When our team at WorkBetterNow® (WBN) first explored AI, we had more questions than answers. We were curious about the potential AI could bring to our operations but had little knowledge about where to start or how AI could align with our specific needs.  

Most business owners I know have at least dabbled in AI, and some are already integrating it into their company’s processes. AI’s increasing capabilities, affordability, and accessibility are accelerating transformation across all industries. Peter H. Diamandis, MD, author of The Future Is Faster Than You Think, framed it bluntly: “By the end of the decade there will be two kinds of companies: (1) Those who fully utilize AI; and, (2) Those who are Out of Business.” 

As this new technology reshapes the competitive landscape, AI is becoming less of an option and more of an operational necessity. For WorkBetterNow, our mission has always been to expand the capabilities of both our WBN Certified Professionals™ (CPs) and clients, and today, AI is a cornerstone of that goal. With applications in automation, decision-making, and customer service, AI empowers companies to work smarter, respond faster, and focus on what matters most. 

We understand how daunting it can be to dive into AI. When we started, we were just as unsure as you might be now. However, through hands-on experimentation and teamwork, we’ve learned valuable lessons that any business can apply to start leveraging AI effectively. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you integrate AI into your operations, with examples from our journey to show how these steps can work in practice. 

1. Understand What AI Can Do for Your Business

Before you start, take a moment to explore what AI is and how it might benefit your business. AI is a versatile tool that can automate repetitive tasks, analyze data, improve customer service, and more. But knowing why you want to use AI is crucial. 

Ask yourself: 

• Where are we spending the most time on repetitive tasks? 

• Which areas need more accuracy or efficacy? 

• What customer or operational challenges could AI help solve? 

At WBN, we’ve used AI in multiple ways to enhance our operations: 

• AI-Driven Candidate Matching: Part of our PrecisionMatch™ process, AI analyzes client job descriptions and matches candidates from our talent pool, supporting recruiters while reducing bias and improving precision. 

• AI Voice Interviews: We’ve implemented AI-based voice interviews to measure candidate engagement levels and serve as a final filter in our recruiting process, saving valuable time while enhancing decision-making. 

• Enhanced Predictive Analytics: AI helps us forecast future hiring needs by analyzing historical data and industry trends, empowering us to plan strategically. 

• Marketing Content Creation: Our marketing team leverages platforms like Jasper.ai for creating captions and copy tailored to different social platforms, particularly where character count is a constraint that traditional tools like ChatGPT struggle with. 

• Streamlined Process Documentation: We use AI in tools like Trainual and HubSpot to improve our process management. AI features make it easier to find information, suggest best practices, and create efficient workflows—essential for a company where processes guide everything we do. 

Actionable Tip: Start small. Choose one or two pain points to address and research AI tools that align with those needs. Tools like ChatGPT or Fireflies.ai are user-friendly and a great way to dip your toes in the AI pool. 

2. Start with Accessible Tools to Build Confidence

If AI feels overwhelming, begin with tools that require minimal setup and have a user-friendly interface. These tools allow you to experiment without feeling like you need to become an AI expert overnight. 

At WBN, we’ve integrated a range of AI-powered note-taking tools across several departments to enhance productivity and engagement. For sales calls, we rely on Zoom’s AI tools and Fireflies.ai to automatically capture and summarize discussions, while Honeit plays a key role in our recruiting and interview processes. These tools allow our team members—whether they’re salespeople or interviewers—to stay fully present during conversations, eliminating the distraction of manual note-taking. 

Not only do these tools create detailed transcripts, but they also generate actionable to-do lists, streamlining follow-ups and improving accountability. Beyond note-taking, we’re actively exploring ways to use AI for continuous improvement by analyzing calls for patterns, sentiment, and opportunities to refine our approach. Starting with these accessible and intuitive tools has delivered immediate value and positioned us to innovate even further. 

Actionable Tip: Choose an AI tool that solves a specific problem in your business, like improving customer communication or creating marketing content. Many AI platforms offer free trials, so you can test them without a financial commitment. 

