Tuesday Tips - Small Business Owners AI - Artificial Intelligence - 7 Tips

Stuart Ashley
Sep 23
3 min read

Use AI with clarity, not randomness. A practical guide to integrating AI into your business without losing your personality.

Introduction

AI is no longer just for tech giants, it’s being used in the everyday workflows of small business owners, consultants, and creatives. But with so many tools, buzzwords, and promises flying around, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed.

This guide is for the grounded entrepreneur who wants to use AI with purpose. Not to replace their voice, but to amplify it. Not to chase trends, but to solve real problems.

The Problem

Most small business owners fall into one of two traps:

Trap 1: Avoidance. AI feels too complex, too risky, or too impersonal so they ignore it altogether.
Trap 2: Overuse. They dive in without a clear strategy, hoping AI will “do it all,” and end up with robotic content, messy workflows, or wasted time.

Both lead to frustration. And neither helps you grow your business with clarity or confidence.

The Simple Fix

Use AI like a collaborator, not a crutch. This 7-step checklist helps you:

Define your goals
Choose the right tools
Start small and iterate
Train AI to reflect your tone and values
Review outputs with care
Keep your personality intact
Build AI into your workflow with consistency

It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being present and focused.

The Results

When you follow this checklist, you’ll start to see:

🕒 Time saved on repetitive tasks
✍️ Content that feels like you, not a bot
💡 Smarter decisions with less mental load
📣 Messaging that’s clearer, faster, and more consistent
🔄 A workflow that supports, not replaces your creativity

Why It Works

AI is only as good as the prompts, context, and clarity you give it. This checklist flips the script: instead of asking AI to “do everything,” you guide it with your expertise, tone, and goals.

That’s when AI becomes useful. That’s when it supports your business, not distracts from it.

Quick Action Checklist

Here’s your go-to guide for using AI with clarity and confidence:

1. Clarify Your Goal - What problem are you solving? Be specific. Are you writing faster, improving messaging, or streamlining admin?

2. Pick the Right Tool - Match your task,content, admin, insights to the AI that fits. Don’t chase features; solve problems.

Tools you might explore:

• NotebookLM – great for summarising and querying your own documents

• ChatGPT / Copilot – versatile for writing, brainstorming, and refining ideas

• Jasper – geared toward marketing and content creation

• Otter.ai – useful for transcribing meetings and notes

(Note: These are examples, not official endorsements. Always test what works for you.)

3. Start Small, Test Fast - Try one use case (e.g. email draft, caption, summary). Refine your prompt. Learn what works.

4. Train It Your Way - Feed it your tone, values, and examples. AI learns best with context, give it yours.

5. Check for Clarity & Accuracy - Always review outputs. AI is smart, but not flawless. Make sure it sounds like you.

6. Save Time, Not Personality - Use AI to streamline, not to sound robotic. Your voice is your brand, so protect it.

7. Build It Into Your Workflow - Make AI a habit - daily, weekly, or launch-based. Consistency builds confidence.

🧠 What is NotebookLM?

NotebookLM is an AI-powered research assistant by Google, designed to help you work with your own content. Instead of searching the web, it focuses on the documents you upload, making it ideal for founders, consultants, and creatives juggling notes, strategy decks, client briefs, or planning docs.

💡 Key Benefits for Small Business Owners

Ask questions directly from your own documents No need to scroll or search manually, just ask, and it pulls answers from your uploaded files.
Get smart summaries and source citations Perfect for distilling long notes, meeting transcripts, or strategy docs into something usable.
Keep everything in one place Organise your research, ideas, and insights without jumping between tools.
Context-aware responses Because it’s trained on your content, the answers feel more relevant and grounded.

📥 Free Download Available

Want to keep this checklist close? Grab the free PDF version below, perfect for your desk, your team, or your next strategy session.

⚠️ A Quick Note

I’m not officially recommending NotebookLM or any specific tool, just sharing what I’ve found useful. Always test what works for you, your workflow, and your values.