Blog

AI for businesses that are done experimenting.

What’s changing in AI, how small and mid-sized businesses are actually using it, and how to try it without betting the company. Three times a week.

  1. AI news, week of Nov 2 · · 6 min read

    This week in AI: Sheets shows its sources, Slides restyles, health rules

    Gemini in Sheets now cites the web source for each cell, Slides can restyle a whole deck at once, and privacy regulators want AI rules for health care.

  2. Operations · · 6 min read

    How to turn what is in your head into written procedures with AI

    Most small businesses run on what one or two people know. Here is how to use AI to get it on paper in an afternoon, and how to check it before staff rely on it.

  3. Law firms · · 6 min read

    Are small law firms using AI? What the Canadian numbers show

    A survey of 344 Canadian law firms shows most still avoid generative AI, and small firms lag on policies. Here is what Ontario's rules ask of them.

  4. AI news, week of Oct 26 · · 6 min read

    This week in AI: Goldman's small-business push, Gemini in Vault, skills

    Goldman Sachs launches an AI institute for small firms, Google lets admins export Gemini chats, and Gemini gets a Customize hub. What to do about each.

  5. Getting paid · · 5 min read

    How to chase overdue invoices with AI without losing the customer

    Late invoices cost small firms time and cash. Here is how to let software remind and AI draft the messages while you keep control of tone and escalation.

  6. Real estate · · 8 min read

    Can AI write my listings and answer leads without breaking the rules?

    Agents use AI for listing copy, photo edits, late-night lead replies and follow-ups. What works, what it costs, and where Ontario's rules draw the line.

  7. AI news, October 19 · · 7 min read

    This week in AI: FedDev's AI money, OpenAI cut-offs and Gmail to-dos

    Ottawa reopened AI adoption funding in southern Ontario, OpenAI gave 92 days' notice on four older models, and Gmail's AI to-do list reached paid Workspace.

  8. Workplace policy · · 7 min read

    How to write an AI policy for your staff in one afternoon

    Your staff are probably using ChatGPT already. A one-page policy covering which tools, which data, who checks the output, and the Ontario rules to know.

  9. E-commerce · · 7 min read

    Can AI handle my online store's descriptions, support and returns?

    Small online shops use AI to write listings, answer where-is-my-order emails and start returns. What each job costs, what one brand got, and what to keep.

  10. AI news, October 12 · · 7 min read

    This week in AI: GPT-6, a cheaper Haiku and call recording rules

    ChatGPT moved to GPT-6, Anthropic cut the price of its small model by up to 90%, and Canada's privacy watchdog updated its rules for recording customer calls.

  11. Online reviews · · 7 min read

    How to reply to Google reviews with AI, and when not to

    Customers expect a reply to every review, and fast. How to let AI draft the routine ones, check each one before it posts, and which to answer yourself.

  12. Dental and physio clinics · · 7 min read

    How dental and physio clinics use AI, and the privacy catch

    AI scribes save clinicians hours of notes and AI answers the front desk phone, but patient privacy law sets the terms. The numbers, the uses and the rules.

  13. AI news, October 5 · · 7 min read

    This week in AI: Meta's Muse, Shopify Canvas and StatCan's numbers

    Meta opened its Muse agent to small businesses in Canada, Shopify let its AI rewrite store themes, and StatCan says one in four firms now plans to use AI.

  14. Meetings · · 7 min read

    How to use AI for meeting notes, and what to keep out of them

    Google Meet and Teams can write up your meetings and list the action items. How to set it up, check its work, and which conversations to leave off the record.

  15. Trades · · 7 min read

    7 jobs trades businesses are handing to AI, and what it costs

    Plumbers, electricians and HVAC shops mostly use AI for the phone, quotes and paperwork, not the tools. Here is what works, what it costs and what goes wrong.

  16. AI news, September 28 · · 7 min read

    This week in AI: Copilot billing, Google checkout and an ID breach

    Microsoft now bills Copilot's agents by use, Google switched on checkout inside its AI for Shopify stores, and Ottawa is probing a breach of scanned IDs.

  17. Hiring · · 7 min read

    How to write job postings and screen applicants with AI, fairly

    AI can draft a job ad in seconds and sort a pile of résumés. Here is how to use it for hiring without breaking Ontario's posting rules or human rights law.

  18. Bookkeeping · · 6 min read

    7 transactions AI bookkeeping gets wrong, and how to catch them

    QuickBooks and Xero now sort your bank feed for you. Here is where their guesses fail, what each mistake costs at tax time, and how to catch it early.

  19. Customer service · · 5 min read

    Can AI answer customer emails without sounding robotic?

    A practical look at drafting customer email replies with AI: what it costs, how to keep your own voice, and where it can get you in trouble.

  20. Restaurants · · 6 min read

    How independent restaurants are actually using AI

    Phones, scheduling and marketing: what AI is really doing in independent restaurants, what it costs, and where it has gone wrong for owners and diners.