5 Ways to Use ChatGPT for Small Business
We’ve had a ton of conversations lately with clients wondering if and how they should be using AI and ChatGPT for their small business. They’re asking:
Is it worth the hype?
How do I actually use it in my business?
Can it actually save me time?
Short answer: Yes, ChatGPT is worth it, and no, it’s not too hard. It’s helping small businesses save time, increase productivity, and build better systems.
At Hoffbeck + Co, we’ve run over 100 prompts in the last week alone. We’re testing ideas, writing content, building systems, and seeing what actually works for small business owners. We’re not just talking about AI—we’re using it daily both internally and with client work.
So we put this together to break down how we and other small business owners (just like you) are using ChatGPT right now—and how to make it work with your business, not add more overwhelm.
Whether you’re curious, stressed out, or just plain scared of AI and how to use it for your business, this blog is for you. You don’t need us to point out: AI is disruptive. At Hoffbeck + Co, we believe disruption is where the good stuff happens. It's how small businesses punch above their weight, work smarter, and lead their industries instead of playing catch-up.
The 5 Ways to Use ChatGPT for Your Small Business
1. Use AI Like a Team Member
Hiring an entire team of full-time staff for all the roles you need filled isn’t in the budget for small businesses. ChatGPT gives you an on-demand assistant that can support you across a range of functions:
Drafting basic marketing content
Writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and internal process docs
Brainstorming sales campaigns, email copy, or new offerings
Summarizing research or industry trends
Important note: For high-stakes messaging and copywriting (sales pages, brand development, web copy), we still recommend working with a professional. That’s exactly where our new AI-enhanced copywriting service can come in. We now offer AI-powered copywriting as a budget-friendly option in addition to our custom copywriting services.
2. Professional Communication in Minutes
Need a quick draft of an email, proposal, or social post? ChatGPT can help you sound clear, confident, and on-brand. That kind of support is a game changer for small business owners wearing all the hats.
The output won’t be perfect—and in many cases, it won’t even be fully accurate. But for low-stakes tasks like social media captions or quick email drafts, it might get you 70–80% of the way there. For high-stakes content like sales pages, legal disclaimers, or brand messaging, that number is much lower—and the final stretch is where experience and nuance matter most.
And just to be clear: “80% of the way there” doesn’t mean 80% of the time saved. That last 10–20%—the part that requires judgment, tone, and strategic alignment—can take the longest by far.
You should always review the output and make sure it’s accurate and reflects your tone. If it doesn’t? Just reply and keep prompting. This is where the magic happens.
Here are some exact examples of replies we use:
Try again with a more friendly tone
Can you make that shorter?
Can you remove “x” from it?
What’s a good title/subject line for this?
Can you add 2-3 supporting examples?
Help me provide a more personal introduction
Help me respond to this message as a (insert your industry) small business that serves (insert target market). Then paste the message you want to reply to.
3. Faster, Clearer Decision-Making
Big decisions come up all the time in business—pricing changes, new offers, rebrands, hiring. And while ChatGPT won’t make those decisions for you, it can help you think through them more clearly. It’s great for exploring angles you might not have considered, surfacing questions you didn’t think to ask, and pulling together information that helps you see the bigger picture.
That said, the value you get from tools like this depends on how well you can frame your question, understand the response in context, and apply it strategically. And that part isn’t always easy. Most business owners were never formally taught strategy. A lot of decisions are made on the fly, based on intuition or past experience—not grounded in tested frameworks or psychological insights.
If this part feels a little unclear or hard to navigate, that’s completely normal. These kinds of decisions are complex, and it often helps to talk them through with someone who can bring an outside perspective and a bit of structure to the process. That’s a big part of what we do—helping small business owners make thoughtful, aligned decisions with more clarity and less guesswork.
Personally, we like to use ChatGPT as a research assistant. It’s not a decision-maker, and it’s definitely not a strategist. But it helps me think faster, explore ideas, and sharpen my next move.
4. Create Systems Without Starting From Scratch
From onboarding checklists to marketing calendars, ChatGPT can give you solid starting points for building repeatable processes. You’ll still want to customize them for your business, but it saves hours of setup time and helps you bowl with bumpers.
Here are some prompts we have found helpful:
“Help me make a content calendar that is focused on weekly blogging and includes social and email campaigns built off the blog.”
“Help me make an onboarding standard operating procedure for my new hires.”
“Help me come up with a monthly bookkeeping flow to ensure I’m not forgetting anything.”
5. Elevate Your Client Experience
Another way to use ChatGPT for your small business: to improve your client or customer experience. Use it to help you write client emails, draft client onboarding flows, create help docs, or brainstorm thoughtful touchpoints. Your client/customer experience becomes smoother, more consistent—and more scalable.
Don’t forget to add your personal touch and refinements to the outputs. We never recommend blindly accepting an output from ChatGPT or any AI tool.
Take it straight from the source. Here is what we asked ChatGPT about how much we should rely on it:
Prompt: Can I trust your outputs?
ChatGPT Output: I aim to provide accurate and helpful information, but it's always a good idea to verify critical details, especially for financial, legal, or other specialized matters. While I can offer insights and guidance, consulting experts and cross-checking with reputable sources is the best approach for making important decisions.
Real Examples from Our Clients
Our small business clients are already using ChatGPT to:
Create email campaigns and sales sequences
Develop job descriptions and hiring plans
Build internal SOPs and templates
Brainstorm new offers and product structures
Conduct research and analyze competitors, trends, or customer feedback
Reminder: Tools Don’t Replace Expertise—They Support It
When you’re using ChatGPT for your small business, AI is only as good as the strategy behind it.
We are using AI across all areas of our services: Strategy, Finance, and Marketing.
One new area we just created an offering for is with copywriting and messaging.
If your copy isn’t converting, or your messaging doesn’t feel like you, that’s not a tool issue—it’s a strategy one.
We are leaning into this powerful tool. We aren’t afraid of it. Our new AI-enhanced copywriting service combines the power of ChatGPT with expert editing, messaging strategy, and voice alignment—so you get fast results and brand-level quality at an affordable price.
Bottom Line
AI is disruptive—and we think that’s a good thing. At Hoffbeck + Co, we help small businesses embrace change, challenge the status quo, and build systems that support real, sustainable growth.
If you’re ready to integrate AI into your business—or want support building copy that actually converts—we’d love to help.
AI brings speed. Strategy brings clarity. We bring both—so you can move forward with confidence.
More soon,
Lane + Mahla
CONSULTANTS + PARTNERS
P.S. Want to learn more about our AI-enhanced website copywriting service?
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