Where to Start With AI in a Small Business
A calm, practical map to the one or two places AI actually earns its keep without a six-month consulting project.
Built for a decision you can act on.
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Find your highest-value first move in an afternoon, not a quarter.
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Use a simple four-question test to tell a real opportunity from a shiny demo.
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Know the four kinds of work where AI isn't worth it yet, so you skip the shelfware.
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Use a one-page worksheet to score your own tasks and pick where to start.
What's inside
The guide is written for the person who has to choose what happens next, not for a vendor scorecard.
- 01
The earns-its-keep test
Four questions that separate real opportunities from shiny ones.
- 02
Effort vs. impact
A simple way to rank your options, with a worked example.
- 03
Where AI pays off first
The everyday small-business workflows where AI usually earns its keep.
- 04
Where to wait
The honest list: four places AI isn't worth it yet.
- 05
Buy, build, or wait
The choice in plain English, based on the task in front of you.
- 06
Two-week pilot
A pilot you can stop without it feeling like failure, plus a printable worksheet.
Want help applying it to your business? Bring the worksheet to a free 30-minute call.