5 AI Quick Wins for Small Business Owners (Under 10 Minutes Each)

You’ve been meaning to “figure out AI” for months. But every guide assumes you have hours to experiment, and you barely have time to eat lunch.

Here’s the thing: you don’t need a strategy. You need one small win to prove this is worth your time. Then another. Then another.

These five take under 10 minutes. No accounts to create (you probably already have ChatGPT or Claude). No learning curve. Just copy, paste, and adapt.

1. Turn Customer Reviews Into Marketing Gold

Time: 5 minutes

You have reviews. You’re not using them well enough.

Here are 5 customer reviews for my [TYPE OF BUSINESS]:

[PASTE REVIEWS]

Pull out:
1. The specific words customers use to describe the value (not your words—theirs)
2. Problems they had before finding us
3. Results they got
4. Anything that surprised them

Then write a 2-sentence testimonial summary I could use on my homepage.

Why it works: Customers describe your value better than you do. They use real language, not marketing-speak. AI extracts the patterns you’re too close to see.

2. Draft a Week of Social Posts in One Shot

Time: 8 minutes

Stop staring at blank screens every day.

I run a [BUSINESS TYPE] and my audience is [DESCRIBE THEM].

Create 5 social media posts for next week:
- Monday: A tip related to [YOUR EXPERTISE]
- Tuesday: A question that sparks discussion
- Wednesday: Behind-the-scenes or personal story prompt
- Thursday: Address a common misconception in my industry
- Friday: Something lighthearted or a weekend wish

Keep each under 200 characters. No hashtags. Sound like a human, not a brand.

What you do: Edit lightly, add your personality, schedule them. 8 minutes instead of an hour spread across the week.

3. Prepare for a Difficult Conversation

Time: 7 minutes

Negotiations, feedback sessions, or that awkward client call—AI helps you think it through.

I need to have a conversation with [ROLE, e.g., "a vendor" or "an underperforming employee" or "a client who's behind on payment"].

The situation: [BRIEF CONTEXT]

My goal: [WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE]

Help me:
1. Anticipate their likely response or pushback
2. Prepare 2-3 talking points that stay constructive
3. Suggest a way to open the conversation that doesn't put them on the defensive

The value: You walk in prepared instead of reactive. That confidence changes outcomes.

4. Summarize a Long Document You Don’t Have Time to Read

Time: 3 minutes

Contracts, reports, industry articles—they pile up.

Summarize this document in bullet points:
- Key points I need to know
- Any action items or deadlines
- Anything surprising or concerning
- What can I safely skip

[PASTE DOCUMENT TEXT]

Pro tip: For contracts or legal documents, add: “Flag anything that seems unusual or that I should have a lawyer review.”

You’ll still need to read the important parts. But now you know which parts those are.

5. Generate Interview Questions for Your Next Hire

Time: 6 minutes

Stop asking “What’s your greatest weakness?” and getting rehearsed answers.

I'm hiring for [ROLE] at my [BUSINESS TYPE].

The most important qualities for success in this role:
1. [QUALITY 1]
2. [QUALITY 2]
3. [QUALITY 3]

Generate 6 interview questions that:
- Reveal whether they actually have these qualities (not whether they can claim to)
- Include at least 2 situational questions ("Tell me about a time when...")
- Are hard to fake with a rehearsed answer

For each question, tell me what a strong answer would include.

The result: Questions that actually differentiate candidates, plus a rubric for evaluating answers.

The Pattern

Notice what these have in common:

1. Specific context — You give AI the details it needs to be useful
2. Clear output format — You tell it exactly what you want back
3. Low stakes — None of these are final outputs—they’re starting points

That’s the secret. AI isn’t replacing your judgment. It’s doing the first draft so you can focus on the parts that actually require you.

Pick one. Try it now. See what happens.

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Want 365 prompts organized by business function—marketing, sales, operations, customer service, and more? 365 Days of Doing Business with AI gives you one practical tip per day, each with ready-to-use prompts and 5-minute actions.