AI tools for small businesses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is more than a fancy buzzword from the future. It's arrived with a bang and is shaking up industries left, right, and centre. The impact of AI is undeniable, and it's time for South African small business owners to take notice.

You've probably heard about AI bots writing poems that would put Shakespeare to shame or AI image generators creating all sorts of wacky art pieces. But, more importantly, businesses using AI are experiencing greater efficiency, more seamless operations, and the ability to strategise like pros.

Between the futuristic talk and funny poems, it's easy to miss how AI tools can help your small business in more practical ways. So, as a savvy business owner, where should you focus your time and energy—and can AI lend you a hand where you need it most?

The Best AI Tools for Business Productivity

The hype around AI can feel overwhelming, especially if you're not into techy stuff. For some folks, it was just a fleeting trend—but for business owners, it's a whole new ball game.

But firstly, what is AI? Artificial Intelligence isn't just one thing. It’s actually an umbrella term that covers a wide range of technologies. Under this umbrella, you'll find things like Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, and many other components. It can get complicated, but you can think of AI as a helpful tool that lets you work smarter, save time, and deliver a better customer experience.

But don't jump on the AI bandwagon just because everyone else is doing it. Take a step back, have a good think, and figure out what your small business requires. Then, choose the AI programs that help you level up your productivity and cut costs. Here are some of our favourite tools for everyday business needs:

Writing Assistants

Being a successful business owner means being in constant communication. Whether you're adding offers to your website, emailing suppliers, or answering customer questions, you'll spend a whole lot of your day sending messages.

While it's understandable to make a couple of spelling or grammatical errors after a long day, the harsh reality is that this can look unprofessional. But let's face it, not all of us got an A+ in English. In fact, most people in South Africa don't even speak English as a first language!

Luckily, there are loads of AI text tools to help you craft compelling website copy, formal emails, and even social media posts. Here are our favourites:

ChatGPT

The ChatGPT app is an AI that can write pretty much anything you ask, from stories to emails and even poems. Just type in a message, and it will reply like a human would.

While there is a free version, it has limited capacity during peak times. If you use it often, you might want to pay $42 (about R375) for the pro version. Remember, the ChatGPT app was created in 2021 and isn’t connected to the internet, so it may not know about current trends or news.

Bard

​​Created by the geniuses at Google, Bard is an experimental chatbot powered by the cutting-edge LaMDA large language model. Like ChatGPT, it can write stories, social media posts, emails, and poems. But unlike ChatGPT, Bard is connected to the internet—so you can get quick responses with real-time information.

AI Productivity & Scheduling Assistants

When it comes to getting things done, your calendar is the ultimate boss. Well, most of the time. Life throws curveballs, and then suddenly, you're stuck rearranging your entire week or working ridiculous hours to play catch-up.

That’s where AI scheduling assistants come in. These assistants handle the nitty-gritty of your calendar, learning which tasks to prioritise, auto-scheduling your plans, and blocking time for breaks. These are our top AI productivity picks:

Scheduler AI

From automatically sending meeting reminders and auto-replying to clients, to checking your team’s availability and plugging into your messaging platforms, Scheduler AI does it all! Whether you primarily use email, Slack, or text, using Scheduler is as easy as adding it to the chat or CCing it in an email.

Reclaim AI

Reclaim AI is a productivity automation tool that plugs into your Google Calendar, allowing you to find the best time for your meetings, tasks, breaks, and habits. While Scheduler AI is great for business owners that work solo, Reclaim AI is geared more toward teams.

Its meeting and scheduling automation works best when it can access all team member’s calendars. If most of your meetings are with external clients or suppliers, you won’t get the full benefit of this powerful tool.

Get Ahead of the Tech with a Savvy Site

The future is here and AI is everywhere, making our lives easier and businesses smarter. But no single AI product can do it all (yet). So, to gain a competitive edge, it's all about finding shortcuts that seamlessly boost your business.

Enter the Savvy website builder! Savvy gives you everything you need and nothing you don't, so you can create a one-page website that builds trust, your brand, and your client base. Our code-free templates let you build a professional online presence complete with SEO—no design skills or coding experience needed. 

Ready to harness the power of tech? Apply for early access to Savvy and start growing your business today.