The Beginner’s Guide to AI for Business: What to Use, What to Skip, and How to Start

Melissa Zimmermann VA
17 minutes ago
4 min read

If you’re new to running a business, you’ve probably already been told you “need to be using AI.” And maybe you’ve peeked at a few tools only to close the tab five minutes later because it all looked complicated or expensive. Been there.

AI can be a huge time-saver, and you don’t need to dive in headfirst or pay for every fancy tool out there. The trick is starting with a few simple, beginner-friendly tools that actually make your business easier to run. Think of this as your starter kit.

What AI Can Actually Do for You

Before we get into tools, let’s set the record straight. AI won’t run your business for you, but it will help you:

Write content faster (blogs, captions, emails)
Organize and automate tasks
Save time on repetitive admin work
Spark creative ideas when you’re stuck

The key is using it to support you, not replace your brain.

Tools Worth Using Right Away

1. ChatGPT (hello, my bestie!) This is your go-to writing partner. Stuck on what to post? Need an email draft? Want blog ideas? ChatGPT can brainstorm, draft, and polish your words. Use the free version to start, and upgrade only if you find yourself using it daily for work.

2. Canva If you’re making graphics, presentations, or social posts, Canva is gold. It now has built-in AI features that create design templates, resize content, and even suggest layouts. The free plan is fine for beginners, but the Pro version is worth it if you need brand consistency.

3. OpusClip (for video) If you’ve got long videos or Zoom calls, this tool chops them into short, social-media-friendly clips with captions. Super handy for creating weeks of content fast. Free trial available; paid plan if you want more exports.

4. Email helpers (like Grammarly or Wordtune) Think of these as spellcheck with a glow-up. They’ll make your emails sound clear, polished, and professional without rewriting them into corporate robot-speak.

Tools You Can Skip (for Now)

Complex CRMs with AI built-in (HubSpot, Salesforce, ClickUp, etc.): Too much if you’re just starting. A simple project tool like Asana or Trello will do.
AI logo and brand kits: Fun to play with, but your energy is better spent on building your offer and audience first. You can always invest in branding later and honestly, Canva will be a good place for starting out.
Overpriced “all-in-one” AI assistants: A lot of these promise the moon but end up being confusing or clunky. Some even advertise all over the internet but aren’t even ready yet… Stick with the basics until you know what you actually need.

How to Get Started Without Losing Your Mind

Here’s the exact game plan I’d give my best friend:

Step 1: Pick One Thing to TryDon’t sign up for five new platforms. Start with ChatGPT and Canva, they cover writing and visuals, which most businesses need right away – and you can start for free.

Step 2: Give It a Real Test Run Spend an afternoon playing. Ask ChatGPT to draft your next Instagram caption. Use Canva to turn it into a graphic. Export it, post it. Done. That’s one piece of content created with AI start to finish.

Step 3: Build a Weekly Routine Instead of squeezing AI in randomly, make it part of your workflow. Example: on Mondays, spend one hour in ChatGPT planning captions for the week. Then, drop them into Canva, make them pretty, and schedule.

Step 4: Adjust as You Grow Once you’re comfortable, you can start layering in more tools to make life easier. If video is part of your strategy, try OpusClip to repurpose long videos into short, shareable clips. For posting, look at scheduling tools like Planoly or Buffer. They aren’t full AI platforms, but they do have some AI features that can help with captions. More importantly, they let you batch and schedule posts so you’re not glued to your phone every day.

One more thing…

AI doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Think of it like hiring a helper that never sleeps and doesn’t complain. Start small, keep it simple, and let it support you in creating, not complicate your life.

And if the idea of figuring this out still feels like too much? That’s where I come in. You can delegate the setup with a VIP Day and I’ll build your systems for you, or hand it all off to our MZVA team so you can focus on the parts of your business only you can do.

Want to go deeper into using AI for your business? Check out these related posts:

AI for small business, beginner AI tools, AI marketing tools, how to start with AI, AI for entrepreneurs, AI productivity tools