Best AI tools for small businesses to automate workflows

Published

Aug 29, 2024

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As a small business owner, you're constantly juggling multiple responsibilities, from managing finances to overseeing day-to-day operations.

But what if you could streamline your workload and boost productivity without breaking the bank?

Whether you're looking to improve project management or save time on manual HR processes, AI-powered tools can transform the way you tackle everyday tasks, from automating customer service to optimizing marketing campaigns.

In this article, we'll explore how the best AI tools can help your small business become more efficient, highlighting top software that can save you time and money.

How to use AI for small business

Artificial intelligence isn't just for tech giants; AI tools are also a game-changer for small businesses across various teams. With AI software, you can automate routine tasks and get data-driven insights, based on which you will be able to make more informed business decisions and compete effectively with larger companies.

Let's explore five key ways small businesses can use the power of AI:

Marketing campaigns

AI revolutionizes how small businesses approach marketing. Since they usually work with limited budgets (and staff), SMBs can save time and money by automating as many marketing tasks as possible.

Generative AI tools can help with analyzing customer data for creating personalized campaigns that will resonate with their target audience.

AI can also automate tasks like content creation (especially writing), social media posting, and email marketing, allowing you to reach more customers with less effort.

For example, AI tools can:

Generate text for ad copy and social media posts
Suggest optimal posting times
Coordinate multi-channel marketing campaigns, scheduling and delivering content across email, social, and website
Monitor online reviews, social media, and other sources to detect customer sentiment and proactively address any issues
Leverage historical data to predict the likely outcomes of different marketing strategies and campaign scenarios

Project management

AI-powered project management tools streamline workflows across departments and boost team productivity by allowing teams to focus on tasks that require strategy and human experience.

These solutions can:

Automate task assignments
Send reminders
Track progress
Analyze past project data to provide more accurate time and resource estimates
Automatically prioritize tasks based on importance and deadlines
Optimize project schedules by considering dependencies, deadlines, and resource constraints

Many project management tools today that use AI can integrate with messaging, file-sharing, video conferencing, and other commonly used tools, which can streamline remote collaboration, enabling efficiency in both synchronous and asynchronous communication.

Inventory management

For small companies dealing with physical products, AI can change the game for inventory management. In this aspect of business, AI tools use predictive analytics to optimize stock levels, reduce waste, and help businesses carry the right products on hand.

AI inventory management systems are able to:

Automatically reorder supplies when stock runs low
Predict seasonal demand fluctuations
Suggest optimal pricing strategies based on market trends and competitor analysis
Monitor inventory data and transactions to identify anomalies
Automate tasks like picking, packing, and routing
Provide real-time visibility into stock levels, locations, and movements across multiple locations or sales channels

Customer support

AI-powered customer support tools enable small businesses to provide 24/7 assistance without the need for a large support team. This may improve customer relationships with your business, according to 64% of business owners participating in a Forbes study.

AI solutions can handle routine inquiries, freeing up your staff to focus on more complex issues, especially if you use chatbots. AI chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, guide customers through troubleshooting processes, and even process simple transactions, all while learning from each interaction to improve future responses.

Customer support AI tools can also:

Analyze customer interactions to detect frustrations or pain points
Improve the company's knowledge base
Automatically route customer inquiries to the most appropriate support agent
Suggest relevant products, services, or content based on a customer's history and preferences
Send automated follow-up communications to ensure customer issues are resolved

HR & payroll management

Almost 60% of small businesses still run HR tasks, like recruiting or payroll, manually using spreadsheets and paper docs. AI solutions can help make these processes faster, less prone to errors, more efficient, and scalable, allowing SMBs to streamline the hiring process, automate payroll calculations, and improve employee engagement.

For example, AI-powered HR tools can:

Generate customized job descriptions and postings to attract the right candidates
Screen resumes to identify top candidates
Schedule interviews automatically
Automatically enroll new hires into corresponding employee benefits
Analyze employee performance data to identify top performers
Automate onboarding workflows to ensure a seamless new hire experience

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Top 10 AI tools for small businesses

Now, doesn't automating and accelerating all these processes sound appealing? You could benefit from getting a few hours per day back while your small business runs as smoothly as ever. We've compiled a list of 10 excellent AI tools to start building your AI toolkit with. Take a look at what you can use them for:

1. Shopify

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows small businesses to create and manage an online store. It can help you automate several aspects of running an online store, including:

Building and customizing an online storefront
Handling product listings, inventory management, and order processing
Integrating with payment gateways and shipping providers
Generating reports and analytics on sales and customer behavior

