Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: You're listening to the AI Edge, the show that makes AI simple, easy and practical. From chaos to clarity. AI Made easy. Let's cut the chaos. Hello and welcome to the AI Edge.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: We are so glad you're here today. We're tackling a huge topic, but we promise to do it without the nerd stuff.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: Exactly. If you're a small business owner, maybe you run a salon, you're a coach, or you own a local restaurant. You've probably heard the term AI a million times. Times. And if you're anything like the business owners we work with at the hello llc, it might feel a little overwhelming.
[00:00:39] Speaker B: Totally. It sounds technical, expensive and complicated, like something only giant corporations with massive tech teams can use.
[00:00:48] Speaker A: But the whole point of today's episode is to show you that's not true. AI is here, it's accessible, and it can be an absolute game changer for small businesses struggling with time poverty, brain burnout, and just doing all the things all the time.
[00:01:04] Speaker B: So let's start with the absolute basics. What is AI in plain English?
[00:01:09] Speaker A: Okay, let's forget the robots and sci fi movies. At its core, artificial intelligence is just technology that can simulate human intelligence to perform tasks. Think of it as a strategic partner. Or maybe just an extra pair of hands that never gets tired.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: An extra pair of hands. I like that. So it's not about building complex systems.
[00:01:31] Speaker A: Not anymore. That's the big change. With tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and others, AI is now available to everyone. 74% of businesses say they're already experimenting with these tools. And the best part is you don't need to be a computer scientist to use them.
[00:01:48] Speaker B: That's the key right there. Tech overwhelm is real.
Business owners are already juggling a dozen different software tools. The idea of adding something complex is a non starter, Right?
[00:02:00] Speaker A: But these new tools are designed so you can use natural human language. You just talk to them or type like you would to a person. You can ask it to help you come up with marketing ideas, build a schedule for a product launch, or even spot errors in your bookkeeping.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: Okay, so let's connect this to a real pain point. Let's talk about time. Every small business owner I know is time poor. They're drowning in admin and manual tasks that keep them from the work they actually love.
[00:02:29] Speaker A: The burnout is so real. And this is where AI can have an immediate impact. A report by Thrive found that one third of businesses save between 11 and 20 employee hours per month using AI. Almost another third save between 21 and 40. 40 hours a month?
[00:02:47] Speaker B: 40 hours a month. That's a full work week. What kind of tasks are we talking about?
[00:02:52] Speaker A: Think about scheduling. A salon owner juggling appointments. A coach trying to find slots for clients. An AI scheduling tool can plan the day, avoid double bookings, and organize team meetings automatically. No more back and forth emails.
[00:03:07] Speaker B: Okay, I see that. What about something messier like paperwork? A a Realtor dealing with contracts. Or a restaurant owner with a mountain of invoices.
[00:03:16] Speaker A: Perfect example. For every single receipt or invoice, someone has to manually type that information into an accounting system. It's tedious and a huge time suck.
[00:03:26] Speaker B: Right? And prone to errors.
[00:03:28] Speaker A: Exactly. AI tools can extract that info from a simple photo. You just snap a picture of the receipt and it uploads and transcribes everything into your system. No manual entry. It's a huge step towards getting organized and reclaiming your time.
[00:03:44] Speaker B: Okay, time is one thing, but what about money? Rising costs are hitting every small business. Can AI actually help with the bottom line?
[00:03:52] Speaker A: It absolutely can. The same report found that 2/3 of businesses save up to $24,000 a year with AI. We help a lot of small business owners solve this exact problem at the hello llc. And it often starts with looking at data.
[00:04:09] Speaker B: Data analysis. That sounds intimidating.
[00:04:12] Speaker A: It used to be. But now instead of staring at a spreadsheet trying to figure it out, you can just ask the AI questions like how did our sales this quarter compared to last? Or which services are our customers buying most often?
[00:04:27] Speaker B: That's incredible. So a restaurant owner could ask which menu items are selling best on Tuesdays and use that insight to plan inventory and reduce waste.
[00:04:36] Speaker A: Exactly. Or take inventory management. AI tools can predict demand patterns so a salon doesn't overspend on products that just sit on the shelf. This keeps cash free and avoids costly mistakes. Some of these tools are now available for as little as 20 to $50 a month.
