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As the CEO of a small business, I often wear several proverbial hats. Over time, I have found some heads filled with big brains to wear those hats for me.
The most recent hat I’ve been wearing is that of artificial intelligence champion, and I’m too excited about it to let go of that role just yet! AI will change the world, but first, it will change business because many of the tools being used are business-to-business, as opposed to business-to-consumer.
I’m confident you already use some of my favorite artificial intelligence (AI) business tools, such as Grammarly, Gemini, Zoom AI Companion, Asana, Hubspot, Calendly, and Adobe. I like the AI applications (apps) I’m using, and I encourage you to give them a try. As much as I’ve embraced AI tools to run my company, I know I can do more, and you can, too.
Below is a partial list of the AI apps I plan to investigate further this year. I won’t use many of them because they may be duplicative or irrelevant to my business, or maybe it just won’t be the right time. But they might be right for your company, so I briefly described each and how your company can implement them. If the implementation portion sometimes sounds a bit salesy, trust your instincts. Since I haven’t demoed these yet, I borrowed some of the companies’ language to help you assess if any of these might be a good fit for you.
Jasper
Tagline: “Tailored AI writing for marketing and beyond.”
Implementation: Jasper helps you quickly create copy for blogs, social posts, and email campaigns. Just provide it with your brand’s tone, keywords and style preferences, and watch as it drafts content in seconds. You can refine these drafts with Jasper’s built-in templates or editing features. Track engagement metrics to see which versions resonate best. Over time, Jasper will adapt to your feedback and act as your virtual marketing assistant.
Copy.ai
Tagline: “High-impact copy, powered by AI.”
Implementation: Copy.ai generates quick, polished text for ads, product listings, or social media. Set up your preferences — tone, style, or audience — and let the AI do the initial writing. Then, refine the best options to match your brand’s voice. Monitor how readers respond to keep improving your prompts. Over time, Copy.ai learns your style, making copy creation faster and more accurate.
Surfer SEO
Tagline: “Data-driven SEO content creation.”
Implementation: Surfer SEO guides you in optimizing web content to rank higher. Plug it into your writing process to see real-time keyword suggestions, ideal article length, and readability tips. Compare your draft to top-performing pages and tweak it accordingly. Track improvements in search rankings and site traffic to see real results. Over time, you’ll fine-tune your strategy and drive more organic visitors.
Lumen5
Tagline: “AI video creation from text content.”
Implementation: Lumen5 turns articles and blog posts into short, eye-catching videos. Paste your text, and it chooses relevant clips, images, and music to match your content. You can edit the layout, tweak colors, and add captions for brand consistency. Share finished videos on social platforms to expand reach. With Lumen5, it’s easy to repurpose written material and keep audiences engaged.
MonkeyLearn
Tagline: “No-code text analysis for smarter insights.”
Implementation: MonkeyLearn helps you understand customer feedback without coding skills. Feed in text from reviews, surveys, or social media, and MonkeyLearn automatically sorts by sentiment or topic. You can then route concerns to the right team or spot trends that need attention. Over time, the platform adapts to your data, giving you quicker insights that help you respond better to customer needs.
Observe.AI
Tagline: “AI-powered contact center insights.”
Implementation: Observe.AI analyzes phone calls in your contact center to uncover agent performance, customer sentiment and frequent questions. Set it up to transcribe each call, then get real-time feedback on how agents are doing. Over time, use these insights to fine-tune scripts and training. Quickly spotting issues can shorten handling times, boost first-call resolutions, and make your customers happier.
Clari
Tagline: “Revenue operations powered by predictive AI.”
Implementation: Clari clarifies to your sales pipeline by analyzing current deals and forecasting outcomes. Connect it to your customer relationship management (CRM) software to spot high-risk opportunities, alert managers, and prioritize the best leads. Align your sales and marketing teams with easy-to-read dashboards showing real-time progress. Over time, this predictive approach helps you plan more accurately, boost accountability, and close deals faster.
People.ai
Tagline: “AI-driven revenue intelligence.”
Implementation: People.ai tracks all your sales activities — calls, emails, and meetings — and ties them to closed deals. Integrate it with your CRM to map out which actions lead to success. Managers get a bird’s-eye view of rep performance, making it easier to coach effectively. Over time, you’ll identify winning habits, streamline your process, and build a more predictable revenue engine.
Tact.ai
Tagline: “Conversational AI for field sales teams.”
