Small-business question
What should happen before I add AI to my business?
By Rick Hesse ·
Short answer
The short answer
Follow one real piece of work from the first request to the final response. Find out who does it, where it stalls, what information is needed, and which decisions belong to a person. Only then give AI a specific job in that process.
Where this fits in a real small business
A customer estimate is a good example. The tool might organize the request or prepare a draft, but the business still needs to know who checks the details and makes the promise.
One useful next step
Choose one repeated task. Ask the people doing it where work gets stuck, and write down what a useful improvement would look like.
The lesson behind this question
How Do You Put AI to Work in a Real Business?
Follow a piece of real business work from request to response. Give AI defined jobs while the owner and team keep judgment and responsibility.
Read the full lesson