How should a small business start using AI?

The short answer

Start with one repeat job that wastes time each week, not with a tool. Write down how the job is done today, cut the steps that only pass work along, then let AI do the rest with a person approving what matters. Measure the result in hours or pounds before you move on to the next job.

Redesign the job, do not just speed it up

In McKinsey's 2026 survey, nearly three-quarters of high performers said they had redesigned their workflows because of AI, against just one-quarter of other respondents. This shows the two go together, which is a correlation. It does not prove that redesign causes better results.

A simple first plan

Pick one job you do every week, such as answering enquiries or chasing invoices.
Write each step down, and who does it.
Remove or merge the steps that only pass work along.
Let AI draft or do the rest, with a person approving anything that leaves the business or touches money.
After a month, count the hours saved.

Mistakes to avoid

Buying a tool before you know the job.
Automating a messy process just as it is.
Letting AI send or pay with nobody checking.
Not measuring, so nobody knows if it worked.

Keep people in charge

Choose tools that show their work, ask before they act and keep a record of what was done. Avoid any tool that sends email or moves money without a person saying yes.