By Omar Abdelrehim, disabled US Navy veteran, SDVOSB owner, and founder of GovernmentQB · Last updated: October 2026 · Part of our AI for Small Business guide
The short answer: AI is a big help with the behind-the-scenes work of running a small business. It turns messy notes into step-by-step procedures, drafts job posts and policies, writes spreadsheet formulas, compares vendors, and helps you get through your inbox. Claude is strong for documents, Perplexity for research with sources, and Gemini or Copilot if you already work in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. If you sign up through them, SimplyActive may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Every prompt here works in free tools. Read our full disclosure.
Jump to: SOPs · Hiring · Policies · Spreadsheets · Vendors · Inbox · FAQ
What it solves: Everything lives in your head, so nothing gets done right when you're out sick or on vacation.
Recommended tool: Claude. It's good at turning rambling notes or a voice-memo transcript into a clean, numbered procedure. Tip: talk through the task out loud into your phone's voice memo or recorder, then paste the transcript in. If you walk a new hire through it on a video call, MeetGeek can record and transcribe it for you.
Turn my notes into a standard operating procedure (SOP) a new employee could follow on their first week.
Task: [E.G., "OPENING THE SHOP" / "PREPARING A JOB ESTIMATE" / "ONBOARDING A NEW CLIENT"]
My notes or transcript: [PASTE]
Format:
- Purpose (1 sentence) and who does it
- What you need before starting (tools, logins, materials), but write [LOGIN] instead of any passwords
- Numbered steps, one action per step, in plain language
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- "Done right" checklist at the end
Mark anything unclear with [ASK OWNER].
Tip: Hand the SOP to someone who's never done the task and watch them try it. Every place they get stuck is a step to rewrite.
Caution: Never paste passwords, alarm codes, or bank details into an AI tool or the SOP itself. Store those in a password manager.
What it solves: Hiring takes forever, and vague job posts attract the wrong people.
Recommended tool: ChatGPT or Claude. Both write clear job posts and structured interview questions.
Write a job post and interview guide for [JOB TITLE] at [BUSINESS NAME], a [TYPE OF BUSINESS] in [CITY].
Details:
- Pay: [RANGE] ([HOURLY/SALARY])
- Schedule: [HOURS / DAYS]
- Must-haves: [SKILLS, LICENSES, ABILITY TO DRIVE, ETC.]
- Nice-to-haves: [LIST]
- What a great first 90 days looks like: [DESCRIBE]
- Why people like working here (true things only): [LIST]
Give me: a job post under 350 words in plain language, 8 interview questions tied to the must-haves (include 3 "tell me about a time" questions), and a simple 1–5 scoring guide for each question.
Use inclusive, job-related language only.
Tip: Include the pay range. Many states and cities now require it in job posts, and it saves everyone time.
Caution: Have AI stick to job-related requirements. Avoid anything about age, family plans, health, disability, religion, or national origin. Employment law varies by state, so check with an HR professional or employment attorney if you're unsure. As a veteran-owned business, you may also want to mention that veterans are encouraged to apply.
What it solves: You know you need written policies (time off, phones, safety), but you don't know where to start.
Recommended tool: Claude, because it handles long, structured documents and can keep a consistent tone across many sections.
Help me draft a first version of an employee policy for [BUSINESS NAME], a [TYPE OF BUSINESS] with [NUMBER] employees in [STATE].
Policy topic: [E.G., PAID TIME OFF / CELL PHONE USE / SAFETY / REMOTE WORK]
How we actually do it today: [DESCRIBE]
What I want to change or clarify: [DESCRIBE]
Write it in plain, friendly language employees will actually read. Include: purpose, who it applies to, the rules, how to request or report, and what happens if it isn't followed.
At the end, list the questions I should ask an employment attorney about this policy in [STATE].
Tip: Do one policy at a time. A focused prompt gets a much better draft than "write my whole handbook."
Caution: This is a starting draft, not legal advice. Employment laws (leave, overtime, final pay, at-will language) vary by state and change over time. Have an employment attorney or qualified HR professional review your policies before employees sign them.
What it solves: Messy spreadsheets, broken formulas, and the 20 minutes you lose every time you try to remember how VLOOKUP works.
