Two months after ChatGPT's launch, AI tools are on most business owners' agendas. Some have tried them and are enthusiastic. Others are sceptical. Most are wondering the same thing: what is this actually useful for?

Here is an honest assessment: based not on hype, but on what genuinely works in the day-to-day of a small business.

Text production: useful as an aid, not a replacement

ChatGPT and equivalents (GPT-4, Claude, Bard) are useful for:

  • Writing a first draft you then edit and improve
  • Reformulating a text you are unhappy with
  • Generating alternatives for headlines, CTAs and email subject lines
  • Structuring content where you have the ideas but not the architecture
  • Writing emails in a language you do not speak perfectly

They are not useful for replacing expert content. Text that is purely AI-generated without human reworking lacks the insight and authenticity that builds trust, and that Google's Helpful Content Update is already targeting.

Practical tip: Give the AI context. "Write an email to a potential client" produces a weak result. "Write a follow-up email to a small trade business that asked about pricing for a new website two weeks ago but has not responded" produces something far more useful.

Image production: Midjourney and Canva AI

Midjourney generates images from text descriptions and can produce impressive visual concepts quickly. It is useful for:

  • Concept images and moodboards in early design stages
  • Illustrations for blog posts and presentations
  • Variations on visual ideas without a photoshoot

The weakness: text rendering in images is still poor, and writing good prompts takes practice. It is not a tool you master in an hour.

Canva AI is more accessible and integrated into a tool most people already know. Text generation, background removal and image editing have all improved. For SMBs without a designer on the team, this is far more practical than Midjourney.

Transcription and meeting notes

Otter.ai, Fathom and Notta transcribe meetings and generate summaries automatically. For businesses with many client meetings, this is a genuine time-saver.

For meetings in English or for internal use, quality is now good enough to be useful.

Code writing: GitHub Copilot

For teams with developers, GitHub Copilot is a documented productivity boost. Studies show developers using Copilot complete tasks approximately 55 percent faster.

For SMBs without a technical team this is not relevant, but if someone on the team writes code, Copilot is worth trying.

What is not worth time yet?

  • Fully automated content systems that publish AI-generated content without human review. Save yourself the Google problems.
  • AI chatbots for customer service without proper training and human backup. A bad chatbot is worse than no chatbot.
  • AI-generated ad campaigns without strategic oversight. The tools are promising but output quality varies widely.

The practical conclusion

AI tools are best when they save time on tasks you already do, not when they replace thinking and professional judgement.

Best starting point for most SMBs: ChatGPT for writing assistance, Canva AI for simple graphics, and either Otter or Fathom if your team has many meetings.

Want to discuss which AI tools actually make sense for your business? Get in touch.