ChatGPT for Small Businesses

#ChatGPT is capable of helping small business owners save time, mental energy… maybe even sanity. We can hope, anyway!

Time is a valuable commodity for everyone, but that’s especially true if you’re a small business owner. All the tasks required to keep things running smoothly pile up fast. Here are 5 ways ChatGPT can streamline your processes.

1. Save time on research with ChatGPT

There’s typically a stark difference between what’s produced by someone who’s ‘only researched’ a topic and someone who’s lived it. That’s just a fact of life.

Often-times, when faced with needing to accomplish something outside their field of expertise, writers do tons of research to compensate. I’m a chronic OVER-researcher myself, and end up going deep down rabbit-holes researching things that don’t belong in my final project. Shucks, ChatGPT wasn’t a part of my 2023 plan as of a month ago! And yet, here I am…

But since we’re talking about streamlining workflows and saving time, it needs to be said. ChatGPT can save you a crap-ton of time if you let it give you skeleton content to flesh out.

Think about it.

Let’s say you’re needing to craft a newsletter about the history of your state parks. Now, when I was a beginner writer, my first step was to start reading everything I could find about the state parks in question. But, as it turns out, that’s a lot of unnecessary work.

I’ve learned on my own that what generally works best is to…

• Section off the project
• Determine the main points
• Research one piece at a time

That’s the only way I can keep my research focused and relevant.

Using ChatGPT to generate content based on specific keywords can save you a significant amount of time and allow you to focus on what actually needs your attention.

As a side note, if you’re into web development, I hear there’s a ChatGPT library you can code into Python. Apparently that’s a great way to let this AI do some of the heavy lifting for you. Totally not my field, but there ya’ go!

2. Brainstorming new business ideas with ChatGPT to save mental energy

When you reach a point in your business where things are going so well, you’ll probably start thinking about branching out. That can be an exciting, scary, AND a confusing time. So many opportunities!

Or, you could be stumped. If you’re feeling stuck, ChatGPT can get your creative juices flowing with a little prodding. Here’s an example of what it gave me when I used the exact phrase in quotation marks below.

Me - “I have a business focused on pet care. My primary income stream is from dog walking. What are some ways I can branch out and bring in new revenue streams?”

ChatGPT - “Here are a few ideas for how you can branch out and bring in new revenue streams for a pet care business focused on dog walking:

• Offer pet sitting services: In addition to dog walking, you could offer pet sitting services, where you take care of pets in their own homes while their owners are away. This could include feeding, watering, and providing basic care for pets, as well as cleaning up after them.
• Offer dog training services: If you have experience in dog training, you could offer dog training services as a way to bring in additional revenue. This could include obedience training, problem-solving training, and other types of training to help dogs behave better and be more well-mannered.
• Sell pet-related products: If you have a passion for pets, you might consider selling pet-related products as a way to bring in additional revenue. This could include items such as pet toys, pet clothing, pet grooming supplies, and other pet-related products.
• Offer dog grooming services: If you have experience in pet grooming, you could offer dog grooming services as a way to bring in additional revenue. This could include services such as bathing, grooming, and styling dogs to help them look and feel their best.
• Offer dog daycare services: If you have a large enough space, you could offer dog daycare services as a way to bring in additional revenue. This could include providing a safe and comfortable place for dogs to stay while their owners are at work or away from home.”

But since most of those would eat up my time, a finite resource, I wanted something more passive in nature. So I followed up with another prompt.

Me - “What about some digital assets? Any ideas?”

ChatGPT - “Certainly! Here are a few ideas for digital assets that you could create as a pet care business focused on dog walking:

• Online training courses: You could create online training courses for dog owners, covering topics such as obedience training, problem-solving, and other aspects of dog care. You could sell these courses as a way to bring in additional revenue.
• E-books: You could write and publish ebooks on topics related to pet care, such as dog training, nutrition, and health. You could sell these e-books as a way to bring in additional revenue.
• Pet care apps: You could create a pet care app that provides a variety of features for pet owners, such as a pet care calendar, a pet health tracker, and a pet-sitting directory. You could sell this app as a way to bring in additional revenue.
• Online pet consulting services: You could offer online pet consulting services as a way to bring in additional revenue. This could include providing advice and guidance to pet owners on topics such as pet nutrition, health, and training.
• Pet-related webinars: You could create and host webinars on topics related to pet care, such as dog training, nutrition, and health. You could sell these webinars as a way to bring in additional revenue.

I hope these ideas give you some inspiration for digital assets that you could create as a pet care business focused on dog walking. Let me know if you have any other questions!”

And if any of those piqued my interest, I could always ask it to expound, explain, and show me how to do it. Not bad!

3. ChatGPT can personalize social captions for you

One of the benefits of using ChatGPT for small businesses is that it allows you to personalize the text it generates. This can be especially useful when creating marketing materials, as it helps to ensure that the content is relevant and targeted to your specific audience.

For example, let's say you own a coffee shop in a charming neighborhood and want to create social captions to promote a new menu item. You could use ChatGPT to generate text that mentions the name and location of your shop. Shucks, just go ahead and make it talk about the new yumminess too.

To personalize the text generated by ChatGPT, you can use placeholders in your prompts. Check out this experiment as an example.

Me - Please provide 5 engaging social media captions working off this model - "Welcome to [COFFEE SHOP NAME], located in the charming town of [TOWN NAME]. We're excited to announce the addition of [NEW MENU ITEM] to our menu. Stop by and try it out today!"