Recommended tool: Copilot in Excel if you use Microsoft 365 with a Copilot license, or Gemini in Sheets with an eligible Google plan. Both work right inside your file. Otherwise, ChatGPT can explain formulas and analyze an uploaded spreadsheet.
I'm working in [EXCEL / GOOGLE SHEETS]. My sheet has these columns: [LIST COLUMN LETTERS AND WHAT'S IN EACH, E.G., "A: DATE, B: CUSTOMER, C: SERVICE, D: AMOUNT, E: PAID (YES/NO)"].
I want to: [E.G., "TOTAL UNPAID AMOUNTS BY CUSTOMER" / "FLAG JOBS OLDER THAN 30 DAYS THAT AREN'T PAID" / "REMOVE DUPLICATE ROWS"].
Give me the exact formula (or steps), tell me which cell to put it in, and explain in one plain sentence what it does. If there's an easier way (like a pivot table or filter), tell me that too.
Tip: Describe the columns instead of pasting real customer data. AI only needs the structure to write a formula.
Caution: Test every formula on a few rows you can check by hand. One wrong cell reference can quietly throw off every total below it.
What it solves: Choosing a payroll service, POS system, insurance agent, or supplier without spending a whole weekend researching.
Recommended tool: Perplexity, because it cites its sources so you can confirm prices and features on the vendor's own site. We also publish plain-English reviews of tools like GoHighLevel, MeetGeek, and Snov.io.
I run a [TYPE OF BUSINESS] with [NUMBER] employees in [STATE]. I need a [TYPE OF VENDOR OR SOFTWARE] to [WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO].
Must-haves: [LIST]
Budget: [RANGE OR "UNSURE"]
Currently using: [CURRENT TOOL OR "NOTHING"]
Compare 3–5 options in a table: what each is best for, starting price (from the official website only, with link; say "not listed" if unclear), key limits, and contract terms.
Then list 5 questions I should ask each vendor's sales rep before signing.
Tip: Ask each vendor the same 5 questions in writing, then paste their answers into Claude or ChatGPT and ask for a side-by-side summary.
Caution: Prices and plans change often, and AI search can pull from old pages. Always confirm pricing and contract terms on the vendor's official site or in writing before you sign.
What it solves: An inbox so full that important messages get buried.
Recommended tool: Gemini in Gmail (some Gmail AI features, like Help me write, are free for personal accounts in the US, and more come with Google AI plans or Workspace) or Copilot in Outlook (with Microsoft 365). Both can summarize long threads and draft replies where you already work. For everything else, paste emails into ChatGPT or Claude.
Here are [NUMBER] emails I need to deal with today (personal details removed): [PASTE OR SUMMARIZE]
Sort them into:
1. Needs my reply today (and draft a short reply for each, under 80 words, in a friendly, direct tone)
2. Can wait this week
3. Can delegate to [TEAM MEMBER OR ROLE] (write a one-line handoff note)
4. Can archive
For anything with a deadline, list the date at the top.
Tip: Do this once in the morning and once before you leave. Batching beats checking email all day.
Caution: Read every AI-drafted reply before you send it, especially anything involving money, promises, or dates.
📘 Want the full step-by-step playbook? Get the AI for Operations eBook
AI can write SOPs and checklists from your notes, draft job posts and policies, write spreadsheet formulas, compare vendors, and summarize and draft emails. It saves time on first drafts and research. You still review the work and make the decisions.
If you use Google Workspace, Gemini works inside Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. If you use Microsoft 365, Copilot works inside Outlook, Word, and Excel. For general documents, Claude and ChatGPT are both strong, and Perplexity is best for research with sources.
AI can write a solid first draft of individual policies in plain language. It can't tell you whether those policies follow your state's employment laws. Have an employment attorney or qualified HR professional review the final version.
You can use it to write job posts, interview questions, and scoring guides. Be careful about letting AI rank or reject candidates on its own. Automated hiring decisions can create bias and legal risk, and some states and cities regulate them.
Don't paste passwords, bank details, or sensitive personal information. Check your tool's data settings, and consider a business or team plan, which generally offer stronger privacy controls, if you regularly work with confidential documents.
Related reviews: GoHighLevel review · GoHighLevel SaaS mode guide · MeetGeek review · Snov.io review