These days, artificial intelligence, or AI, is a reality that no business, regardless of size, can afford to ignore. Even small or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that don’t have massive budgets or a large IT department can benefit from using AI tools. These businesses just need the right strategy and support.
What is AI in business, really?
Simply put, AI is any technology that “learns” by using provided data and analyzing patterns; based on those, it can “predict” or make suggestions. Its advantage is that it is capable of sifting through massive amounts of data much faster than any human analyst could. No wonder this technology is considered a game-changer by many businesses.
Practical ways AI helps businesses
Here are some of the ways AI is being used to improve everyday business operations:
Automating repetitive tasks
Many routine tasks, such as sorting emails, scheduling meetings and appointments, or generating reports, can be assigned to AI. This frees up your team to concentrate on more critical tasks, saving time and reducing errors.
For example, you can use AI chatbots to answer frequently asked questions, or FAQs. And because bots don’t need to take breaks, your FAQ hotline can be available 24/7.
Enhancing customer experience
Nothing builds customer loyalty like personalized service. With AI, businesses can anticipate client needs, offer relevant solutions, and provide proactive support, all based on past interactions and behavioral data. From suggesting next steps to issuing timely follow-ups or reminders, AI helps create a seamless, tailored experience. This level of service makes customers feel valued and allows SMBs to deliver enterprise-grade support without the enterprise-grade cost.
Optimizing marketing efforts
By analyzing customer behavior across different platforms (email, social media, and your website), AI can tell you what works and what doesn’t. This eliminates the guesswork from your marketing, helping you create efficient strategies that maximize your marketing dollars
Improving decision-making
As a business owner, there are time you will be forced to make difficult decisions given limited information. However, AI can sift through raw data to generate useful insights. To cite three examples, AI can: (a) spot sales trends; (b) forecast inventory needs; and (c) identify inefficiencies in your processes.
Boosting productivity with generative AI
Generative AI is AI that can generate new content, especially text or images. SMBs will find generative AI a game-changer when drafting blog posts, writing captions for social media, or composing product descriptions. Most writers take time when starting cold; AI can create a starting draft in seconds, saving you hours of work. Don’t believe the naysayers who claim that AI can replace writers. AI won’t replace human creativity anytime soon, but it can help you and your team do more in less time with less effort.
Strengthening cybersecurity
SMBs are the prime targets for cybercriminals intent on exploiting businesses with weak security or without full-time IT security staff. With AI-powered security systems, SMBs are warned of suspicious activities and unusual patterns that indicate potential threats. By providing early warnings, AI can help SMBs keep their data safe.
Getting started with AI (without getting overwhelmed)
SMBs may be wary of AI, assuming that it’s complicated or expensive. However, a lot of AI solutions are already built into the tools that many companies, including SMBs, already use. Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, email marketing software, and cybersecurity services already incorporate AI in their systems.
To start, take small steps such as:
- Identifying one area where you can save the most time and money by using AI;
- Testing out an easy-to-implement tool or feature; and
- Evaluating the results before expanding AI use to other parts of your business.
Why partnering with IT experts matters
Adapting AI tools for your business can be challenging for folks who may not be tech-savvy. If you want to dive into the AI pool, it’s best to have experts along with you. You can partner with a managed IT services provider (MSP) like NetQuest, whose expert guidance will ensure that your AI tools align with your goals. They’ll also prevent you from making costly tech mistakes by identifying gaps in your infrastructure, ensuring proper data management, and guiding ethical, effective implementation.
AI is now a business reality. It’s not just for tech giants; SMBs powered by AI can be more competitive in their markets. If you’re looking to harness AI-powered solutions to boost your SMB’s efficiency and growth, then partner with our IT experts at NetQuest. Contact us today.
