Running a small business is a very demanding 24/7 proposition, and artificial intelligence can save small business owners a lot of time and money, an expert said.
There are hundreds of small businesses in Vallejo, and almost all of them could likely benefit from using AI for tasks like social media posts or financial analysis, said marketing expert Cathy Balach.
“What are the things that take up too much of your time or are not very good at? What would help you improve your business quickly?” Balach said. “You need to identify one way that AI can help you and learn to use it for that one thing.”
Balach works with individual business owners and teaches workshops on AI for small businesses at the Solano-Napa Small Business Development Center. She is a Certified Regional AI Specialist and Center Sales Advisor.
She will give a class,”Smarter marketing with AI“, through the center for $59 in February. The class will meet via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. on February 4, 11, 18 and 25.
Each session is hands-on with live demonstrations and guided exercises. Attendees can ask questions and get answers tailored to their specific business.
The course includes creating a marketing system that participants can use in their business.
Many overworked small business owners don’t know even the most basic steps to using AI. But anyone with an Internet connection can try it for free.
“I cover all the major AI systems, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude and Microsoft Copilot,” Balach said.
Anyone can view them simply by going to the Google search box and typing in the system name. ChatGPT is perhaps the best known and is used by thousands of people for a wide variety of purposes.
Once a user lands on a given AI site, they can ask questions like “How do I write a menu description for a new dish at my restaurant?” » But there is an art to it.
“You want AI to give you answers tailored to your needs, not just a generic solution,” the expert said.
It’s all about the questions the user asks, also called “prompts.” A good example is: “Here’s my restaurant’s menu and how it lists dishes. Write a description of this new dish using our existing style,” Balach said.
Currently, the four main AI systems are free, although tools can be customized for a fee.
There are some benefits to having a custom tool, so you get more thinking power and customization that you don’t get with free tools, Balach said.
“If you save an hour a month, you’ve paid for your tool,” she said.
One of the important caveats when it comes to AI: “Make sure you verify the information you receive. There’s a reason the number one phrase of 2025 was ‘AI slop,'” Balach said.
Because AI has some blind spots, the process still requires people, she said.
For example, if a restaurant owner wants to analyze their finances, AI can do that. But “at the same time, I would like to sit down with a restaurant specialist and ask, ‘How are my prices in general?’ “, Balach said.
“You still need people in the mix,” the marketing expert said. “It’s not about getting rid of it completely. It’s about giving some of it away, but always making sure you check and have an expert in your pocket,” noting that this can be done by consulting with experts at the Small Business Development Center.