While Artificial Intelligence (AI) may appear complex, not utilizing this technology leaves you open to competition. For many small business owners using AI is a daunting task. It’s easy to dismiss AI as a sophisticated and alien tool only computer scientists and other experts at huge tech companies can use and understand, but this is incorrect. In actuality, small firms can use AI right now in various ways. Blind computation can help.

While it’s often portrayed as a destabilizing economic force in popular culture, AI is just another technology. As more companies build AI applications, competition and adoption rates improve, lowering costs and making AI more accessible to businesses. Small enterprises contribute for about half of net employment generation and 40% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the U.S. They want their products available to the entrepreneurs who power this vast economic engine.

As AI gains popularity among businesses of all sizes, it becomes increasingly crucial for your small business to leverage this innovative technology. Here are five ways:

1. Use AI to Collect and Analyze Data

According to a recent Qualtrics study of 250 marketing directors, 96% predict AI to handle repetitive research activities like data cleaning within five years. 63% believe AI will replace statistical analysis within a decade.

These changes aren’t just happening in marketing. While AI is crucial for major corporations with access to massive amounts of consumer data, it is equally vital for small firms with little data. While hiring an analytics firm or full-time data scientist used to be prohibitively expensive for small firms, AI has made advanced approaches like statistical regression analysis accessible and straightforward.

Small businesses can learn more about their consumers and find new ones by using advanced statistical techniques. Consider regression analysis, which allows you to connect a wide range of factors and assess their impact on your organization. AI can help you find new market segments and determine what keeps people coming back to your firm.

AI has also enabled tiny enterprises to acquire large amounts of data. From sentiment analysis to machine learning algorithms that track consumer preferences and behaviors , businesses of all sizes may now gather valuable data. For example, companies like Facebook allow busineses of all sizes to utilize chatbots that employ machine learning.

2. AI-Powered Hiring

Small firms confront distinct obstacles in attracting top personnel. Large companies have more resources and name recognition. They also have specialized HR departments that know how to speed up the onboarding process for qualified candidates. How can a tiny business compete with such talent-sucking machines?

AI equalizes the hiring game. Recruiters no longer have to manually go through massive amounts of resumes and hope for the best. For example, machine learning algorithms can determine the most effective historical hiring strategies, such as where and how to find candidates. In addition, AI technologies can tell recruiters about a candidate’s work history and suitability for a certain post. These are all approaches to scale your hiring operation to compete with larger organizations.

3. Use AI to Streamline Backend Operations

Some say AI will replace employment, but it’s better to think of it as a technology that replaces duties. This includes basic accounting, scheduling, and other sorts of day-to-day organization. Because small firms have a limited number of staff, automating time-consuming tasks like these is critical to maximizing human capital. Most employees welcome technology that can automate mundane activities and free up time for more important work. 

4. Use AI to Better Service Customers

Customer interaction has never been easier. The development of internet communication channels paired with consumers expecting greater interaction than ever means firms must find innovative ways to promptly answer customer issues. Virtual customer assistant or chatbot technology is being integrated across engagement channels.

Small firms can profit from chatbots and other AI-based communication. Small businesses can’t afford to pay operators to answer calls or emails 24 hours a day, seven days a week. AI-powered chatbots instantly assist consumers and answer inquiries from potential customers, allowing small businesses to both improve customer experiences and attract new revenue.

5. Create an AIPowered Marketing Platform

According to a survey, 93% of marketing researchers believe AI would benefit their sector. From automating mundane jobs like data preparation and advanced data analysis, AI is revolutionizing marketing.

This is true for both small and large firms. Small businesses used to be limited to whatever local marketing they could afford, but today they can reach a global audience online. They can leverage AI-based advertising platforms developed by big businesses like Facebook and Google to target individual consumers. They may gather and evaluate data from different sources, and they can do it all without a marketing force.