3. Partner with Experts

You don’t have to figure everything out on your own. Partnering with AI-savvy professionals or using tools with built-in support can make the process much smoother. 

At WBN, empowering our team to adopt and master AI tools has been a priority. That’s why we held an AI webinar exclusively for our WBN Certified Professionals™, led by an expert from All Safe IT. More than 50% of our Certified Professionals attended, demonstrating their commitment to growth and enthusiasm for the topic. This session focused on practical applications of AI tools like ChatGPT, showing how they could enhance efficiency and productivity in their day-to-day tasks. From generating SQL code for our sales commission platform to automating workflows, our team learned actionable techniques to integrate AI into their roles, equipping them with transformative skills for success. 

Our WBN Certified Professionals™ left the webinar equipped with new skills and fresh insights, ready to apply AI to solve challenges, optimize workflows, and bring added value to our clients. 

Actionable Tip: If you’re looking to integrate AI into your business, start by investing in training for your team. Tools with intuitive interfaces and platforms offering webinars or tutorials can help your team build confidence and expertise, setting you up for long-term success. 

4. Empower Your Team

Empower your team to embrace AI with open and curious minds. Encourage experimentation and assure your employees that there are no failures—only learning opportunities, that even the experiments that didn’t work out the way they expected were showcased. What might not work for some, might spark an idea in others. 

At WBN, we involved every department in testing AI tools, from marketing to IT to recruiting. To ensure a structured and collaborative approach, we organized monthly Show and Tell meetings where each department showcased how they were experimenting with AI and shared their results. These sessions became a platform for cross-team learning, sparking new ideas and uncovering creative applications of AI across our workflows. 

To encourage engagement and innovation, we awarded the best presentations each month, recognizing the teams or individuals who demonstrated the most impactful or inventive uses of AI. This not only motivated teams to dive deeper into their experiments but also fostered a culture of continuous learning and innovation. For example, our Marketing team’s success with generating brand-specific visuals using Midjourney inspired other departments to explore how AI could help with design-related tasks. 

By making these sessions collaborative and rewarding, we uncovered a range of AI applications and strengthened our company-wide commitment to staying ahead of the curve. 

Actionable Tip: Host brainstorming sessions to involve your team in identifying areas where AI could help. Provide training or resources to build confidence and celebrate small wins to build momentum. 

5. Measure Success

As with any business initiative, it’s essential to track the impact of your AI integrations. Define clear goals and benchmarks before you begin. Are you aiming to save time, reduce costs, improve accuracy, or enhance customer satisfaction? 

For instance, when WBN implemented AI-driven transcription tools for client consultations, we measured success by tracking how much time was saved and whether the quality of follow-ups improved. These metrics showed us that AI was making a meaningful difference. 

Actionable Tip: Regularly review the performance of your AI tools and gather feedback from your team. Adjust your approach based on what’s working—and don’t be afraid to pivot if something isn’t delivering results. 

The Transformative Potential of AI for Any Business 

Transitioning into AI doesn’t require a degree in data science—just a willingness to explore, ask questions, and align the tools you choose with your business needs. When we first started, like many of you, we were beginners—learning through trial, discovery, and lots of teamwork. We started from scratch and gradually integrated AI into various aspects of our operations, each step making our business more agile and efficient. And while not every experiment worked perfectly, each one taught us something valuable, helping us refine our strategies and make AI a natural part of our operations.  

For business owners just starting out, the key is to dive in without fear. Pick one or two AI tools and encourage your team to test them out. As we’ve seen, AI isn’t here to replace human effort; it’s here to enhance it, giving us time and space to focus on the tasks that matter most. 

WorkBetterNow (WBN) provides outstanding remote talent to small and midsize businesses. WBN’s highly skilled and pre-vetted Latin American professionals are hand-matched for each client’s unique needs. Hundreds of growing businesses turn to WBN to unleash their potential through our exceptional talent, ease of hiring, and ongoing support. Request a consult today!