Small business, big gains: how AI can save you hours a week

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just the domain of Silicon Valley giants anymore. Once a complex, costly technology reserved for big tech, AI for small businesses is now affordable, easy to use and available at the click of a button. 

For time-poor Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) juggling admin, customer service, marketing and finance, every saved minute counts. The question isn’t whether artificial intelligence is already available in your industry, it’s how can AI help my business every day?

The answer? By empowering SMEs to compete with larger firms on speed, service and efficiency, without adding more staff or working longer hours.This isn’t about hype or futuristic robots. It’s about practical tools that help you do more with less, so you can focus on growth, customer relationships and what you do best. 

Here, we’ll break down why artificial intelligence is now within reach for SMEs, the tasks it can take off your plate and how to start seeing results in days, not months.

Why AI is now within reach for SMEs

Not long ago, AI for small businesses felt out of reach. It required specialist teams, custom development and expensive infrastructure. But the landscape has changed and artificial intelligence is more accessible than ever. And yes, SMEs can take advantage of it too. 

This shift has helped to level the playing field and SMEs can now tap into the same innovative tech that once gave larger companies a competitive advantage. Essentially, AI powers HR and helps SMEs compete with large enterprises. 

But what has caused the shift? 

• Cost: The cost of artificial intelligence has dropped significantly. Now there are free versions and affordable subscription models, making it more financially feasible for SMEs. 
• Usability: Artificial intelligence is no longer about coding complex systems, instead many solutions work straight out of the box. This means no development team is required for set up or monitoring. 
• Integration: AI for SMEs needs to be practical and integrate with existing platforms. The development of tools that can work alongside your existing tech stack is a game changer for SMEs.

How can AI help my business?

AI for small businesses is a game changer, but knowing where to start implementing it can be challenging. Here are some ways you, as a small business, can start integrating artificial intelligence. 

Automate low-value, repetitive tasks

Small business owners spend a surprising amount of time on routine admin. AI can remove this burden so you can focus on high-value work.

• Use ChatGPT to draft emails, proposals or meeting agendas.
• Schedule posts and generate captions with Canva Magic Write or Buffer AI.
• Streamline and amplify payroll processes with Employment Hero. 

Functions impacted: Admin, Marketing, HR

Example AI prompts:

• “Draft a professional email to a supplier requesting updated pricing for Q4.”
• “Create a week’s worth of Instagram captions for a bakery launching a new product.”
• “Generate a meeting agenda for a monthly team catch-up.”

Reduce response time to customers

Customer expectations are higher than ever, so ensuring you’re giving your customers the best experience possible is essential. 

• Use Tidio or Intercom AI chatbots to respond instantly to FAQs.
• Implement AI-powered helpdesk routing to get queries to the right person faster.
• Translate responses in real time for international customers with DeepL or Google Translate AI.

Functions impacted: Customer Service, Sales.

Example AI prompts:

• “Write a friendly automated response to common shipping delay questions.”
• “Summarise this customer request and assign it to the right support category.”
• “Translate this support email into Spanish while keeping the tone polite and professional.”

Improve decision-making with data

Good decisions require good information and AI can surface insights in seconds.

• Use Google Analytics Intelligence to spot trends in your website traffic.
• Get AI-powered sales forecasts from tools like Pipedrive Insights.
• Run instant cash flow predictions with Fathom or Float.

Functions impacted: Finance, Marketing, Sales Strategy.

Example AI prompts:

• “Summarise the top three traffic sources driving conversions on my website.”
• “Forecast next quarter’s sales based on the last 12 months of performance.”
• “Generate a simple report on projected cash flow for the next six months.”

Streamline back-office processes

AI can take on the behind-the-scenes work that keeps your business running smoothly.

• Automate payroll and compliance checks with Employment Hero’s AI features.
• Manage leave and perks with Employment Hero. 

Functions impacted: Finance, HR, Operations.

Example AI prompts:

• “Check this employee leave request against company policy and flag any issues.”
• “Generate a payroll compliance checklist for a business with 20 employees.”
• “Summarise this month’s employee leave trends for HR reporting.”

Five AI tools that save SMEs time

Running an SME means every minute counts, and that’s exactly where AI can make a real difference. And according to our latest research, Work That Works businesses that have implemented AI are 50% more likely to feel prepared for the next 2-3 years ahead. We also discovered that in businesses where productivity has increased over the past 12 months, the number 1 reason is because of tech advancements. 

But with so many AI productivity tools out there, it’s hard to know the best ones to get started with and the ones that are most likely to move the needle for your business. To help you out, we’ve rounded up five that help business owners and teams claw back hours each week.

1. Employment Hero

We couldn’t have a list of AI for small business tools without mentioning Employment Hero, could we? Our Employment Operating System takes the traditional isolated elements of employment and puts them in one place, making it easy for businesses to manage their HR and payroll functions. But the platform also takes advantage of artificial intelligence to supercharge processes. 

