The Small Business Owner's AI Checklist: 30 Things to Do Before Year-End
Every year, I create a checklist for my clients. It covers the AI actions that will have the biggest impact on their business going into the new year. This year, I am sharing it publicly.
You do not need to do all 30 items. Pick the ones most relevant to your situation and work through them at whatever pace makes sense. But if you can check off even 10 of these before the year ends, you will be meaningfully ahead of most small businesses.
Getting Started (If You Have Not Yet)
1. Sign up for Claude Pro and/or ChatGPT Plus
If you are not yet using a paid AI tool, start here. The free versions are limited. The $20/month investment pays for itself within the first week for most business owners.
2. Complete a basic AI training session
Spend two hours learning the fundamentals of prompting. Watch tutorials, read guides, or work through the prompt engineering basics covered in my earlier article.
3. Identify your top five time-consuming tasks
Make a list of the five tasks that eat the most time each week. For each one, spend 15 minutes testing whether AI can help.
4. Create your first AI-assisted template
Pick one recurring task (email drafting, report generation, meeting prep) and create a reusable prompt template for it.
5. Set up an AI use policy
Even if you are a solo operator, document what data you will and will not share with AI tools. If you have a team, this is essential.
Productivity and Operations
6. Implement AI email management
Set up the three-tier email system: automated, AI-drafted, and fully human.
7. Automate meeting notes
Choose a transcription tool (Otter, Fireflies, Fathom) and use it for all meetings this month.
8. Create a prompt library
Document your best prompts for the tasks you use AI for most frequently. Organize them by category.
9. Set up one Zapier or Make automation
Connect two of your existing tools with an AI-powered step. Start with something simple, like summarizing new form submissions.
10. Audit your AI subscriptions
List every AI tool you pay for. For each one, document who uses it, how they use it, and whether the value justifies the cost.
Marketing and Content
11. Generate a quarterly content calendar
Use AI to plan your blog posts, social media content, and email newsletters for the next quarter.
12. Optimize your Google Business Profile
If you are a local business, use AI to rewrite your business description, create posts, and draft responses to all reviews.
13. Create an AI-assisted social media workflow
Set up a system for generating, reviewing, and scheduling social media content using AI.
14. Write (or update) your website copy
Use AI to review and improve your website's key pages: homepage, about page, services page, and any landing pages.
15. Build an email marketing sequence
Create an automated email sequence (welcome series, nurture sequence, or re-engagement campaign) using AI for the copy.
Sales and Client Service
16. Create a proposal template with AI
Build a prompt template that generates professional proposals based on prospect information.
17. Set up a client FAQ bot
Load a Custom GPT or Claude Project with your most common client questions and answers.
18. Implement AI-assisted lead research
Before your next sales call, use AI to research the prospect and prepare talking points.
19. Review and improve your sales process
Use AI to analyze your sales data and identify opportunities to improve close rates.
20. Create client onboarding materials
Use AI to draft welcome packets, process guides, and onboarding checklists for new clients.
Finance and Administration
21. Set up AI-powered bookkeeping
If you have not already, enable AI categorization in your accounting software.
22. Run a financial analysis
Export your year-to-date financial data and use AI to identify trends, anomalies, and opportunities.
23. Create a budget forecast
Use AI to model different scenarios for next year's budget based on your current financial data.
24. Audit your vendor relationships
Use AI to research alternatives for your most expensive vendor contracts.
25. Organize your digital files
Use the end of year as an opportunity to organize your cloud storage. Create a structure that makes it easy to find and share documents with AI tools.
Team and Culture
26. Conduct AI skills assessment
Evaluate where each team member falls on the AI skill spectrum (unaware, experimenter, regular user, power user).
27. Plan a team AI training session
Schedule a training session focused on the tools and techniques most relevant to your team's work.
28. Identify your AI champion
Designate someone on your team to be the go-to person for AI questions and best practices.
29. Set AI goals for next year
Define specific, measurable goals for AI adoption in your business (time saved, cost reduced, revenue impacted).
30. Schedule an AI strategy review
Book time (with yourself or with a consultant) to review your AI strategy quarterly next year.
How to Use This Checklist
If you are brand new to AI (start with items 1 to 5)
Get the basics in place. Sign up, learn, and experiment. Do not try to do everything at once.
If you are using AI casually (focus on items 6 to 15)
You have the tools but have not systematized their use. Focus on building workflows and systems.
If you are using AI regularly (tackle items 16 to 25)
You are ready to deepen your use and expand to new areas. Focus on sales, finance, and operations.
If you are an AI power user (address items 26 to 30)
Your focus should be on team adoption, culture, and strategic planning. Your individual use is strong; now scale it.
The Bottom Line
AI readiness is not a binary state. It is a spectrum, and every step forward matters. Do not let the length of this checklist overwhelm you. Pick three items that resonate with your current situation and start there.
And if you want help working through this checklist with expert guidance, schedule a consultation. I will help you prioritize, implement, and measure the impact of each step.