February 13th 2025.
Over the past year and a half, I have been diving into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence, or AI. It's been quite a journey, and I have to admit, I've spent a good two to three hours every day either using or learning about AI. My primary focus has been on ChatGPT, and I've received numerous questions from curious friends and colleagues about how we have been incorporating this new tool into our small business. So, I thought it would be helpful to share our experiences and give some tips on how to effectively use ChatGPT in a small business setting.
To make things easier to follow, I have divided this discussion into two parts. In part one, I will list and briefly describe all the ways we have been productively using ChatGPT in our small business. My hope is that you can use these ideas as a starting point for incorporating ChatGPT into your own work. In part two, aptly titled "Small Business ChatGPT Tips and Tricks," I will share some basic techniques that have worked well for us and have yielded great results.
Before we dive into the specifics, I want to mention that this may seem like a laundry list. But that's because when approaching AI like ChatGPT, our immediate goal should be to create a list of tasks that it can help us with. With that said, here are some of the ways we have been using ChatGPT in our small business.
General Help with Writing Emails
One of the first tasks we assigned to ChatGPT was to help us with writing emails. This may seem like a simple task, but ChatGPT has made a significant impact in this area. For example, if we need to write an email in a language other than our native one, we simply write it in our native language and let ChatGPT translate it for us. It's been a game-changer.
Another example is when we need to tone down the language in our emails. Sometimes, emotions can get the best of us, and our first drafts may come off as too angry or aggressive. ChatGPT helps us soften the language and deliver a more composed message. Additionally, if we struggle with grammar, punctuation, or typos, ChatGPT can proofread our writing and catch any silly mistakes.
Interestingly, we have noticed that using ChatGPT for these tasks has also helped improve our writing skills over time.
Writing Awkward Emails
We've all been there – writing those awkward emails that take up way too much time. Whether it's declining an interview, rejecting a candidate, or delivering bad news to a client, these emails can be challenging to write. But with ChatGPT, that's no longer an issue. It has no emotional blocks when it comes to writing such emails and can produce a well-written, polite, and legally appropriate message in a fraction of the time it would take us.
The "Quick Question" Emails
In a service-based business, we often receive those "quick question" emails from clients or customers. They assume it will only take us a minute or two to respond, but in reality, it can take up a significant chunk of our time. We have found that attributing these emails to ChatGPT and having it draft the response saves us a lot of time. And as a bonus, when delivering bad news or awkward truths, quoting something ChatGPT says can be useful. Additionally, ChatGPT can be perceived as a more authoritative source when providing personalized information.
A quick side note – these tasks may seem like small things, but they add up. As a business owner, every minute counts, and if we can reduce the time spent on these tasks, it can save us hours each week.
Writing Software Code
Now, let's talk about some of the new tasks that an AI like ChatGPT can handle. The obvious first example is programming. Even if we are not experienced or trained programmers, we can use ChatGPT to write source code at a low cost. We can then use this software to automate certain aspects of our business, improve the value of our products and services, or cut costs.
This makes perfect sense because there are tasks that we need software for, but no software development company will create it for us. So, the solution is to do it ourselves. Setting up ChatGPT for this may take some time, but once it's done, it's a game-changer. For example, it took me about a day to figure out how to use the JavaScript ChatGPT has been writing for our blog posts. And getting Python up and running took a few hours. But now, I can write a blog post with a JavaScript calculator in the same amount of time it would take me to write a regular post.
This has been a significant improvement for us, especially when it comes to marketing our niche services. ChatGPT has allowed us to add value to our blog posts by incorporating JavaScript calculators, making our posts more interactive and engaging for our audience.
In conclusion, ChatGPT has been an invaluable tool for our small business, and I hope these examples have given you some ideas on how you can use it in your own work. As AI technology continues to advance, the possibilities are endless, and I'm excited to see how we can continue to incorporate it into our business and streamline our processes.
