Programs to help you make the most of AI in your business

ChatGPT is just one handy AI tool for businesses - but not the only one.

You can’t open a laptop or phone these days without endless ads for AI promising you the moon. And while this technological development can’t work actual magic, it does have the capacity to help busy business owners make their days just a little bit easier.  

So which programs are the most helpful, and what can they do for your business?  

Here are 5 programs to check out that might help.  

1. ChatGPT / Gemini / Claude  

It’s hardly a list of AI tools without a chatbot. And whether you use the widely known ChatGPT or an alternative such as Gemini or Claude, they can largely all be used in the same way.  

These tools can:  

• Write copy, anything from emails to web pages to social media posts 

• Tidy up your copy, fixing typos or changing the tone  

• Answer questions 

• Generate ideas 

• Do internet research 

• Create some imagery and graphic design 

They also typically have free memberships for basic use.  

2. Fathom  

Fathom is an AI notetaker that runs in the background of your video calls, and makes it easy to focus on the conversation rather than taking notes.  

This tool can:  

• Take a full transcript of your conversation  

• Summarize notes 

• Provide action points following a call  

• Record the full video 

• Work with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams 

Fathom is free and private, and does not have limits on meeting lengths.  

3. Canva  

Many business owners already use Canva for everything from posters to social media posts, but it also offers AI capabilities.  

Canva can:  

• Create designs from scratch  

• Enhance your existing designs 

• Incorporate your branding into designs  

• Create videos 

Note that users with free accounts will be limited in how many designs they can make.  

4. Microsoft 365 Copilot 

Microsoft 365 is already one of the most common pieces of software for any business owner. Copilot is simply the AI add-on that helps you make the most of those programs.  

This tool can:  

• Draft writing and documents 

• Edit existing documents 

• Create visualizations from your data 

• Analyze your data  

• Summarize emails you receive and draft responses 

• Summarize meetings and create transcripts 

Copilot is free with your Microsoft 365 subscription, so it can be a good tool to use if you’re already paying for the rest of the software suite.  

5. LiveChat  

LiveChat is an AI tool that works like a personal chat service for visitors to your website. It’s ideal for business owners who can’t commit to spending large amounts of their day fielding questions online.  

This tool can:  

• Work with different platforms so customers can message you on your site and social media platforms 

• Automatically show messages on screen for specific customers, such as those who spend X amount of time browsing on your site 

• Use chatbots to reply to messages automatically 

• Allow chatbots to pass difficult questions to a human customer service representative 

• Make it quick and easy for you or an employee to respond to messages with canned responses and suggestions 

• Provide reports 

This is not a free tool, but one that could be valuable for business owners fielding a lot of questions every day.  

Programs for AI adoption  

The government and other businesses have set up various programs and grants to assist businesses in adopting AI in the workplace.  

These include:  

• BDC’s Data to AI initiative: Helps integrate AI into operations 

• The Advanced Manufacturing Cluster – NGen: Drives AI in manufacturing  

• The Scale AI Cluster – Canada’s AI global innovation cluster: Fosters partnerships and innovation in AI applications  

• The Industrial Research Assistance Program: Supports AI research and development as well as commercialization  

• Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative: Supports AI adoption in regional economies across Canada 

Community Futures free workshops and webinars 

Community Futures British Columbia hosts regular workshops and webinars that are free for most business owners. There are often events for understanding and working with AI, and they are designed for beginners, making them ideal for anyone looking to learn about these tools and the best ways to use them to reduce your workload.  

And of course, you can schedule a free, one-on-one business advice session with our team here at Community Futures Howe Sound at any time.