Tag Archives: startup advice

How to optimise ChatGPT and other AI for your small business

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As technology advances, businesses have started exploring new ways to improve their processes using AI, the latest tech trend. AI (Artificial Intelligence) refers to the simulation of human intelligence, speech, writing, art, in machines. You may have heard of ChatGPT, a popular AI which seems to be everywhere in the media. ChatGPT is an AI model which is capable of generating human-like responses. Whilst it has its limitations; the free version only has data till 2021, it’s sensitive to phrasing input, and can be repetitive, it can be a great tool to have in your business toolkit. 

This blog will explore the uses of ChatGPT, and other chatbot AI models, and how to get the most out of such AI. 

 

Why should you use ChatGPT for your business

In the early stages of owning a business, you will find yourself doing everything. Unlike large companies, you do not have a team behind you to support you on certain processes. Using a tool like ChatGPT can help you. Stuck on an Instagram caption? Ask ChatGPT to draft one. Need a sensitive but friendly reply to a client email? ChatGPT can write it for you. Need the starting point for a presentation? Run it through ChatGPT. By no means is ChatGPT or any other AI system a replacement for human talent, despite what you may hear in the news, but as a small business owner it can take some of the strain out of decision making and ideation. 

In essence, you can save precious time using tools like ChatGPT. Reserve that brainpower to think about more pressing matters for your business over wasting it trying to put an email reply together. 

Other ways you can use AI systems for your business are: 

  • Brainstorm ideas 
  • Customer support chat 
  • Lead generation 
  • Content creation 
  • Data Analysis 
  • Research 
  • Social media management

There is, of course, the danger of over relying on AI. Make sure you are maintaining a human-AI balance. Always proofread and fact check what AI generates for you, as an AI it cannot replicate empathy, nuance and judgement the way humans do. And AI can be incorrect (due to user input, outdated information etc) think about the infamous 6-7 fingers on AI Art. It is not a perfect model, and you need to treat AI generated information as a starting point and not the final product. 

Overall, using AI can be timesaving, efficient and smart which are all essential for small businesses. 

 

How to use ChatGPT for your business

If you’re a business owner looking to use AI like ChatGPT for your business, here are a few ways to optimise its performance: 

1. Define Your objectives 

Before using ChatGPT, it is important to define your objectives. In other words, what are you using the tool for? You need to determine what kind of queries your chatbot will be handling. This will help you tailor the responses generated by Chat GPT according to the customer’s needs. For example, if you are an Italian restaurant in need of social media marketing help, you would ask ChatGPT to create some instagram captions for a small Italian restaurant based in Liverpool, or wherever you may be. 

2. Train Chat GPT for Your Specific Use Case

After defining your use case, you need to train Chat GPT for your specific use case. This involves providing the chatbot with relevant data related to your business. The more data you provide, the more accurate and personalised the responses will be. For instance, as the Italian restaurant, you can provide Chat GPT with data related to the products you offer, their prices, and the type of produce you use.

3. Test and Refine

Once you have trained Chat GPT, it is important to test it thoroughly to ensure that it is generating accurate responses. You can do this by conducting a series of tests with different scenarios and queries. This will help you identify any gaps in the chatbot’s knowledge and refine its responses accordingly.

When ChatGPT creates a scenario for you, you can ask it to refine the text including certain phrases or improving on certain points. Say you require an instagram caption but ChatGPT is too formal, you can ask it to ‘refine the above with a friendlier tone and use emojis’. 

 

In conclusion, AI can be a useful tool for businesses looking to save time and improve their business processes. For small businesses embracing technology like AI can be key for taking your business to the next level. However, it is important to remember to constantly check your AI generated content. Remember to use it as a first draft and not your final.

If you want to learn more about how to improve business practices read our blog here. Or perhaps you’re ready to start your business journey? We can help you create your company today. 

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Inspiration: Take the Plunge! Why you should start your small business journey today.

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Small and medium businesses account for 99.9% of the UK’s business population, they are the backbone of the UK economy. With advances in digital technology, global connectivity and a changing consumer consciousness, there has never been a better suited time to start your business. 

If you’re a wannabe future entrepreneur and need that final push to take the plunge and start your own business, read on. 

Continue reading →

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IT security essentials for new startups

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You’ve set up your company, you’ve got a great team on board with your venture, and you’re ready to hit the ground running.

But have you considered how you’re going to keep your IT setup secure?

In today’s increasingly digital world, IT security should be at the forefront of every entrepreneur’s mind. Though there are lots of tools and frameworks that can be used to keep confidential data away from prying eyes, there are a few fundamentals that you must set in place to prevent data breaches and malicious attacks, both of which could be disastrous for your business.

Here are five IT security essentials for startups that will help you keep you, your systems, and your employees safe.

1. Invest in good anti-virus software

Anti-virus software runs in the background to stop your machine from being compromised by known viruses and other types of malware. Though there are plenty of freebies available, we would recommend purchasing and installing technology from a reputable provider for the best level of protection.

Make sure your chosen anti-virus package is installed across all your business devices, even (and especially) the laptops, tablets, and mobiles that your employees use when they work remotely. You should also update this software regularly to make sure it’s running the latest patches.

2. Apply a VPN to your network

Virtual private networks (VPNs) create secure connections between your devices and the networks you log into. They can help to keep things like your IP address, location, passwords, and sensitive data safe from hackers. If you value your company’s online privacy and want to benefit from added encryption while you’re working online, a commercial VPN is a must-have for your startup. 

3. Choose secure passwords

Passwords that are easy to remember are also easy to hack. Make sure all your business passwords are at least eight characters long and contain one uppercase letter, one number, and one symbol. Avoid guessable passwords like surnames, pets’ names, and birthdays – and never use the same passwords across personal and business accounts!

If you find yourself struggling to manage all these unique passwords in one place, you could benefit from using a purpose-built password manager app. You might also want to consider setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) in order to access your business profiles and accounts.

4. Learn how to spot phishing emails

Phishing refers to sending out emails that look as though they are from a reputable company but are in fact sent by scammers who are ‘fishing’ for sensitive and personal information. This practice accounts for up to 90% of all organisational breaches every single year – so it’s important to teach your team how to identify ‘fake’ emails that could put your data at risk. Red flags include:

  • Spelling mistakes
  • Urgent copy – for example, ‘immediate action required’
  • Domain names and email addresses that don’t match
  • Unfamiliar or suspicious attachments

5. Have a backup plan in place

You should back up your data once a day (and more frequently if you rely heavily on your digital systems to keep your business operating). This way, if you lose this data for any reason, you’ll be able to restore everything in a matter of minutes. Scheduling automatic backups to an external hard disk or a cloud account will save your team valuable time and give you peace of mind that your data will be there for you if you need it.

One last thing regarding IT security for startups. If you’re just starting out, it can be tempting to give everyone in your team the same access permissions. But the more people that are logging in to your accounts and systems, the higher the risk. Try to give out this data on a need-to-know basis – and keep a record of who has access to what, in case you need to find the source of a breach or an attack.

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