How Small Businesses Can Start Using AI to Grow—Even If You’re Not Tech-Savvy
This week, I had the opportunity to attend the Wild & Wonderful Chamber Professionals Workshop at Oglebay Resort, hosted by the Wheeling Area Chamber. It was a fantastic chance to learn from and connect with other Chamber executives from West Virginia and neighboring states. One of the biggest takeaways? AI isn’t just for big businesses anymore.
There was an eye-opening discussion about how AI is becoming as essential as email, websites, and social media once were. When those tools first emerged, many small businesses were hesitant. They seemed unnecessary or complicated. But the businesses that embraced them early gained a competitive edge, and now, we can’t imagine running a business without them. AI is on the same trajectory—it’s not a passing trend; it’s a powerful tool that’s here to stay.
At the Lewis County Chamber, one of our core missions is to strengthen local businesses and build a thriving business community. That means helping our members understand and use the tools that will keep them competitive. So, let’s break it down: What exactly is AI, and how can you start using it in your business today?
1. AI for Social Media & Marketing
Are you spending hours trying to come up with social media posts? AI tools can help!
✅ Create Engaging Posts – Tools like Canva’s Magic Write or ChatGPT can help you write engaging captions, generate post ideas, and even suggest hashtags.
✅ Automate Posting – Platforms like Buffer or Hootsuite use AI to suggest the best times to post, so your content reaches more people.
✅ Write Emails Faster – AI-powered tools like Grammarly or Jasper AI can help draft customer newsletters, promotional emails, or responses to common customer inquiries.
👉 Quick Start Tip: Try an AI tool to draft a Facebook post about your next sale or event. Just type:
"Write a Facebook post for my bakery’s weekend special: Buy one, get one free cinnamon rolls!"
2. AI for Customer Service & Communication
Your customers expect quick responses, but you can’t always be available 24/7. AI can help with that.
✅ Chatbots & Auto-Replies – Free tools like ChatGPT for websites or ManyChat (for Facebook & Instagram) can provide instant replies to common questions, even when you’re closed.
✅ Voice Assistants – Did you know you can set up Google Voice AI to answer calls and direct customers to the right information?
✅ Customer Insights – AI can help you track customer behavior. For example, Google Analytics shows which pages on your website people visit the most.
👉 Quick Start Tip: Set up Facebook Messenger’s auto-reply to answer common customer questions like “What are your hours?” or “Do you offer gift cards?”
3. AI for Business Operations & Productivity
Tired of doing the same tasks over and over? AI can automate many of them.
✅ Appointment Scheduling – Tools like Calendly or Acuity Scheduling use AI to help customers book appointments without back-and-forth emails.
✅ Smart Accounting – QuickBooks AI can automatically categorize expenses and alert you to unusual spending.
✅ Inventory Management – AI tools like Zoho Inventory or Shopify AI can predict when you’ll need to restock based on past sales.
👉 Quick Start Tip: Try an AI-powered email assistant like Boomerang or Superhuman to schedule follow-ups and get reminders for important tasks.
4. AI for Content Creation (Even If You’re Not a Writer!)
If you need to create blog posts, flyers, or even menus, AI can help with that, too.
✅ Blog & Website Content – Tools like Jasper AI or Writesonic can generate blog post ideas, write drafts, and improve existing content.
✅ Graphic Design – Canva AI can remove backgrounds from photos, generate logos, and suggest templates for flyers and social media posts.
✅ Transcriptions & Notes – Otter.ai can transcribe meetings, saving you time on note-taking.
👉 Quick Start Tip: Need a quick flyer? Try Canva AI and enter:
"Create a flyer for my salon’s spring discount: 20% off haircuts in April!"
5. AI for Sales & Lead Generation
AI can help you find more customers and turn website visitors into paying clients.
✅ Smart Ads – Facebook and Google both have AI-powered ad tools that can automatically adjust your ad settings to target the best audience.
✅ Website Chatbots – AI chat tools like Tidio can greet website visitors and answer common questions to keep them engaged.
✅ Personalized Offers – AI tools like HubSpot or ConvertKit can suggest personalized deals based on a customer’s past purchases.
👉 Quick Start Tip: If you’re running an online ad, try Facebook’s “Advantage+” AI tool—it automatically adjusts your ad settings to find more customers.
Final Thoughts: Start Small & Experiment
AI isn’t here to replace small businesses—it’s here to help you save time, reduce busy work, and grow your business. Start with just one tool, experiment, and see how it helps.
Need help? The Lewis County Chamber of Commerce is here to support local businesses. If you’re curious about using AI but aren’t sure where to start, reach out to us. We’d love to help you explore new tools and grow your business!
P.S. I got a lot of help writing this post from ChatGPT.
