Example AI Prompts for Small Business Owners

As a small business owner, you have to wear a lot of hats! If it feels like you’re always racing against the clock to get everything done, you’re not alone 🩵 Juggling so much can be hard, but that’s where AI comes in!

The key to unlocking AI’s potential is a great prompt. But how do you know what a great prompt looks like? 🤔

We’ve put together a simple formula to help you write perfect prompts every time. And to make it even easier, we’ve worked with our mentors to put together a bank of perfect prompts you can use right away!

The Perfect Formula 🪄

Try using this formula every time you ask AI to do something:

Persona: What role or job should the AI play?
Context: Briefly describe your business or the situation
Task: What do you want the AI to do?
Format: How should the answer look? (i.e. length, structure)
Tone: Choose a style (e.g., friendly, professional, funny)

Example AI Prompts for Small Business Owners

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

You are an award-winning SEO consultant (persona). Your goal is to get [website URL] to rank first organically on search engines and in AI with [target audience] (context). Please create a list of keywords and a targeting strategy, taking into account the competition and search volume for each keyword. Include keyword difficulty and rank them by the ones which will be most effective (task). Show results in a table format (format) and in language that non-technical people can understand (tone).

Website audit

You are a web design expert, skilled in using your SEO, UX and copywriting skills (persona). Please evaluate the effectiveness of the homepage of [add website URL] for its ability to attract and engage [target audience] (task). Please score it based on best practice criteria and give specific recommendations to improve in each area (format). Then compare it to the home page of [competitor] (context).

Social Media Content

You are an experienced social media consultant hired to create content for [name & describe company] (persona). Please recommend 1 or 2 platforms to prioritise, then generate [number] engaging posts (task). They should focus on [topic or product] and establish the company as [describe brand positioning] with [describe target audience] (context). The tone should be [brand personality] (tone). For each post, suggest a short, catchy headline, a caption, a clear call to action, 2-3 hashtags, and recommended visuals suitable for each platform (format).

Sentiment analysis

You are a data analyst (persona) looking to understand how customers feel about [company name and website URL] and what to improve (context). Please analyse the latest user reviews, survey responses, and social media mentions to identify the overall sentiment (positive, negative, neutral), summarise the main positive and negative themes, and highlight any trends or changes in sentiment over time (task). Format your findings in a clear, professional bullet-point report with actions (format).

Crisis Management

You are a business owner (persona) responding to negative publicity after a product issue (context). Prepare a public statement addressing customer concerns and outlining steps your company is taking to resolve the issue (task). Differentiate between immediate actions and long-term brand restoration steps, explaining the rationale for each. Format your response as an official press release (format). Use a reassuring and transparent tone (tone).

Customer Feedback

You are a shop owner (persona) who has collected customer feedback over the past month (context). Analyse the feedback to identify common themes and prioritise issues by frequency (task). Suggest clear, actionable next steps for each major theme, and explain how addressing these could improve customer satisfaction. Summarise your analysis and recommendations in a clear, solution-focused format (format). Use a constructive tone (tone).

Customer Service

You are a customer service agent (persona) at a small retail business (context). You’ve noticed a rise in customer inquiries about product returns (task). Create a numbered checklist of steps to handle return requests efficiently. For each step, include a sample customer question and a model answer. Present your checklist in a clear, easy-to-follow format (format). Use a friendly and patient tone (tone).

Staff Training

You are a team leader (persona) responsible for onboarding new part-time staff at a busy café (context). Develop a quick-start training guide for new hires (task). Highlight key “first-day” dos and don’ts, and include examples of common mistakes to avoid. Format your guide as a step-by-step manual (format). Write in an encouraging and clear tone (tone).

Scheduling

You are an operations coordinator (persona) for a local grocery store during the upcoming holiday rush (context). Generate an optimal staff rota for the week, taking into account employee availability and peak shopping times (task). Ensure fairness in shift allocation, flag any scheduling conflicts, and explain how the schedule optimises coverage during busy periods. Present the schedule in a weekly table (format). Use an organised and collaborative tone (tone).

Recruitment

You are an HR manager (persona) hiring staff for a new store location (context). Write a clear and attractive job description for a retail associate position (task). Identify three key traits for success in the role and ensure each is reflected in the description. Use a standard job description template (format). Write in a welcoming and informative tone (tone).

Compliance & Regulations

You are a compliance officer (persona) at a small manufacturing company that must adapt to recently updated industry regulations (context). Summarise the new legal requirements affecting your daily operations (task). Highlight the three most urgent changes, suggest a realistic timeline for implementing each, and note any common pitfalls to avoid. Use bullet points for clarity (format). Write in an official and concise tone (tone).

Inventory Management

You are a store manager (persona) at a boutique clothing shop with a significant overstock of seasonal items (context). Suggest practical strategies to clear excess inventory quickly (task). Prioritise your ideas in order of their likely effectiveness, and for each, explain the pros and cons. Present your suggestions in a clear, actionable list (format). Use a proactive and practical tone (tone).

Supplier Negotiation

You are a purchasing manager (persona) needing to renegotiate payment terms with your main supplier (context). Draft a professional email to initiate the negotiation process (task). Include key negotiation points with suggested supporting arguments, anticipate possible supplier concerns, and propose responses. Use a standard email template (format). Adopt a polite yet assertive tone (tone).

Financial Analysis

You are a small business owner (persona) reviewing your company’s financial performance from the last quarter (context). Identify trends in your revenue and expenses, and recommend the top three cost-saving measures, prioritised by potential savings (task). For each recommendation, briefly explain why it’s effective and any possible drawbacks. Present your findings in a brief report (format). Use an analytical and objective tone (tone).

Top Tips

Remember, you don’t have to take the first response your AI gives you! We recommend asking follow-up questions, giving feedback, and continuing to work with your AI until you have what you need.

Try some of these questions:

• How would you rate this response out of 10?
• What would make this a 10/10 response?
• What other information do you need from me to give me an accurate response?
• What might I be missing?
• What are the pros and cons of the response you’ve given?
• How can you tailor this better to my audience?

Conclusion

Working smart not hard has never been easier for small business owners! With the right prompts, generative AI is about to become your most powerful business tool.

The more precise you become with your prompting, the better the first answer your AI generates will be! And the better that first answer becomes, the more time you’re saving for you and your business 🤝

We know AI can be daunting when you’re getting started, so if you’ve got any questions or would like some advice, our mentors are here to help! 💛