Best AI tools for small businesses right now

For a small business, I would recommend starting with ChatGPT for content, Notion AI for organization, and Zapier for automation. Total cost under $100/month.

Do not sleep on Descript for video editing. It has saved our marketing team hours of work every week.

For customer support, Intercom Fin has been a game-changer. It handles 60% of our tickets automatically.

For a small business, I would recommend starting with three tools: ChatGPT or Claude for content, Notion AI for organization, and Zapier for workflow automation. Total cost under $100/month. The combination handles 80% of what most small businesses need. Don't get distracted by the 50+ AI tools launching every week — the gains come from going deep on a few tools, not shallow on many.

Do not sleep on Descript for video editing. It has saved our marketing team 6-8 hours a week. The AI transcription and filler-word removal are genuinely useful, not just demo features. For small businesses doing their own content, this is the kind of tool that pays for itself in the first month. Bonus: it integrates well with the standard podcasting workflow.

For customer support, Intercom Fin has been a game-changer for us. It handles about 55% of our tickets automatically and the resolution quality is genuinely good for tier-1 issues. The key was training it on our specific knowledge base and FAQs rather than letting it answer from general knowledge. For anyone considering: budget 2-3 weeks for setup and tuning, then expect significant savings.