[00:04:55] Speaker B: Okay, this is all starting to sound very practical. So let's give our listeners some simple, beginner friendly first steps. Where can they start experimenting today? Right after this podcast.
[00:05:06] Speaker A: Let's start with marketing. It's a huge time drain for so many. Open up a free tool like ChatGPT or Gemini. Let's say you're a realtor. You could literally type act like a social media manager for a realtor in Austin, Texas. Give me five Instagram posts ideas for.
[00:05:23] Speaker B: This week and it will just give you ideas instantly.
[00:05:27] Speaker A: It will give you the ideas, the captions, the hashtags, everything.
You still have the final say. Of course, you have to review it and make it sound like you, but it takes you from a blank page to 90% done in seconds. It's a partnership between you and the AI.
[00:05:43] Speaker B: That alone could save hours. What about customer service?
[00:05:47] Speaker A: This is another easy win. Think about the questions you get asked over and over. For a restaurant, it's what are your hours? Or do you have vegan options? For a coach, it's how do I book a session?
[00:06:00] Speaker B: Mm. The same questions constantly.
[00:06:03] Speaker A: You can set up a simple AI chatbot on your website or social media to handle those first line inquiries. 247 it provides instant answers for your customers and frees you or your team up to handle the more complex issues. It improves your customer experience and makes your business look incredibly professional.
[00:06:23] Speaker B: So to recap the first steps 1 try a generative AI tool for marketing content. 2 look into a simple chatbot for.
[00:06:31] Speaker A: Customer service and 3 check if your existing software already has AI features built in. Many accounting platforms like Xero now use AI to predict cash flow or automatically categorize transactions. You might already have powerful tools at your fingertips without even knowing it.
[00:06:49] Speaker B: The biggest takeaway for me is that AI isn't an all or nothing of proposition. It's about finding small, specific tasks that are eating up your time and seeing if there's a tool that can help. It's about augmenting your team, not replacing it.
[00:07:02] Speaker A: You've hit the nail on the head. It's about enabling a team of 10 to do the work of a team of 100. It levels the playing field so small businesses can compete and thrive.
[00:07:13] Speaker B: That's a powerful way to think about it. Leveling the playing field. Let's maybe dive into a few more specific examples. We've touched on Realtors and restaurants. What about a freelance graphic designer? They're often a one person show juggling everything.
[00:07:28] Speaker A: Great question. For a graphic designer, AI can be a massive creativity booster. Think about tools like Midjourney or Dall E. They aren't there to replace the designer, but to serve as a tireless brainstorming partner. A designer can generate dozens of visual concepts in minutes, exploring styles and ideas that would've taken hours to sketch out. It's about accelerating that initial discovery phase. Plus, there are practical tools for tedious tasks like AI powered background removal or smart resizing for different social media platforms. It frees them up to focus on high level design, strategy and client relationships.
[00:08:07] Speaker B: This has been so helpful. We've defined AI as an extra set of hands. We've talked about how it can solve real problems like time, poverty, and rising costs, and we've given some concrete first steps. That's a fantastic breakdown for a creative professional. What about someone in the service industry like a business coach or a consultant? They sell their expertise and their time and the personal connection is everything.
[00:08:34] Speaker A: And hopefully we've made it all feel a lot less scary and a lot more achievable. If you're listening to this and feeling inspired but maybe still a bit overwhelmed about where to start, that is exactly why we created the hello llc. We specialize in building simple, practical AI roadmaps for small businesses to help them cut through the chaos. That's a perfect area to discuss because it highlights a different side of AI for a coach or consultant. AI can become an incredible administrative and content partner. Imagine you you've just finished a great coaching call. You can use an AI tool to transcribe the call, summarize the key takeaways, and even draft a follow up email to the client with action items. This used to take 30 minutes of admin work per call. Now it can be done in two.
[00:09:21] Speaker B: We'd love to help you get started on your journey.
[00:09:24] Speaker A: Follow us and book your free AI audit review at thehellolc IO. Let's see where AI can save you time, money and stress.
[00:09:33] Speaker B: Thanks for tuning in to the AI Edge. We'll see you next time.
