social media posts across multiple platforms. AI can also search the internet to find what is trending so you can fine-tune your marketing messaging.
• Improve the customer experience — An interactive chatbot can answer frequently asked questions or create an order, incoming phone calls can be automated to direct customers to the right department, and AI tools can help you create thoughtful responses to customer inquiries and online reviews as well as ads targeted to existing and potential customers.

A final thought on using AI ethically and responsibly, especially if you are using free AI resources: While there are currently no federal or state laws that require you to disclose whether you use AI, it is a good idea to prepare a statement detailing how your company uses it. Transparency is valued and appreciated by customers today. It is also the right thing to do.

© Your CFO LLC 2025