11/27/2025
I was at a university "reunion" of sorts this weekend with several small-business-owner friends of mine; they were curious about what I do and how they could start using AI effectively in their businesses?
Like most, they use and enjoy chatGPT but they couldn't really visualize where to start with implementation. They perceived AI as a potentially huge blackhole for wasted time.
It seems they weren't alone.. yesterday's Economist published an article "Investors expect AI use to soar. That’s not happening". It reported that most companies get stuck in "Pilot Purgatory." The pilots aren't working and businesses are afraid to go further.
My personal experience suggests 3 pillars to support effective AI deployment:
1) Strategy - Workflow mapping/documentation is key. AI works best with clear chain-of-thought, so if your workflow tasks aren't clear and tracked, AI won't be effective.
2) Workforce Empowerment - Demystify AI with training, show how AI can help staff remove the drudgery of the day to focus on more value-added tasks.
3) Governance - A simple AI Use Policy goes a long way to mitigating risk and providing the structure for comfortable and effective AI use.
If you own or lead a small business I would love to hear your experience with AI. Have you started using AI in your organization? Is it working? Any tips?