Over the past year or year and a half, I've been immersing myself in the world of artificial intelligence, or AI. It's been quite a journey, and I must admit, I've probably spent a good two to three hours every day either using or learning about AI. One particular tool that has caught my attention is ChatGPT, and I've received numerous inquiries from friends and colleagues on how we've been utilizing it in our small business. So, I thought it would be valuable to share some insights on our experience with this new technology.
To make things easier to digest, I've divided this discussion into two parts. In the first part, which I like to call "part 1," I will provide a list and brief description of all the ways in which we've been productively using ChatGPT in our small business. My hope is that you can take some of these ideas and incorporate them into your own work. In the second part, "Small Business ChatGPT Tips and Tricks," I'll share some basic techniques and tips that have worked well for us and have yielded positive results.
Before we dive into the details, I want to mention that this may seem like a long list. But trust me, it's not just because lists make for an organized writing structure. It's because when we approach AI like ChatGPT, we have this idea that we can create a list of tasks that it can help us with. And that, I believe, should be our ultimate goal. So, without further ado, here's my current "laundry list" of ways in which ChatGPT has been a valuable tool for us.
First and foremost, ChatGPT has been a tremendous help with writing emails. Whether it's needing assistance with grammar, punctuation, or typos, or simply needing to write an email in a language other than our native one, ChatGPT has been a reliable friend. It can easily translate messages into the appropriate language for the email, and it can help soften the language of our first draft if we need to be less angry and more composed. And let's not forget, ChatGPT can also proofread our writing, saving us time and preventing silly mistakes. An added bonus is that over time, it can even improve our writing skills.
Another example where ChatGPT has been useful is in writing those awkward emails that tend to take up a lot of our time. You know the ones I'm talking about - declining a job interview, rejecting a candidate, or disengaging from a client. These types of communications can be emotionally charged and may cause writer's block or procrastination. However, ChatGPT has no such emotional barriers and can quickly and effectively write an adequate email for us. This saves us time and energy, and we can trust that the message will be nice enough and legally safe. Plus, using ChatGPT can also help us become more efficient and free up time to focus on other tasks.
In a service business, we often find ourselves trapped in the "quick question" email scenario. A client or customer has a question, and they assume we can provide a quick, free answer. However, these questions usually take much longer than a few minutes to respond to. So, my solution is to have ChatGPT write these emails and attribute them to the tool. This way, we can provide a free response in a matter of minutes, saving us time and avoiding the hassle of drafting a lengthy email. Plus, using ChatGPT can also lend an authoritative tone to our responses, making them more impactful.
A quick note on all these email-related tasks: I believe they are more than just minor tasks. For example, CPAs often get paid for half the hours they work, and I'm sure many other businesses face similar situations. So, if we can reduce the time spent communicating with clients, colleagues, and vendors, we can save hours each week.
Now, let's talk about some of the newer tasks that an AI like ChatGPT can take on. The most obvious one being programming. Even if we're not trained programmers, we can use ChatGPT to write source code at a minimal cost. This means we can automate certain aspects of our business, increase the value of our products or services, or even cut costs. After all, there are specific tasks that we do where software would be helpful, but no software development company will ever create it. So, the solution is to do it ourselves.
Of course, this requires some initial set-up time, but it's worth it. For example, it took me a day to figure out how to use the JavaScript ChatGPT wrote for our blog posts. And setting up Python on my computer took a few hours. But now, I can write a blog post with a JavaScript calculator in the same amount of time as one without. This has been a game-changer for us, especially in terms of marketing our niche services across the US. And with ChatGPT, we can continue to add value to our blog posts by incorporating JavaScript calculators.
In conclusion, ChatGPT has been an invaluable tool for us in our small business. It has helped us with tasks like writing emails, saving us time and effort, and has also opened up new possibilities in terms of programming. So, I hope you can take some of these ideas and incorporate them into your own work. Who knows, it may even lead to improvements in your business and save you hours each week.
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