Generative AI: A Practical Approach for Small and Medium Businesses

Steve Robinson
2 min readDec 6, 2024
Silouette of business people at a comference table.

The AI revolution isn’t just for tech giants anymore. As AI services become more accessible, small and medium-sized businesses face opportunities and challenges. The global AI services market is increasing, with generative AI services expanding faster. But how can smaller organizations approach this transformation thoughtfully and affordably?

Think of Gen AI adoption like learning to walk — it happens in stages. The most successful businesses take a “Crawl → Walk → Run” approach:

Crawl: Building Foundations

Start with fundamentals. First and foremost, get clear on why and how. Why do you think Gen AI can benefit your business, and how it will impact outcomes and results?

Begin with education. Learn the basics and see what options are available at your level and budget. Then, Assess your data readiness, identify specific use cases that could benefit from AI, and run small proof-of-concept projects. This stage is about understanding possibilities while minimizing risk. Many businesses begin with simple ways to reduce routine, repetitive work that is mundane but necessary.

Walk: Strategic Implementation

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Steve Robinson
Steve Robinson

Written by Steve Robinson

I am a consultant, mentor/coach, writer, and runner, helping people and sharing my healthy lifestyle.

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