If you’re a small business owner, office manager, or entrepreneur, you can improve your company’s performance and much more with the right artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
This article details nine AI-powered tools that can assist with everything from producing effective marketing to boosting online security.
We’ll start with one that you’re most probably already familiar with.
#1 Supercharge Your Customer Service With Chatbots
Since most consumers do their comparison shopping online, adding an AI-powered chatbot to your website can help you stand out.
These digital assistants handle routine customer inquiries 24/7 and can transfer visitors to your staff for additional assistance.
Many chatbot providers will help you create a custom chatbot. It’ll share specifically crafted messages and interactions, share content, and even schedule a meeting.
#2 Optimize Your Inventory Management
Keeping your inventory at the ideal level can be difficult, so you won’t have to worry about running out of popular items or having an overflowing warehouse.
AI that specializes in inventory management and can analyze sales patterns, predict demand, and automatically adjust your inventory levels. This means lower storage costs and happier customers.
Industry-specific AI systems are available. For example, If you’re in the grocery supply business, you’ll want to choose specialized tools that help you reduce food waste while providing the freshest items.
#3 Streamline Your Hiring Process
Sifting through resumes can take time and effort. However, you don’t want to make the best candidates wait too long for a response.
The right AI tool can do the heavy lifting, making faster, fairer hiring decisions while providing candidates with a convenient way to interact with your HR department.
AI-powered applications like HireVue can match candidates to job requirements, conduct skills testing, and even conduct initial interviews.
#4 Boost Your Marketing Game
From analyzing customer data to personalizing content, AI can help you target the right audience with the right message at the right time. It can even predict future trends, helping you stay ahead of the curve.
Generational AI that specializes in marketing content, Jasper can help with everything from drafting brand-savvy ad content to suggesting suitable graphics.
If you manage a retail business that sells 100% online, AI tools like Persado can help you with everything from welcoming new customers to reeling in those who abandoned their carts before checkout.
#5 Improve Your Cybersecurity
AI tools monitor your networks 24/7, detecting and responding to threats in real-time. They can even predict potential vulnerabilities before they’re exploited.
The best cybersecurity tools, such as Darktrace, protect your business and staff across the board, from internal networks to email to cloud storage.
Another great emerging type of AI tool is an AI detector, which can detect automatically generated content
#6 Streamline Your Financial Processes
AI can revolutionize your company’s financial operations from everyday bookkeeping to fraud detection. It can automate data entry, reconcile accounts, and even flag suspicious transactions.
If you’re still in startup mode, you may prefer AI tools that specialize in small businesses, such as Xero. In addition to connectivity with your bank, you’ll have access to over 1000 apps in the Xero App Store to personalize and streamline tasks.
#7 Improve Your Product Development
Customer feedback and online reviews are helpful in some ways but rarely help you with product development.
AI can analyze market trends, customer feedback, and competitor data to help you develop innovative, top-selling products. Some can simulate product performance, reducing the need for costly prototypes.
Basic AI tools for product development can make it easier for you and your team to share ideas. Or you may prefer to check out highly specialized AI apps like Airfocus.
#8 Optimize Your Supply Chain
An AI tool’s analysis algorithms can identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, optimize routes, and negotiate with suppliers.
Some supply chain AI, such as Aquatio and Logility, offer demos to judge its suitability to your products and management habits.
#9 Personalize the Customer Experience
When you gain insight into your customers’ needs, you’ll understand their buying motivation. AI tools analyze their site visits and purchases to help you deliver a tailored experience.
Two AI systems to consider:
- Dynamic Yield and its Experience OS product; and
- Help Scout, which assists your customers and your service staff.
By automating various tasks and providing data-driven insights, AI frees up your team to focus on what we humans do best: creative problem-solving, relationship-building, and strategic thinking.
