How to Start Using AI in Your Business:

A Beginner's Guide for Entrepreneurs

AI is an umbrella term… and underneath it, the landscape is vast.

You see it everywhere you look nowadays, and the integration into your daily digital life has been taken care of for you by the experts. But how can you harness this "democratized" power for yourself… to change your life… and achieve your wildest dreams?

Well, read this article to find out how! And I'll mention now that you do not have to be super tech-savvy to use AI effectively in your business.

How to Identify the Perfect Starting Points for AI

in Your Small Business

There's this thing called "shiny object syndrome." (Look it up if you don't know what it is.)

And the first thing you want to do is avoid that syndrome. But don't worry, that's not your fault because the advertisements out there are just that damn good.

Instead, the next time you see an AI tool, do not rush to download it.

What I want you to do instead is think about the tasks that are taking time away from you that could be better spent elsewhere.

And instead of seeing a super robust and amazing AI tool and coming up with a business idea that fits the tool, I want you to go searching for a tool that addresses your immediate business needs.

This will keep you from going down the rabbit hole of purchasing tools that are not yet needed and get you jump started on saving time and money.

I taught a workshop on AI 101 for business owners and within it I covered where you can search for tools based on what they do.

ACTION: Write down at least three time-wasting tasks in your business that make you say to yourself "there must be a better way."

Best No-Code AI Tools for Beginners

Without Technical Skills

The best AI tools for beginners are the ones that have a very user-friendly interface. Meaning as soon as you get to the website, you love it. It's easy to navigate, has plenty of buttons, no tech jargon—kind of like the experience we have when we land on the Google search page: lots of white space where it's very easy for you to know what to do and why.

Most of these tools offer a pay-to-upgrade subscription-based model where you will have to spend a little bit of money to get the most out of it. And that's OK because if your return on investment is going to be 300%, I think you would agree with me that just might be worth it.

But some more good news is that most of these tools have a free or freemium version so that you can test them out before you spend money—which is what I always do and I recommend that you always do as well.

ACTION: Go to YouTube and type in "AI tools for…" (insert your business challenge here).

7-Day AI Challenge

One of the things I started doing was planning out my entire month. I split my month up into weekly goals. But let's just start with one week to help you break into the practice of using AI in your business.

By now, you should have your task and your tool… so during this time, I want you to use that tool once a day… even if it's for ten minutes. This will help you address the learning curve.

And if you decide that AI tool is not a good fit, find another AI tool that does the same thing and try that one.

ACTION: After your 7-day challenge, document your experience - what worked, what didn't, and one additional task you could automate next week. This reflection helps cement your learning and builds momentum for continued growth.

Common AI Mistakes

Business Owners Should Avoid

The number one mistake people make when using AI is prompting a tool once, being dissatisfied with the answer, and then giving up on the tool. I want to remind you that this technology is still fairly new to the public, and you have to give these tools time to evolve. Another amazing thing is that the more context and the more specific your instructions are, the better your results will be, depending on which tool you are using. My point is: do not give up on the tool so early. It takes time and practice to get it right.

The second mistake I commonly see is that people are so happy with the first outputs they receive from these tools…they copy and paste the outputs verbatim. Do not simply copy and paste. Take what has been given to you and make it your own. This allows you to maintain control over the creative process, input your expertise, and maintain integrity.

And the third mistake I see is overwhelm from instant gratification. The tools are spitting out so much information at once that we become overwhelmed, and we tend to have many unfinished projects. Focus on one task at a time when using an AI tool. For example, maybe you should write down or make notes about your content strategy before you begin to start creating the content.

How to Move Forward with AI Confidently:

Next Steps for Your Business

I always use this as an example, and I love it because the Internet came out when I was such a small child. When I would come home from school, I would throw my book bag on the floor, and I was so excited to plug up that really big, clunky, white old-school computer you don't see anymore. I'd connect it to the wall, wait for the little orange man to run across the screen, and listen to the sound that's like an old fax machine when we call the wrong number nowadays.

Do you remember how long it used to take to connect to the Internet or am I the only one who remembers AOL dial-up used to take 10 to 12 minutes? But that's just what it was, and we were excited about it. And now, if a website takes longer than two seconds to load, we leave.

I use that anecdote to tell you this: At first, and right now, things might seem scary or awkward or weird or not so perfect. But I am a true believer that we are onto something groundbreaking here, and as a pioneer, I believe you have the opportunity to be a pioneer too.

So once again, start with one task in your business that you believe can be automated. As you become proficient in the use of the tool, not only will you begin to see how fun it can be, but you will begin to experience how much time you are saving, how much money you are most likely saving, and what working smarter versus working harder really feels like.

If you liked this article, there are plenty more just like it in my email list where I put out my best content for free.

Until then, don't wait until you understand everything—just start with one business challenge today.

Best,

Shea 💜