Nov 9, 2026 · Practical AI for small business

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Illustration of an invoice and spreadsheet with a $12.20 difference marked for review. Using AI at WorkOur experiment

Can AI type your invoices into a spreadsheet?

We ran 24 invented invoices, including scans and handwriting, through an AI model and a rules script. AI read messy ones better but missed a bad total.

By Ross C

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More to explore

  1. Using AI at WorkGuide

    How to avoid AI workslop that wastes your reader’s time

    AI can make unfinished thinking look finished. Before sending a draft, check whether your reader has the facts, decisions and next steps they need.
  2. Using AI at WorkGuide

    How Can Customers Find Your Small Business on ChatGPT?

    Make your services clear, check crawler access and try realistic searches. Practical steps for small-business owners, without promises of guaranteed recommendations.
  3. Guide

    Hosting Thanksgiving? One prompt gets you the menu, the timeline and the grocery list

    Give ChatGPT four facts about your kitchen and ask for a menu, an hour-by-hour plan and one grocery list sorted by aisle. Then check the turkey against USDA.
  4. Getting StartedOur experiment

    We tested our AI readiness checklist on 12 made-up workflows

    We ran our readiness checklist on 12 invented workflows. It's a good brake and a poor compass.
  5. Using AI at WorkGuide

    Small-business lead follow-up automation: a blueprint

    A lifecycle map for capture, handoff, follow-up, and closure, with exceptions and stop conditions to write first.
  6. Using AI at WorkGuide

    AI agents are moving into your business apps

    Use an Agent Action Contract and a contractor test plan to decide what an assistant may read, draft, propose, and change.
  7. Costs & ResultsGuide

    How to evaluate an AI pilot: keep, fix, or stop

    Use a pilot evidence sheet, quality buckets, net-time math, and a worked example to decide whether an AI workflow deserves to continue.
  8. Using AI at WorkGuide

    What data should you put into an AI tool?

    Use a green-yellow-red data framework and a pre-upload checklist before business information enters an AI workflow.
  9. Getting StartedGuide

    AI vs. automation: when your small business actually needs AI

    Use the Minimum Intelligence Principle and a four-question decision test to choose between rules, AI, and human judgment.
  10. Getting StartedGuide

    The small-business AI readiness checklist

    Score one workflow with a 20-point readiness check and turn the result into a one-page pilot brief.
  11. Using AI at WorkOur experiment

    We ran 30 invented customer inquiries through an AI follow-up assistant

    A 30-case synthetic test: stop checks passed, but one draft made unapproved promises.
  12. Using AI at WorkOur experiment

    AI vs. simple rules for appointment and payment reminders

    We ran 30 made-up reminder records through a rules script and an AI model three times each. Rules got every routine case right.
  13. Tools & ComparisonsGuide

    How to choose your first AI tool without wasting money

    Compare tools with the same real work, a 35-point scorecard, total-cost math, and a 30-day pilot.
  14. Getting StartedGuide

    5 tasks your small business should automate before anything else

    Use a five-question scorecard, simple ROI math, and a worked example to identify repetitive work worth automating.
  15. Costs & ResultsGuide

    How to calculate the ROI of AI automation

    Use a conservative five-number model to calculate net monthly value, break-even volume, and payback period.

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