AI for Small Business: What’s Real and What’s Sales Pitch

The AI gold rush (and why skepticism is healthy)

Most businesses should be skeptical of generic AI promises.

The right question is where AI creates measurable business impact, not where it sounds impressive.

What AI does well right now

AI is strong at repetitive language and pattern tasks when paired with clear workflows.

• Summarization and drafting
• Routine classification and routing
• Workflow automation support
• Signal detection in business data

A practical decision framework

Start with one recurring workflow tied directly to time, cost, or revenue impact.

• Define baseline
• Pilot one workflow
• Measure
• Scale only if it works