From adoption to advantage: small businesses unlock AI’s potential to stay ahead

By Jodi Duva AI is anything but special to large organizations In the modern day a large number of AI solutions are designed to be budget-friendly easy to integrate and tailored to small business users In fact AI has become a practical and valuable tool for small businesses across industries helping them innovate streamline operations and stay competitive Cox Business s latest Small Business Survey uncovered more small businesses are deploying AI in everyday business operations Two-thirds of those surveyed invested in AI for their company already while of owners planned to invest even more in AI in the year ahead Small business owners are using AI to increase profitability enhance productivity and improve customer experience To do this small business owners are specifically using AI in marketing sales and customer function For example AI is being used for online product and function recommendations order placement live website chatbots and customer facility calls While AI isn t the silver bullet for small business success it certainly enables entrepreneurs who often end up wearing countless if not all hats to stay ahead of the competition offer better customer experiences and scale faster without crucial overhead Owners often take on the chief AI operator role Eighty-five percent of small business owners and of employees are calm using AI tools in the workplace And while of owners have provided training for employees around using AI in the past don t plan to offer an AI training program for employees With three out of four small business owners saying they are also responsible for implementing and managing AI at their company it s critical for their teams to be trained and confident using the latest business technologies Wherever workable entrepreneurs should look to incorporate ongoing tech training and schooling not only for themselves but for their teams too Taking this a step further relying on a trusted third party to serve as a tech advisor or AI implementation partner can help lighten the load According to an IDC survey of North American IT leaders the IT skills gap affects businesses across all industries and regions By it s expected to become a global issue potentially costing companies trillion in lost revenue Having sponsorship in place to handle the rapidly changing tech landscape can be a strategic advantage AI as an efficiency multiplier Among its benefits AI improves efficiency by automating repetitive tasks like input entry freeing up teams to focus on higher-value duties Tools like chatbots and recommendation engines can also help small businesses deliver personalized round-the-clock customer function AI also enhances decision-making By rapidly analyzing large amounts of records AI can reveal insights that would otherwise take days or even weeks to gather manually This technological method enables faster and more informed business decisions particularly in areas related to customer behavior inventory planning and sphere trends That revealed tapping into AI s full probable still requires the right foundation especially for small business owners Reliable high-speed framework connectivity and secure cloud infrastructure are no longer luxuries they re prerequisites for AI integration as more tools become cloud-based The bottom line AI helps small teams do more with less and do it smarter As these tools improve and become more user friendly small businesses that embrace them now are positioning themselves not just to compete but to lead Because AI is more than a trend It s fast becoming a must-have tool in a small business owner s toolkit Jodi Duva is the California Area Vice President for Cox Business including the San Diego Region She previously was the Director of Sales for Cox Business in San Diego for more than years She resides in Orange County and San Diego For more information about Times of San Diego s advertising and sponsorship policies click here