The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into small businesses is transforming how they operate and grow. Dylan Sellberg, the Director of Product AI at a company that works with over 200,000 small business clients, shares insights on how AI is impacting these businesses. According to Sellberg, AI is helping small businesses scale their output with fewer resources.
Generative AI tools can draft marketing copy, social media posts, and blog articles, as well as automate tasks like answering simple customer questions, data entry, and scheduling. This allows staff to focus on more complex and creative aspects of their jobs. AI is making the most significant impact on go-to-market teams across marketing, sales, and service.
These teams are critical for small business growth, as they bring products and services to market, ensure adoption, and generate revenue. AI-powered chatbots provide 24/7 support, meeting instant-gratification expectations while allowing reps to focus on more strategic questions. To effectively deploy AI, small businesses should start by identifying a specific problem that AI can solve and be willing to experiment with different tools and approaches.
The cost of implementing AI can vary, but many free tools are available, offering value without initial costs. Sellberg believes that AI’s transformative impact is similar to that of the internet, revolutionizing how businesses operate. Growth-oriented business leaders recognize AI’s value and potential efficiencies and competitive advantages.
However, some are still preoccupied with current operations.
generative AI drives business transformation
When using AI for content creation, businesses should use AI-generated content as a draft and refine it to include unique brand messages and creative elements.
This ensures the content is authentic and resonates with the target audience. CEOs from various industries are also leveraging AI to transform their businesses. Jim Fish, CEO of WM, is using technology to address labor challenges in the waste management industry.
Sharon Marcil, managing director and senior partner at BCG, emphasizes the importance of keeping customer feedback top of mind during transformation. Goodwill Industries International CEO Steve Preston notes the need to compete against well-funded corporate competitors by expanding both brick-and-mortar locations and online presence. Aspen Technology CEO Antonio Pietri says customers are seeking solutions to help them decarbonize and shift from fossil fuels, requiring the company to transform itself to be uniquely positioned.
Docusign CEO Allan Thygesen reports strong early adoption of their AI-powered “intelligence agreement management” platform, while Trane Technologies CEO Dave Regnery highlights the potential for AI to make buildings more efficient by tapping into unstructured data. Thomson Reuters CEO Steve Hasker aims to ensure all employees use generative AI daily, believing it will be more disruptive than previous technological advancements. Businesses are also leveraging GeoAI, which combines AI with geospatial data, to unlock opportunities and efficiencies.
GeoAI enables real-time understanding of opportunities, environmental impacts, and operational risks by organizing massive amounts of data for analysis on real-time maps and dashboards. The integration of AI with GIS provides automation and efficiency, predictive insights, and pattern detection capabilities applicable across various industries, including retail, energy, transportation, insurance, manufacturing, and logistics. GeoAI equips executives with data-driven tools for strategic decision-making, enhancing operational awareness, quantifying supply chain impacts, and developing strategies to reduce climate impacts.
By applying spatial problem-solving with GeoAI, organizations can gain a competitive edge through location intelligence and robust predictive capabilities.