Shopify provides a user-friendly, drag-and-drop website builder that allows even non-technical users to create a professional-looking online store with minimal effort. Key Shopify features you may appreciate include:

Drag-and-drop website builder
Secure online shopping cart and checkout
Inventory management and order fulfillment
Integrations with popular marketing and accounting tools
Customizable themes and advanced customization options
Mobile-optimized design and mobile app

2. Otter.ai

Otter.ai is an AI-powered transcription and note-taking service. Using this platform, you can automate the process of transcribing audio recordings, such as:

Meetings
Interviews
Lectures
Podcasts

Automated transcriptions can save hours of time and facilitate many other tasks, like content creation and repurposing, for instance. Here are some handy features Otter.ai boasts:

Real-time transcription with high accuracy
Automated speaker identification
Ability to search transcripts and highlight key points
Integration with video conferencing and messaging apps
Mobile apps for iOS and Android
Collaborative features for sharing and editing transcripts

3. Grammarly

Grammarly is a well-known AI-powered assistant that helps users improve their writing. It automates the process of proofreading and editing written content, such as:

Email
Documents
Blog posts
Social media posts

Grammarly is a great ally in making sure a typo doesn't ruin your online reputation and makes sure your brand voice is consistent across teams. You'll find useful the following features:

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation checking
Vocabulary enhancement suggestions
Tone and clarity analysis
Citation and plagiarism detection
Browser extensions and mobile keyboard
Team collaboration and document sharing

4. HubSpot

HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing, sales, and customer service platform. This robust tool automates various aspects of lead generation, sales, and customer relationship management, such as:

Creating and managing a website and blog
Automating email marketing campaigns
Tracking and nurturing leads
Managing a sales pipeline
Providing customer service and support

HubSpot has a starter plan idea for small businesses and startups, which offers basic functionalities you will find useful:

Inbound marketing tools (SEO, content management, lead capture)
Sales CRM and pipeline management
Customer service and ticketing system
Reporting and analytics dashboard
Integration with various third-party apps

5. Mailmodo

Mailmodo is an email marketing automation platform that automates the process of creating, sending, and analyzing email marketing campaigns, such as:

Designing and building email templates
Segmenting and targeting email lists
Scheduling and sending email campaigns
Tracking email performance and engagement

If you're planning to implement an email marketing strategy to promote your business, you will surely find these features useful:

Drag-and-drop email builder
AI subject line generator
Audience segmentation and personalization
Automated email workflows and triggered campaigns
Real-time analytics and reporting
Integration with popular CRM and e-commerce platforms

6. NotionAI

NotionAI is a popular AI-powered workspace and productivity tool. It automates various aspects of task management, project planning, and content creation, such as:

Creating and organizing notes, documents, and databases
Automating repetitive workflows and processes
Generating summaries, outlines, and written content
Providing intelligent recommendations and insights

Notion isversatile and can help your small business in various segments with great functionalities:

Customizable and flexible workspace
10,000+ templates for different types of projects
AI-powered writing assistance and content generation
Automated task and project management
Real-time collaboration and sharing
Integration with various apps and services

7. ChatGPT

ChatGPT is the most popular large language model (LLM) trained by Anthropic to engage in conversational tasks. It can assist with a wide range of tasks, including:

Answering questions and providing information
Generating text (articles, stories, emails, code)
Providing analysis and insights
Brainstorming and ideation
Providing task-specific assistance (writing, research, coding)

With some training about your business, ChatGPT can turn into a great assistant helping you with various aspects of your business. You'll appreciate the following functionalities:

Natural language understanding and generation
Ability to engage in open-ended dialogue
Knowledge spanning a wide range of topics
Contextual awareness and memory
Customizable tone and personality
Support for multiple languages (English, Spanish, Japanese, French, German, etc.)

8. DALL·E 2

DALL·E 2 is an image-generation AI system developed by OpenAI that can build realistic visuals from textual descriptions. This AI tool automates the process of creating images, such as:

Generating custom illustrations and graphics
Editing and manipulating existing images
Producing product mockups and visualizations
Creating unique artwork and design elements

DALL·E 2 can produce highly imaginative and original images that go beyond simple literal translations of the text, which is impressive for AI. Here are some of its key features:

Ability to generate high-quality images from text prompts
Wide range of image styles and genres
Flexible image editing and manipulation capabilities
Consistent and predictable outputs
Incorporation of user feedback for improved results

9. ManyChat

ManyChat is a conversational marketing platform that allows businesses to create and manage chatbots across different platforms and tools, such as social networks like Instagram and Facebook. The tool automates various customer engagement and communication tasks, such as:

Automated customer service and support
Lead generation and nurturing
Personalized marketing campaigns
Automated content delivery

ManyChat can also integrate with various e-commerce platforms, which helps small businesses drive sales and handle customer communications more efficiently. Here are a few ManyChat features a small business would benefit from:

Drag-and-drop, no-code chatbot builder
Integrations with popular messaging platforms (Facebook Messenger) and email automation tools
Audience segmentation and personalization
Advanced conversational flows and automation
Analytics and performance tracking

10. Storydoc

Storydoc is an AI-powered presentation builder that helps businesses create interactive and persuasive slide decks. This AI tool automates the process of designing and optimizing presentation slides, such as:

Building professional slide templates
Generating data visualizations and infographics
Optimizing slides for maximum impact and conversion
Collaborating on presentations with team members

Storydoc helps users create more engaging pitch decks, proposals, and one-pagers, with features like:

AI-powered slide design and layout suggestions
Automatic data visualization creation
Presentation performance analytics and optimization
Multimedia integration (videos, images, GIFs)
Real-time collaboration and version control
Integrations with popular productivity tools

What to look for in AI solutions for small businesses

Now, with so many AI tools available on the market, and new solutions emerging almost daily, you may be wondering how to make the right choice and pick a great tool for your small business.

Here are a few aspects you should consider:

Ease of use

The AI solution should be intuitive and user-friendly, requiring minimal technical expertise from your team. Look for platforms with straightforward interfaces, natural language processing capabilities, and guided setup wizards to help you hit the ground running.

Integrations

Easy integration with your existing business systems, such as CRM, accounting, or project management software, is crucial. This will allow the AI tool to access the data it needs to deliver maximum value, avoid siloed operations, and cause minimal disruptions to your workflows while you're setting up.

Cost and return on investment (ROI)

Evaluate the available pricing models and overall cost of the AI solution, keeping an eye on both the upfront and long-term expenses. Assess the potential ROI in terms of increased efficiency, reduced errors, and improved customer satisfaction to make sure your investment is worth it.

Scalability

Your team may be small now, but who knows what the future holds! As your business grows, the AI tool should be able to scale its capabilities to meet your evolving needs. Look for flexible solutions that can adapt to changes in your workflow, team size, or transaction volume.

Data privacy and security

Ensure the AI tool is compliant with data privacy and security standards (both local and around the world, if you start hiring globally), particularly if it will be handling sensitive customer or financial information. This will help you maintain compliance and protect your business from potential data breaches.

Small business-specific features

Some AI solutions may offer features designed specifically for the needs of small businesses, such as pre-built templates, industry-specific integrations, or simplified reporting dashboards. These specialized capabilities can make the transition to AI-powered workflows even smoother.

AI, automation, and the future of business

The expansion of AI-powered tools has democratized access to advanced technologies, empowering small businesses to compete more effectively with larger companies. AI solutions, used strategically, can help small business owners drive greater efficiency, improve decision-making, and ultimately, gain a competitive edge in their respective markets.

And if you’re interested in supercharging your operations with time-saving automations? Rippling's HR platform helps you handle a wide range of HR-related tasks, such as onboarding, payroll, benefits administration, and compliance management. By automating these critical HR functions, small businesses can free up time and resources to focus on their core operations and growth strategies.

AI tools for small businesses FAQs

How can AI tools benefit a small business?

AI tools can help small businesses streamline operations, improve efficiency, and gain a competitive edge. When you automate repetitive tasks, optimize workflows, and have access to data-driven insights, you can use AI solutions to save time and resources while improving the customer experience.

Can I integrate AI tools with Rippling?

Yes, Rippling's platform is designed to seamlessly integrate with a number of AI tools that can help small businesses leverage the power of AI across their HR, payroll, IT, and other core business functions while maintaining a centralized, unified system to manage their global workforce.

What AI tools can be integrated with Rippling's platform?

Rippling's open API enables integration with a wide range of AI-powered software, including HR automation tools, project management platforms, inventory management systems, and customer support chatbots. Small businesses can choose the AI tools that best fit their unique needs and workflows.

How much do AI tools for small businesses typically cost?

The cost of AI tools for small businesses can vary depending on the specific solutions and the level of customization required. You may even benefit from free AI tools, although they usually have limited capabilities. The most affordable project management tools, for example, can be as little as $5-$15 per user per month.

Can AI do bookkeeping?

Yes, AI can be used for streamlining certain bookkeeping tasks. Automation and machine learning algorithms can handle activities like invoice processing, expense tracking, financial reporting, and even tax preparation.

Automate payroll and HR busywork