ChatGPT

• Wake up and smell the bagels! ?? Welcome to Jives, located in the charming town of Chattanooga. We're excited to announce the addition of homemade bagels to our menu. Stop by and try them out today – we promise you won't be disappointed! ??
• Good morning, Chattanooga! ?? We're excited to announce that Jives has added homemade bagels to our menu. Come by and treat yourself to a fresh, warm bagel today. You deserve it! ??
• Calling all bagel lovers! ?? Jives, located in the charming town of Chattanooga, has just added homemade bagels to our menu. Trust us, these bagels are worth the trip. Stop by and try them out today! ??
• Who's ready for a tasty treat? ?? We're excited to announce that Jives, located in Chattanooga, has added homemade bagels to our menu. Stop by and indulge in a delicious bagel today! ??
• Good news, Chattanooga! ?? Jives has just added homemade bagels to our menu. Come by and try one today – we promise you won't be disappointed. ??

***Disclaimer – I have never actually been to Chattanooga… is it charming? Also, I have no affiliation with any coffee shop called Jives. I have no idea why these were the first names that popped into my head for this little exercise. ??

And, while we’re on the subject of social media, there are ways to generate images for your socials too. ChatGPT can’t, since it’s text-based. But the creator of this chatbot, OpenAI, also has a program called DALL-E. It’s capable of generating images based on text prompts. So, for example, you could give it a prompt like: “Generate an image of a homemade bagel” and get something usable in return.

4. When you need new content ideas, ChatGPT can help

As a small business owner, you may find it challenging to come up with fresh ideas for content on a regular basis. This is where ChatGPT can help. If you ask the right questions and give the necessary context, it can generate ideas for new material.

For example, let's say you own an outdoor gear company that specializes in mountaineering and cold weather clothing. Product creation is your game, not marketing. You know everyone says you should have a blog, but honestly, you just don’t know what to write about!

Enter ChatGPT.

You’re going to talk to it like it’s your best marketing guru friend (we all need one of those, amiright?) and you’re sharing a beer. Or coffee. Whatever.

Me - “I have an [outdoor gear] business that focuses on [mountaineering and cold weather clothing]. I want to start a blog and don't know what to write about. Have any suggestions?”

Your best marketing guru friend will respond with something along these lines.

“Of course! Here are a few suggestions…

• Tips for staying warm and comfortable on a winter hike or climb: In this post, you could provide tips for layering clothing, choosing the right materials, and staying warm in cold weather. You could also include product recommendations and explain how different pieces of gear can help to keep you warm and comfortable on the trail.
• Best practices for mountain safety: In this post, you could discuss important safety considerations for mountaineering, such as choosing the right route, knowing how to use safety equipment, and being prepared for emergencies. You could also include tips for staying safe in cold weather, such as avoiding hypothermia and frostbite.
• Exploring the benefits of different materials for cold weather gear: In this post, you could delve into the benefits of different materials, such as synthetic vs. natural fibers, and how they perform in different weather conditions. You could also include product recommendations and explain why certain materials are better suited for certain activities or conditions.
• A guide to layering for cold weather: In this post, you could provide a step-by-step guide to layering clothing for cold weather activities. You could include tips on how to choose the right layers, how to layer effectively, and how to adjust your layers as the weather changes.
• Product reviews and comparisons: In this post, you could review and compare different products, such as jackets, gloves, and hats, to help your readers make informed purchasing decisions. You could include details on the features and performance of each product, as well as pros and cons for each option.

Hope that helps!”

These ideas can serve as a starting point for creating content that anchors entire campaigns. After all, a single blog can be repurposed about a gazillion different ways.

In addition to generating ideas for blogs, ChatGPT can also be used to generate ideas for email newsletters, promotional flyers, web copy, etc... This can be a valuable time-saving tool for small businesses.

Not a bad way to kick Writer’s Block to the curb for freelance writers, either!

5. You can even generate reports & analysis with ChatGPT

This flies way over my head, but for the sake of any small business owner reading this, it bears mentioning.

ChatGPT can streamline work for small businesses by generating reports and analyses based on data input. This can be particularly useful for anyone needing to analyze large amounts of data on a regular basis. Think of all the time it can save time by eliminating the need to do this manually!

To generate reports and analyses, you’ll need to provide the ChatGPT API with a set of prompts or keywords, as well as the data that you want to analyze.

Say you want to generate a report on your company's sales data.

To use ChatGPT to generate a report on your business, you will need to use the ChatGPT API. That's a set of rules and protocols that define how software programs and systems can communicate with the ChatGPT service.

To use the ChatGPT API, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a free API key on the OpenAI website. This will allow you to access the ChatGPT API and use it to generate text and other content.
2. Install the ChatGPT library for your programming language of choice. This will allow you to use the ChatGPT API in your own software programs and systems.
3. Use the ChatGPT API to generate the report. To do this, you will need to provide the API with a set of prompts or keywords that define the report you want to generate, as well as any data or information that you want the report to include.

Use the generated report as desired. You can use it as is or modify it to fit your specific needs.

Being able to run reports quickly makes it easier to identify trends and patterns that might not be obvious. This can help small businesses make data-driven decisions and identify opportunities for growth.

All-in-all, it’s safe to say there’s plenty for small businesses to explore here. If you’re not sure where to go or how to get started, check out THIS POST as a starting point. Scroll to the end for instructions on how to chat with this bot yourself!

#ChatGPTForSmallBusiness #ContentMarketing