AI has undeniably taken the world by storm. Though not perfect, these advancements have created all kinds of opportunities for streamlining processes across all kinds of industries and contexts. As ever, we’re thinking of the small business community. As if it’s not challenging enough being your own boss,while single-handedly heading up marketing, product, stock handling, customer service, and more.
Take a deep breath. The true magic of AI is in the time it can save you on otherwise time-consuming tasks. And let’s be honest, when you have so much to juggle as a small business owner, you’re not exactly time rich. So, without further ado, here are our top 5 picks for time-saving AI tools that can support you as a small business owner or entrepreneur.
5 AI tools for small business owners
1. ChatGPT
At the forefront of the AI revolution is perhaps one of the most well-known tools: ChatGPT. While much has been said about ChatGPT as a content generation tool, it’s getting much easier to spot AI-generated content for its American spelling and choice of words. However, it can provide a solid foundation for time-strapped business owners in need of copy for email marketing, blogs, or web pages.
Of course, proceed with caution here and ensure content is vetted and thoroughly edited, as over reliance can see your content becoming stale and lifeless, and potentially outright incorrect. Google has also been known to penalise websites for low-quality AI-generated content. As ever, a human touch is necessary, however, do not overlook the time-saving benefits here.
ChatGPT can also be integrated into messaging platforms as part of an automated customer support system. This is perfect for answering frequently asked questions, providing speedy information about products or services, and helping customers with basic inquiries. This way, there’s less pressure on you as a business owner to respond immediately to more easy-to-resolve enquiries, and frees you up to assist personally freeing up human resources for more complex tasks and customer queries.
ChatGPT is available for free, with the paid version totally optional, making it a super cost-effective tool for small business owners.
ChatGPT Pros
- Provides a great foundation for marketing content
- Great for generating ideas
- Useful as a first point of contact for basic customer support queries
- Free and paid options
ChatGPT Cons
- Choice of words can be repetitive and impersonal
- American spelling (not ideal for EU & UK businesses)
- Requires substantial editing
2. Canva
For those design tasks that seem like fun at first glance, but end up being surprisingly time-consuming — Canva is your friend! With its user-friendly and intuitive interface, you can design everything from social posts to email and landing page banners, and much more. Canva offers beautiful templates that allow non-designers and experienced creators alike to craft professional-looking graphics with ease.
Designs are also highly customisable, allowing you to add your own stamp to the designs you create. Logos, brand colours, slogans — the works. Like ChatGPT, Canva is free to use, with its paid subscription service offering a wider range of design tools and templates to choose from, as well as additional features like further customisation. All in all, Canva is a great option for small businesses with limited budgets.
As far as which formats Canva supports, you can work with the following: JPEG, PNG, HEIC/HEIF, WebP, and SVG images. Note: Free users can only upload up to 5GB of media.
Canva allows multiple users to collaborate on design projects in real-time, a bit like Google Docs or Microsoft online. This makes it an ideal tool for remote teams, or for sharing designs with business partners and external stakeholders. Users can easily comment and offer feedback to improve communication, and ultimately streamline the design process. Canva can also be integrated with other tools and platforms like social media accounts, email marketing tools, and storage services, making it a super adaptable and flexible tool for small businesses.
Looking for some design inspiration as you venture into the world of Canva? Check out our guide to Canva for all kinds of useful hacks, tips, and tricks for creating your own designs like a pro.
Pros
- Cost-effective with free and paid options
- Highly customisable
- Easy to integrate with other tools and platforms
- Handy collaboration and feedback options
Cons
- Limited functionality compared to professional design software
- No offline access, requires steady internet connection. Less flexible for on-the-go edits
- Currently only static WebP images are currently supported
- Free users can only upload up to 5GB of media
- Some users may find available templates limited and repetitive
3. Lumen5
Lumen5 offers a user-friendly platform that makes video creation simple, even for those with no prior experience. Time-saving templates allow users to customise videos with ease, for use across social media, paid ads, and websites. Get your brand message and values across in just a few minutes, or even seconds by reaching your audience through this algorithm-favoured format.
Even better, users are also given the option to track performance and access video analytics such as views, engagement metrics, and audience demographics. Use these numbers to further refine your video marketing strategy for better results.
For ease of use, Lumen5 can be integrated into a number of popular social media platforms, and also offers affordable pricing plans, including a free option for business owners on a tight budget.
Pros
- User-friendly interface for accessible and intuitive video creation
- Helps create engaging videos that can boost brand visibility
- Social media integration
- Analytics breakdown
Cons
- Some users may find customisation features limiting compared to more professional options
- Advanced functionalities require a paid subscription which may be cost-prohibitive to some small businesses
- No offline access, requires steady internet connection. Less flexible for on-the-go edits
4. NotionAI
Your one-stop centralised workspace becomes a reality with Notion. This is a single platform where small business owners can manage all areas of business, including tasks, projects, important documents, databases and more, all to help you streamline your workflow and get more done.
Adapt your workspace to meet your business’ specific needs, and collaborate in real-time with your team regardless of location. As a platform, Notion is scalable per your growth and needs, and can be easily integrated into handy tools like Slack, Google Drive, Trello and more. A free tier is available for getting to grips with some of Notion’s more basic features before potentially upgrading to paid plans that unlock additional features.
Pros
- Can help improve efficiency, productivity, and organisation
- Encourages data-driven decision making
- Allows you to tailor and personalise you workspace to your business needs
- Collaboration features
- Scalable as your business grows
Cons
- Data input and consistency is a must if you want to get the most out of this tool
- Subscription and associated costs for using Notion can make it cost-prohibitive to some small businesses
- May overcomplicate processes and offer too much functionality for businesses with less complex needs
5. Grammarly
Grammarly is a must-have tool for daily use. Whether you’re shooting off emails, responding to customer queries, or writing up your newest product description — Grammarly will ensure you always do so without errors. Easily adjust your settings for suggestions and corrections in either British English, US English, Australian, Canadian, and even Indian English! These corrections are offered in real-time, so you can edit as you write for optimum efficiency.
With Grammarly, you’ll always sound professional. Even better? You can make that happen for free. A paid version of course exists for those real grammar and spelling sticklers, but ultimately you can get by just fine on the free version.
Pros
- Improves writing quality
- Efficiently edit as you write
- Maintain consistency as you write for a more professional tone
- Grammarly is accessible, and can be used as a browser extension, desktop or mobile app, or you can even type directly into Grammarly’s writing tool.
Cons
- Grammarly currently only offers corrections in English
Ready to streamline your workload?
One of the many things these tools have in common is that they can save you so much valuable time that might otherwise be spent on more important tasks. Running a business is all about prioritisation, and with the help of these tools, as well as many more on the market and in the making, that's easier than ever to do.
So, which of these tools feels the most useful and relevant to your business? Are there any in particular you're excited to add to your toolkit? Let us know on social media, and give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook for more business tips, insights, and inspiration.
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