“The rise of powerful AI will be either the best or the worst thing ever to happen to humanity. We do not yet know which.” – Stephen Hawking.
Small businesses often have limited resources and a need for efficiency, which can make it difficult to keep up with larger competitors. In order to stay competitive and improve operations, small business owners need to find ways to streamline their processes and increase efficiency.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can provide solutions for these challenges by automating tasks that would otherwise require human labor, improving customer service by providing quick and accurate responses to customer inquiries, and providing valuable insights into operations, such as identifying areas for improvement and identifying trends in customer behavior.
With the help of AI, small businesses can improve their operations and stay competitive in today’s fast-paced business environment. Without further adieu, here are the top 8 AI apps every small business owner should consider using, in no particular order:
1. Hootsuite Insights
Hootsuite Insights is a social media management tool that uses AI to monitor and analyze your business’s social media presence. It can track mentions of your brand, identify influencers and competitors, and provide insights on the sentiment of your social media content. By using Hootsuite Insights, small business owners can gain a better understanding of their audience and improve their social media strategy.
2. Bizzabo (formerly X.ai)
Bizzabo (formerly known as X.ai) is a virtual assistant app that uses AI to schedule meetings. The app can be integrated with your calendar and email to automatically schedule meetings based on your availability and preferences. It can also handle cancellations, rescheduling, and sending reminders. Using Bizzabo can save small business owners time and hassle in managing their schedules.
3. DocuSign
DocuSign is an e-signature app that uses AI to automate document signing. It allows small business owners to securely sign and send documents for signature, track the status of a document, and receive notifications when a document has been signed. With DocuSign, small business owners can save time and increase efficiency in their document management process.
4. Salesforce Einstein
Salesforce Einstein is an AI-powered CRM (customer relationship management) tool. It allows small business owners to automate tasks such as data entry and lead scoring, and provides insights on customer behavior and sales trends. By using Salesforce Einstein, small business owners can improve their sales processes and better understand their customers.
5. QuickBooks Self-Employed
QuickBooks Self-Employed is an accounting app that uses AI to automate bookkeeping tasks for small businesses. It can track expenses, generate invoices, and provide insights on business performance. By using QuickBooks Self-Employed, small business owners can save time and reduce the need for a dedicated bookkeeper.
6. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is a customer relationship management tool that uses AI to automate sales processes and provide insights on customer behavior. With Zoho CRM, small business owners can automate tasks such as lead scoring, data entry, and email campaigns. By using Zoho CRM, small business owners can improve their sales processes and better understand their customers.
7. Grammarly
Yes, Grammarly is still relevant today, even after the launch of a ‘disruptive’ AI app #8 below.
Grammarly is an AI-powered writing tool that can help small business owners improve their written communication. It can identify grammar and punctuation errors, provide suggestions for sentence structure, and check for plagiarism. By using Grammarly, small business owners can improve the quality of their written communication, which is especially important for emails, reports, and other business-critical documents.
8. ChatGPT
The Disruptor. The one that worries Google. The one that make many apps obsolete. The scary part is, it’s still developing.
ChatGPT is a state-of-the-art language model developed by OpenAI. It can be used for a wide range of natural language processing tasks, such as text generation, language translation, and conversation simulation. ChatGPT can be integrated with other apps and platforms, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, to provide human-like conversation and improve customer service. Additionally, ChatGPT can be used for automating repetitive tasks, such as customer support and content creation.
Small business owners can leverage ChatGPT to improve their operations, increase efficiency, and offer a better customer experience.
To Conclude…
In conclusion, AI can help small business owners in various ways such as saving time, automating tedious tasks, improving customer service, and providing valuable insights into their operations. By utilizing these AI apps, small business owners can stay competitive and improve their operations.
However, it’s important to note that AI is constantly evolving, and new AI apps are continually emerging, so it’s important for small business owners to stay updated and explore new options as they become available.