We’ve seen more progress in the past 3 years in the area of automation and AI than we did in the previous 30 years. It’s expected that the rate of progress will continue to accelerate.
As a result, the business landscape is rapidly being transformed. Small businesses are not excluded from this. In the coming years, automation and AI will continue to have a significant impact on small businesses.
Here’s What You Need To Know As A Small Business Owner
- This Isn’t A Shiny Thing or Distraction
Many small business owners have been taking a “Sit back and watch,” or “Sit back and ignore,” attitude. There are a lot of reasons behind this attitude. The primary one is the notion that this may simply be just a new toy that will be useless in no time.
As much as the internet didn’t go away in spite of naysayers, the same is true of automation and AI. The capabilities for each are expanding ever more rapidly, and it’s only a matter of time before it is an incorporated part of human life.
- These Changes Are Good
One of the biggest pains most small business owners we speak to have are the sheer number of hours they spend working in their business. Automation and AI can free up time by serving a variety of roles. Small business owners can spend more of the time they do work on more strategic activities that drive growth and profitability.
In a world where the “winner” often can provide the fastest response and service to customers, it allows the playing field to be leveled for small businesses without incurring tremendous ongoing overhead.
It aids in speed to implementation. We’re finding that things that took weeks or months to research and prepare can now be accomplished in mere hours.
Both automation and AI can remove many of the bottlenecks that businesses of all sizes face in scaling.
- New Skills and Training Needs
As automation and AI become more prevalent, small business owners will need to develop new skills and invest in training for themselves and their employees. This may include learning how to work with new technologies, analyzing data, and developing new marketing and sales strategies. - Business Models Are Evolving
Automation and AI are also changing the way small businesses operate. With the rise of e-commerce and digital platforms, small business owners are now able to reach customers in new and innovative ways. In addition, automation and AI are enabling small businesses to adopt new business models, such as subscription-based services and on-demand marketplaces. - New Opportunities For Innovation
As automation and AI continue to evolve, they are also creating new opportunities for small business owners to innovate. From developing new products and services to leveraging data analytics to gain insights into customer behavior, small business owners can use automation and AI to drive innovation and stay ahead of the competition.
Automation and AI are set to have a significant impact on small business owners in the coming years. By embracing these technologies and leveraging them to drive growth and innovation, you can stay ahead of the curve and succeed in the changing business landscape.
If you’re interested in learning more about how automation and AI can benefit your small business, we offer consulting and various training resources including our Smarter Automation Accelerator membership.