Basic Steps to Use AI in Your Business
Written By: Frank Saulsbery
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A SNEAK PEEK…
“If you’re not quite sure where AI fits in your business yet, that’s okay. Start small, ask good questions, and take one step at a time.“
Maybe someone on your team says, “Hey, I’ve been using AI to help write emails a little faster,” or “I saw a demo that can clean up spreadsheets in seconds.” Before you know it, a couple of people are experimenting with different tools, and then the question lands on your desk, should we be doing more with this?
And if you’re like most business owners I talk to, there’s a mix of curiosity and concern. You don’t want to fall behind, but you also don’t want to open the door to something you don’t fully understand yet, and that’s a healthy place to be.
Here’s the reality, AI is quickly becoming a normal part of how businesses operate. It’s not a fad, and it’s not going away. Over time, companies that use it thoughtfully are going to gain efficiency, speed, and in some cases a real competitive edge. But that doesn’t mean the right move is to jump in headfirst and let everyone figure it out on their own.
In fact, that’s usually where problems start. A better approach is to treat AI like any other business tool you’ve ever introduced. You wouldn’t roll out new accounting software without some planning, and the same logic applies here.
The first thing I always encourage business owners to look at is whether there are any rules that apply to them. If you’re in financial services, healthcare, legal, or any area that deals with sensitive information, you may have restrictions on how data can be used or shared. Some AI tools send information outside your organization, and that matters. It’s worth taking a few minutes to understand what you can and cannot do before you go any further.
Once you’re comfortable there, the next step is surprisingly simple. Don’t try to change everything, just look for two or three small areas where AI could save time without creating risk. Usually, this means tasks your team already does that are repetitive or time consuming. Things like reviewing reports, searching through data, cleaning up spreadsheets, drafting routine emails, or summarizing information. These are the kinds of tasks that tend to eat up hours but don’t carry a lot of risk if something needs to be adjusted.
At that point, it becomes important to set some guardrails. One of the biggest mistakes I see is businesses letting employees pick whatever free tool they find online. It sounds harmless, but it can lead to inconsistent results, security concerns, and data being shared in ways you didn’t intend. Instead, take a little time as a leadership team to decide what’s acceptable, which tools are allowed? What kind of information can be entered? Where should people be cautious? These don’t have to be complex policies, but they do need to exist.
After that, you can start looking at the tools themselves. This is where a little research goes a long way. Some AI products are designed for individuals, while others are built for businesses with better controls, support, and privacy options. You can do some basic research on your own, or it may make sense to bring in someone who has worked with these tools before and can help you sort through the options.
As you evaluate them, keep it practical. What does it cost? How much time will it actually save? How difficult is it to train your team? If something saves five minutes a week, it may not be worth the effort. If it saves five hours, now you have something worth paying attention to.
And here’s a step that often gets skipped but really shouldn’t. Don’t roll it out to everyone right away. Pick a small group of people who are comfortable with technology or genuinely interested in trying something new. Let them use it for a few weeks, see what works and what doesn’t. Have honest conversations about whether it’s actually helping or just adding complexity. It’s much easier to adjust early on than it is after the entire company has already formed habits around it.
Once you feel confident in the results, you can expand from there and start exploring more advanced ways to use it. At the end of the day, AI doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You don’t need to be first, and you don’t need to use it everywhere. You just need to be intentional about where it fits and how it’s used.
A simple question to think about is this. If your team could get back a few hours each week by automating small tasks, what would you want them focusing on instead?
If you’re not quite sure where AI fits in your business yet, that’s okay. Start small, ask good questions, and take one step at a time. You’ll make better decisions that way, and you’ll avoid a lot of the headaches I’ve seen others run into.
That’s how I see it, anyway, and I’d enjoy hearing how you see it. None of this is a sales pitch. It’s just the kind of thing I’d talk through with you if we were sitting across the table. If it raised a question, or you think I have it wrong, I want to hear about it.
My door is always open. Whether you want to talk this through or just say hello, you can reach me anytime.
Network Solutions Unlimited is a generational managed IT services provider based in Decatur, Illinois, serving businesses and nonprofits with genuine support and decades of trusted relationships. Led by Baily Saulsbery and founded by her father Frank, we're not just your IT provider; we're your neighbors who happen to be really good at technology. Contact us today to experience IT support that actually cares.
