By Lee Woodman, AGP Digital Strategy Coach
If you're running a high-growth business, you've heard the AI hype. But between the noise and the jargon, it's hard to know where to start.
The good news? You don't need a data science team or a six-figure budget to benefit from AI. You just need to focus on the right tools that solve real problems in your business.
Here are three AI applications every scaling business should test this year, with practical tips on how to get started.
1. Customer service automation: Respond faster, scale smarter
The problem: Your customer queries are growing faster than your team can handle. Response times are slipping and you're spending more on support without improving satisfaction.
The solution: AI-powered chatbots can handle up to 50% of routine queries instantly, freeing your team for complex, high-value conversations.
Tools to try:
- Tidio – Easy to implement, handles FAQs and basic troubleshooting
- Intercom – More sophisticated, learns from your team's responses
- Zendesk AI – Works with existing help desk systems
Quick wins:
- Automate your five most common questions (shipping status, returns policy, opening hours, product availability, password resets)
- Feed your chatbot existing FAQs and knowledge base articles
- Set it to escalate to humans when it detects frustration
- Monitor conversations weekly for the first month and refine responses
Reality check: Expect 2-3 months of training and refinement. But even at 70% accuracy, you'll see significant time savings.
2. Market research and competitor intelligence: Know what customers want before they tell you
The problem: You're making decisions based on gut feel or outdated research. By the time you've commissioned a survey, the market has moved.
The solution: AI tools analyse thousands of customer reviews, social media conversations and competitor activity in minutes, surfacing trends you'd never spot manually.
Tools to try:
- ChatGPT Deep Research – Analyse competitor positioning, summarise customer reviews, identify market gaps
- Glimpse – Tracks trending topics and products before they go mainstream
- Crayon – Monitors competitor websites, pricing and marketing campaigns automatically
Quick wins:
- Use ChatGPT to analyse 100+ competitor reviews: "What are the top 5 complaints customers have about [competitor product]?"
- Identify content gaps: "What questions are customers asking about [your product category] that aren't being answered?"
- Set up monthly competitor tracking for pricing changes and new launches
- Analyse your customer service transcripts to spot recurring pain points
- Test messaging by asking AI to role-play different customer segments
Reality check: AI won't replace deep customer conversations, but it can identify patterns faster and more cheaply than traditional research. Use it to generate hypotheses, then validate with real customers.
3. Financial forecasting and cash flow management: Plan with confidence, spot problems early
The problem: Your spreadsheets are complex, your forecasts are guesswork and you don't spot cash flow problems until they're critical.
The solution: AI-powered financial tools analyse your historical data, identify patterns and predict future performance. They can flag potential cash flow crunches weeks before they hit.
Tools to try:
- Futrli – Connects to Xero/QuickBooks, creates visual forecasts, runs scenario planning
- Fluidly – Real-time cash flow forecasting with problem alerts
- Causal – Builds financial models without complex formulas
Quick wins:
- Connect your accounting software and let AI establish baseline patterns
- Run scenarios: "What happens to cash flow if we hire two people in Q2?"
- Set up alerts for low cash runway (notify when within 60 days of minimum balance)
- Identify your most profitable products, customers or channels
- Forecast the impact of price changes before you commit
Reality check: AI forecasting works best with at least 12 months of clean financial data. Forecasts are probabilities, not certainties. Use them to inform decisions, not replace judgment.
Getting started: A 30-day AI testing plan
- Week 1: Choose one problem area and select one tool to test. Most offer free trials.
- Week 2: Set up the tool and feed it your existing data. Don't aim for perfection.
- Week 3: Use it daily. Monitor results, refine settings, and track time saved.
- Week 4: Measure the impact. Is it saving time? Improving decisions? If yes, keep it. If no, try something else.
Three rules for AI adoption that works
- Start small, scale what works. Pick one painful process and fix it.
- Focus on ROI, not novelty. Choose tools that solve real problems, not ones that just sound impressive.
- Keep humans in the loop. AI augments your team; it doesn't replace judgment, creativity, or customer relationships.
The businesses that win with AI won't be the ones with the fanciest technology. They'll be the ones who use it to work smarter, move faster and serve customers better.