Implementation: Tact.ai gives sales reps a natural way to handle CRM data on mobile. After linking it with your existing system, reps can use voice or text to update leads, check appointments, and get meeting reminders. This cuts down on manual data entry and keeps them focused on selling. Over time, Tact.ai recommends next steps, helping your teams work smarter and faster.
Midjourney
Tagline: “AI-generated artwork and design.”
Implementation: Midjourney instantly turns text prompts into unique images. Sign up through Discord, then instruct the AI with specific styles or concepts you need. You’ll get fresh artwork in minutes, whether it’s marketing visuals, social media graphics or product mockups. Adjust prompts if necessary to keep everything on-brand. Midjourney helps you stand out with little effort while saving design time and costs.
Otter.ai
Tagline: “Automatic transcriptions for meetings and interviews.”
Implementation: Otter.ai automatically converts spoken conversations into text so you can focus on discussions, not note-taking. Connect it with Zoom or Teams to record and transcribe in real-time. Share transcripts to keep everyone on the same page and reduce follow-up confusion. Use highlights and tags to review key insights quickly. Over time, Otter.ai builds a searchable library for all your important talks.
AYLIEN
Tagline: “AI for news and content intelligence.”
Implementation: AYLIEN monitors online news, blogs, and social media for mentions of your industry or brand. You can set alerts to track emerging trends and see how people feel about specific topics. Marketing or PR teams can use these insights to adjust strategies, respond to crises, or jump on viral stories. Over time, AYLIEN’s historical data helps you predict market shifts and plans.
Anodot
Tagline: “AI-driven business monitoring.”
Implementation: Anodot monitors key metrics like sales or website traffic and alerts you when something isn’t normal. Connect your data sources, and its AI learns what to expect. If there’s a sudden drop or spike, Anodot sends an alert so your team can react quickly. You can prevent more significant problems and protect your bottom line by catching issues early.
Gainsight
Tagline: “Customer success platform with predictive insights.”
Implementation: Gainsight collects customer data from your CRM and support channels to show who might leave or needs extra attention. You’ll get health scores that highlight problem areas or upselling opportunities. With these insights, your customer success team can act before churn. Gainsight also provides playbooks and forecasting tools, helping you create stronger relationships and maintain steady revenue growth.
Drift
Tagline: “Conversational marketing and sales, powered by AI.”
Implementation: Drift lets you chat with website visitors in real time and gather leads on the spot. Install its code, customize the chatbot’s voice, and guide potential buyers through product questions or demos. If someone’s ready to talk, Drift instantly connects them to a salesperson. Over time, you’ll refine the chatbot’s prompts and see more sales happen right on your site.
Tidio
Tagline: “AI-powered live chat for e-commerce.”
Implementation: Tidio gives online stores a chatbot that answers customer questions anytime. You install Tidio on your site and set up automated replies for common queries like shipping or returns. Complex problems can be handed off to a live agent for personal help. Over time, Tidio’s AI learns from these interactions, saving support teams hours and improving customer satisfaction.
Sisense
Tagline: “AI-driven business intelligence and analytics.”
Implementation: Sisense turns your raw data into helpful charts and dashboards anyone can understand. Just connect your databases — in the cloud or on-premise — and let the system do the heavy lifting. When Sisense spots patterns or surprises, it sends alerts so you can respond fast. By making data easy to explore, you’ll encourage a culture where team members rely on facts instead of guesses.
Node.io
Tagline: “Predictive analytics for targeted growth.”
Implementation: Node.io uses your existing data to forecast which leads will likely buy and what offers work best. You connect it to your CRM and feed it past sales records. The AI then pinpoints your top prospects, helping you focus on the most profitable opportunities. By personalizing campaigns, you’ll see higher conversion rates and a boost in overall revenue.
BQE CORE Intelligence
Tagline: “Smart time tracking and billing with AI insights.”
Implementation: BQE CORE Intelligence helps professional service firms handle billing, expenses, and time tracking all in one place. After linking it with your accounting software, you’ll get automated suggestions for invoicing and expense categorization. Team members can log their hours in a simple interface that learns routine tasks. With real-time dashboards, you’ll catch budget overruns sooner, improve billing accuracy, and stay profitable.
These AI-powered solutions can be deployed selectively or in combination to address specific business challenges, whether boosting productivity, refining customer engagement, or uncovering new revenue opportunities. Companies that explore and implement this new world of AI apps will eat their competition’s lunch; join me in a bite.