AI for small business owners: 10 jobs to hand over this week

If you run a small business, you’re probably the owner, the marketing department, customer service and the accounts team, all before lunch. AI won’t run your business, but it can take a surprising amount of the admin off your plate.

Here are ten jobs to try this week.

1. Replying to customer emails

Here's a customer email: [paste]. Draft a friendly, helpful reply.
Our policy is [e.g. free returns within 30 days]. Sign off as [name].

2. Writing quotes and estimates

Turn this into a clear, professional quote for a customer:
Job: [bathroom refit], Materials: [£x], Labour: [x days at £y],
Timescale: [x], Payment terms: [50% upfront]. Keep it to one page.

3. Social media posts for the month

I run [a dog grooming salon in Harrogate]. Plan 12 social media posts
for next month: a mix of tips, behind-the-scenes and offers. Friendly,
local tone. Give me the text for each.

4. Replying to reviews

Write a gracious reply to this review. [paste] Thank them, address the
issue honestly, and invite them back. Under 80 words.

5. Chasing late payments

Write a polite but firm reminder for an invoice that's 30 days overdue.
Customer: [name], invoice [number], amount [£x]. Keep it friendly; they
are a good regular customer.

6. Your website “About us”

Interview me with 6 questions about my business, one at a time. Then
write a warm, genuine "About us" page based on my answers.

7. Policies and templates

Draft a simple cancellation policy for [my yoga classes]. Clients must
cancel 24 hours ahead or lose the session. Keep it friendly and clear.

(For anything legally important, like contracts or employment terms, get it checked by a professional.)

8. Making sense of paperwork

Explain what this letter from [HMRC / my supplier] means and what I
need to do: [paste or upload]

9. Brainstorming

Give me 15 low-cost ideas to get more customers into [my bakery] on
quiet weekday afternoons.

10. Planning your week

Here's everything on my plate this week: [list]. Help me prioritise,
and put it into a realistic day-by-day plan.

Make it even better: a business Project

Both ChatGPT and Claude let you create a Project. Set one up called “My Business” and add:

• A short description of your business, customers and tone of voice
• Your prices, policies and FAQs
• A few examples of emails or posts you’re happy with

Now every chat in that Project already “knows” your business. No more explaining from scratch.

A word on data

Don’t paste in customers’ bank details or sensitive personal information. Check your privacy settings (see Is AI safe?), and if you have staff, agree some simple ground rules.

Want your AI to set this up for you?

Our Business Setup Pack interviews you about your business, then builds your whole AI toolkit around it: a Business Brain Project, 25 prompt templates, customer-reply and quote templates, a one-page staff AI policy and a 30-day plan. See the Setup Pack.