For SMBs, AI-powered tools can automate repetitive tasks, analyze vast amounts of data quickly, and improve decision-making. The challenge is knowing where to start and how to apply AI in a way that drives meaningful results.
In this blog post, we’ll break down how AI can be leveraged by SMBs and explore four practical, real-world applications that you can start using today.
Small businesses often have fewer resources than large corporations. AI levels the playing field by enabling automation, data-driven insights, and smart customer engagement—helping SMBs operate with the efficiency of a much larger organization.
"Maybe small is even more of an advantage than we thought." Ravi Gupta on Invest Like the Best Podcast.
The podcast based on his blog post, AI or DIE, covered thoughts and perspectives for Minnesota small business owners. AI is advancing so rapidly that small businesses that embrace it can outcompete larger firms, while those that resist risk doing so at their own disadvantage—adapt fast, leverage AI to enhance productivity, and stay relentlessly focused on delivering value to customers.
Tasks that used to require manual effort—data entry, customer support, marketing analysis—can now be automated with AI, freeing up valuable time for more strategic work.
Today’s customers expect quick responses, personalized recommendations, and seamless interactions—AI enables businesses to meet these expectations without requiring a huge customer service team.
Let's explore four AI-powered use cases that any SMB can implement for better efficiency, customer engagement, and business growth.
Many SMBs struggle to provide round-the-clock customer service because hiring a full-time support team is costly. AI-powered chatbots, like ChatGPT, or HubSpot’s chatbot, can handle common customer inquiries instantly and accurately.
A small online clothing boutique could implement an AI chatbot on its website. Customers can now:
Ask about product availability ("Do you have this jacket in size M?")
Get instant shipping updates ("Where’s my order?")
Receive personalized product recommendations
The result? Improved customer response times and potential increase in sales due to better alignment of client needs with product offerings.
Use HubSpot, Salesloft, or Tidio to integrate a chatbot into your website.
Train the chatbot with frequently asked questions and common support inquiries.
Use AI chatbots in Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp for quick responses.
For many SMBs, finding new customers is time-consuming and unpredictable. AI-powered sales tools help identify potential leads, personalize outreach, and even automate follow-ups.
Imagine slashing your sales team’s prospecting time by thousands of hours while doubling your response rates. That’s the goal with using AI for sales prospecting. Inspired by Clay’s comprehensive guide, here’s how to turn tedious manual outreach into a streamlined, high-impact process.
Before AI, your sales team likely spent hours researching leads, scraping LinkedIn profiles, and drafting generic cold emails. For a current campaign, we sent several hundred emails and got just a measly 5% positive response rate. It was time-consuming and ineffective.
AI isn’t about replacing salespeople—it’s about amplifying them. With the right prompts and tools (like Clay), any Minnesota small business can turn static data into dynamic outreach, proving personalized, automated prospecting is the future.
Start with a proven framework: a clear goal, structured input, and specific instructions. For instance, we fed AI a company’s LinkedIn bio and asked, “Summarize this company’s mission in 20 words or less.” The result? A concise hook we could use in emails.
Instead of generic templates, we can now use AI to craft a 4-step email sequence or perhaps use triggers and online activity to initiate an email message.
AI can also cut research and writing time by significant amounts of time. Plus, by avoiding overused templates (think “Hi at ”), it can help better dodge spam filters and boosted deliverability.
Use Clay, HubSpot AI Breeze, or Outreach.io to identify high-quality leads.
Automate follow-ups with AI-driven email marketing tools like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign.
Let AI suggest the best time to contact potential customers based on behavioral data.
Marketing is one of the most time-consuming tasks for small business owners. AI-powered tools automate social media posting, email marketing, content generation, and ad targeting—helping SMBs attract more customers with less effort.
As a Minnesota Bank, we feel it is necessary to stay on top of the trends and learn by doing. We are using AI in our social media and email marketing to improve our client experience while also increasing our brand awareness in our markets. It's a reason we can hopefully stay rated as one the Best Banks in Minnesota. We've integrated AI-powered marketing tools, which:
The result? January 2025 was the highest month recorded of visitors to our website, toping the prior high by 8.56%. We're leaning in and looking to provide value where we can to improve our processes and improve our client experience.
Use ChatGPT or Jasper AI to generate blog posts, ad copy, and social media content.
Automate social media posts with Hootsuite, Buffer, or Sprout Social.
Personalize email marketing campaigns with ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp AI, or HubSpot.
For small businesses that sell products, inventory management is critical. AI-powered forecasting tools help SMBs:
Predict demand based on sales trends
Avoid stockouts and overstocking
Reduce waste and improve cash flow
Take for example, AI-powered forecasting company Zoho Inventory AI. Zoho Inventory AI brings artificial intelligence—via Zoho’s Zia assistant—into inventory management, helping SMBs streamline operations and make smarter decisions. It’s a cloud-based tool that tracks stock, manages orders across platforms like Amazon and Shopify, and uses AI to predict demand, automate tasks, and offer insights. For SMBs, this means less guesswork, lower costs, and happier customers—all without needing a big budget or tech expertise.
Take a small e-commerce shop selling seasonal gifts: Zia can analyze past sales to forecast a December boom, ensuring the owner stocks just enough to meet demand without overbuying. Or picture a boutique retailer syncing inventory across an online store and a physical location—when an item sells out online, Zoho Inventory AI updates stock instantly and suggests a reorder. These features save time, prevent overselling, and even recommend promotions based on buying trends, helping SMBs compete with bigger players. Affordable (starting free, with plans like $29/month) and easy to use, it could be a game-changer for growing businesses.
Use Zoho Inventory, NetSuite AI, or QuickBooks AI for inventory forecasting.
Analyze sales data to determine demand fluctuations.
Automate restocking alerts for high-demand items.
AI is here and it is growing— every small businesses should be reviewing AI in today’s fast-changing market. By adopting AI-powered chatbots, automated sales tools, marketing automation, and inventory forecasting, SMBs can streamline operations and accelerate growth.
Ready to take your business to the next level with AI? Security Bank & Trust Co. is here to help. Contact us today to explore banking solutions designed for Minnesota business owners.