Where do I start with AI in my small business?

I was at a workshop recently. Not running it, for once. Just sitting in it.

A woman asked, tentatively:

“I know I’m behind on all this, but my main question is… where do I start with AI in my business?”

The feeling in the room was supportive. I suspect she wasn’t the only one wondering.

So here’s my answer.

You’re not behind. And you don’t start with a tool. You start with one job you already know well enough to spot when AI gets it wrong.

Am I really behind on AI?

No. Most small businesses in the UK haven’t started either.

In September 2026, the Office for National Statistics found that only 29% of businesses with fewer than 10 employees were using any kind of AI. That means roughly 7 in 10 weren’t. A separate study from Enterprise Nation, in June 2026, put regular use at about one in five small businesses.

Those two numbers measure slightly different things (any use against regular use), which is why they don’t match. Both point the same way.

There’s a Yoruba saying: Ma wo ago alaago sisie. Don’t use someone else’s timing as your own.

Most small businesses haven’t started either. Start from where you are.

Which AI tool should I start with?

Try two or three free ones, see which suits the way you think, then go deep with one.

Both Claude and ChatGPT have free plans, and they are plenty to learn on. EVERYONE knows ChatGPT. I’m a Claude girlie myself. (Not an ad. Nobody is paying me to say this. I genuinely like working with Claude.) But honestly? The tool matters less than you’d think.

What matters is learning how to work with it. Skills you build on one carry over to the next. Tools change every few months. The skill doesn’t.

Choose the tool that suits you, then stop shopping and start practising.

Which job should I hand to AI first?

Pick a job you already do well. Not the one you dread. Not the one you know nothing about.

Here’s why.

I once asked ChatGPT for a week’s West African meal plan. It came back full of confidence. And full of combinations no West African kitchen would ever serve.

I only caught it because I know the food.

Someone who didn’t would have taken it at its word. That’s the risk. AI rarely says “I’m not sure”. It guesses, beautifully.

So your first job should be one where your own knowledge is the safety net. You’ll see straight away what’s good, what’s off, and what’s plainly wrong.

Good first jobs	Keep for later
Rewriting a product or service description you know inside out	Anything legal, tax or contractual
Drafting replies to questions customers ask you every week	Anything containing customers’ personal details
Turning your rough notes into a tidy checklist	Figures you can’t check yourself
Giving you ten possible names for a workshop or offer	Advice in an area you know nothing about

Start where you’re the expert, so you can tell when it isn’t.

How do I ask AI so I get something useful back?

Treat it like a brilliant new assistant on her first day. Talented. Quick. Completely unbriefed. And she’d rather guess than admit she doesn’t know.

So brief her properly. Five parts:

WHO it’s for.
WHAT you need.
How it should SOUND.
What SHAPE it should take.
SO THAT (what it’s for, the goal).

Then don’t accept draft one. It’s a conversation, not a vending machine. Tell it what’s off. Ask again. The good stuff usually turns up on the second or third go.

A woman who sells handmade candles wants a better description for her best seller.

She doesn’t type “write a candle description”. She writes: “This is for women buying a gift for a friend who’s had a hard year (WHO). I need a product description for my lavender and cedar candle (WHAT). Warm and calm, not flowery, no exclamation marks (SOUND). Three short paragraphs, under 120 words (SHAPE). So that the buyer feels she’s giving comfort, not just a candle (SO THAT).”

The first draft calls the candle “luxurious”. She doesn’t use that word, so she says so. The second draft is close. She changes one line herself, and it’s done.

A good brief does most of the work. Draft one is just the opening offer.

How do I know if what AI gives me is right?

Check it before it goes anywhere. It takes about two minutes.

Is it TRUE?
Is it the RIGHT true, and safe to claim?
Does it sound like ME?
Would I say it to a customer’s face?

If any answer is no, it goes back for another round. Or you fix it yourself.

Hand over the blank page. Keep the final polish.

AI brings the speed. You bring the judgement.

What should never go into AI?

Anything you wouldn’t want read out in a crowded room.

Write your own Never List before you start. A good first draft: customers’ names, addresses and phone numbers. Passwords. Bank details. Anything a client told you in confidence.

The UK’s data regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office, says to use only the personal data you actually need. It also says that using someone else’s AI tool doesn’t remove your responsibility for the data you put into it.

So strip out the personal details first. “My customer Sarah from Leeds” becomes “a customer”. AI doesn’t need her name to help you write the reply.

Your Never List protects your customers, and your reputation with them.

Questions people ask

Is the free version of AI good enough to start with?

Yes. Free plans have usage limits, but they are more than enough to learn on. Pay only once you are using one tool most days and keep hitting the limit.

Can I put my customers' details into AI?

Not as a starting point. Take out names, addresses, phone numbers and anything personal before you paste anything in. If you do share customer data, you are still responsible for it, even when the tool belongs to someone else.

Will AI make my business sound like everyone else's?

Only if you accept the first draft. Tell it who you are writing for and how you sound, give it an example of your own writing, then edit what comes back until it sounds like you.

I haven't started my business yet. Can AI help me?

It can, but the same rule applies. Use it on parts you can judge, such as tidying your notes or listing questions to ask customers. Testing whether the idea itself will work needs real evidence from real people, and that is what the Will It Work? game walks you through.

How long before AI is actually useful?

Often the first week, if you start with one job you already know well. Most of the early time goes into learning to brief it. That time comes back every time you use it.

Sources

Office for National Statistics, Business insights and impact on the UK economy, 8 October 2026, 29% of businesses with fewer than 10 employees used at least one AI technology in September 2026. Checked 11 November 2026.
Office for National Statistics, Artificial intelligence in UK businesses, 2023 to 2026, 28% of businesses with 0 to 9 employees, June 2026. Checked 11 November 2026.
Enterprise Nation, One in five small businesses regularly use AI, 9 June 2026, regular use, from the Tech Hub research. Checked 11 November 2026.
Claude plans and pricing, free plan available. Checked 11 November 2026.
OpenAI Help Centre, ChatGPT free tier FAQ, free plan available. Checked 11 November 2026.
Information Commissioner's Office, How to use AI and personal data appropriately and lawfully, share only the data you need; using a supplier's AI does not remove your responsibilities. Checked 11 November 2026.

Your next step

This week, pick one job you could do in your sleep. Brief AI in five parts. Push back at least once. Run the two-minute check before anything leaves your hands. One job. One week. That’s the start.

Whose timing have you been measuring yourself against?