How it saves time:

• Instantly generate policies and documents instead of starting from scratch.
• Automate onboarding workflows, so new hires are ready faster.
• Manage HR, payroll and compliance in one system rather than juggling multiple platforms.
• Use dashboards to see workforce insights at a glance.
• Give employees self-service access guided by AI, freeing up managers’ time.

By consolidating multiple admin-heavy tasks into one AI-powered platform, Employment Hero frees SMEs from hours of manual HR and payroll work each week.

2. OpenAI’s ChatGPT

ChatGPT is one of the simplest ways to save time across everyday tasks. Even on the free plan, it can help SMEs quickly find information, summarise data, draft content or brainstorm ideas without needing to spend hours researching or writing.

How it saves time:

• Quickly search the web and surface up-to-date answers.
• Analyse spreadsheets or reports instead of manually crunching numbers.
• Summarise and extract insights from files and images.
• Skip repetitive writing tasks by leveraging public custom GPTs.
• Generate images without needing external design tools.

By automating research, analysis and content creation, ChatGPT turns time-intensive work into quick, efficient outputs.

3. Google’s Gemini

If your SME already uses Google Workspace, Gemini is a natural time-saver. Integrated into Docs, Sheets, Gmail and more, it helps speed up everyday workflows without needing to switch between apps.

How it saves time:

• Draft, edit or summarise content directly in Docs instead of starting from a blank page.
• Instantly analyse and visualise data in Sheets rather than manually formatting.
• Pull the latest insights directly into your workflow from Google Search.
• Generate images or use mobile access for quick outputs on the go.
• Build repeatable “Gems” that automate repetitive tasks.

With Gemini built into the Google tools SMEs already use daily, it cuts out wasted time switching between apps and reduces repetitive manual work.

4. Asana 

Asana has quietly baked AI into project management, helping SMEs keep projects on track without micromanaging. Instead of manually building plans or checking progress, AI does the heavy lifting.

How it saves time:

• Automatically generate timelines and project plans.
• Spot risks before they become time-consuming issues.
• Search across projects in plain language rather than clicking through boards.
• Summarise updates instantly, replacing hours of status-report writing.

By streamlining planning and reporting, Asana helps SMEs reclaim valuable time that would otherwise be lost to admin-heavy project management.

5. Clockwise 

For SMEs where meetings and constant context-switching eat into productivity, Clockwise is a lifesaver. It automatically rearranges your schedule to carve out focus time, so teams can get more done in fewer hours.

How it saves time:

• Auto-reschedule meetings to reduce clashes and wasted gaps.
• Protect blocks of deep work without manual calendar shuffling.
• Sync with Slack and calendars to keep everyone aligned.
• Set work preferences (like no-meeting windows) once and letAI enforce them.
• Instantly see how much of your week is spent productively.

By optimising calendars in the background, Clockwise gives SMEs back precious hours of uninterrupted focus each week.

How to get started with AI in your business

Adopting AI doesn’t mean overhauling your entire operation, it’s about starting small and building momentum. Here’s a simple roadmap to begin:

1. Identify your time-wasting tasksLook at your week and pinpoint the repetitive, low-value work eating into your schedule, things like manual reporting, inbox management or scheduling.
2. Trial 1–2 AI toolsChoose solutions that directly target those problem areas. For example, use ChatGPT to draft client emails or Dext to scan and categorise receipts. Start with free trials where possible.
3. Monitor time saved each weekTrack how much faster tasks are completed or how many hours you’ve freed up. Even an extra 3–5 hours a week can have a big impact on business productivity and revenue.

Pro tip: You don’t need to transform your whole business overnight. The smartest AI for small business adoption is incremental, adding one or two tools at a time and expanding as you see results.

Challenges and considerations to be aware of

While AI in HR can deliver big benefits for SMEs, it’s important to remember that it doesn’t come without its challenges.

Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

• Data privacy: Any tool you use will need access to certain information. Make sure you understand what’s being stored, where it’s stored and how it’s protected. Always read the privacy policy before you start.
• Learning curve: Even the most intuitive tools take a little time to set up and use effectively. Build in a short adjustment period so you (and your team) can get comfortable.
• Choosing the right tools: The AI marketplace is growing fast and not every tool will be the right fit. Focus on solutions that solve a specific pain point rather than chasing every new launch.
• Compliance and security: Staying compliant is essential for all businesses, so when introducing artificial intelligence, make sure you adhere to relevant laws and legislation. 

Taking a little extra time to evaluate your options upfront will help you avoid costly mistakes and ensure your AI adoption is both effective and secure.

Future-proof your business with Employment Hero

Artificial intelligence shouldn’t be about chasing the latest tech trend. Instead, the focus should be on unlocking small, everyday wins that future-proof your business. 

You don’t need to be tech-savvy or invest thousands to see results. Start with one tool or process and watch the time savings stack up. 

For HR professionals and business leaders, HR processes can be time consuming and manual. But AI can help to reduce this. Employment Hero’s Employment Operating System (OS) takes the traditional, isolated elements of employment and puts them into one place. From finding and hiring top talent, onboarding, managing complex payroll and more, Employment Hero has you covered.