AI + HI = Success
If you're a small business owner in Toronto, Hamilton, Oakville, Burlington, or Thornhill feeling overwhelmed by the AI revolution, I have a story that might shift your perspective.
A Decade-Old Prediction That Still Holds True
Over a decade ago, I watched the V.P of Marketing of Simons —the beloved Canadian fashion retailer—answer a question on the news that many business owners were asking at the time: "Will you be moving all your business online?" Being in retail in that moment, I already knew the answer, but leaned in anyways to hear his response. It was a pre-pandemic world, and his answer was very clear. Online sales only worked with offline sales.
Here we are, many years later, and a question that might now be posed to this C-suite professional might be, “do you expect AI to take away jobs within your organization”. Another crystal ball answer would be expected, but now there would be no doubt in my mind the answer would be something along the lines of AI only works with HI. What is HI? Human intelligence. The same human intelligence that has innovative ideas, critical thinking and experience. Some human power is necessary for the success of any AI a company pays for.
Small business is no different. While your small business is uniquely qualified to utilize AI tools (I would even argue it is made for you as a solopreneur, or independent business owner). Cast a large net and take advantage of the platforms that will make your life easier. It does not mean that you or your staff will be obsolete. Use it while you can. Maybe it is just me, but seeing the pattern in social media content of heavily curated and edited imaging in 2015, transition to authentic and less contrived video and static images, indicates that AI could lose it’s luster and people will crave authentic again. That’s when Human Intelligence will step up to the plate and take back some of the air time it deserves. Until then, use AI in your favour.
When ChatGPT emerged in late 2022, it triggered the same kind of anxiety that e-commerce did for brick-and-mortar retailers. Suddenly, even the least tech-savvy business owners saw AI as an existential threat rather than what it actually is. The pattern is identical. A new technology arrives, and we immediately jump to replacement thinking instead of integration thinking.
Whether you're a service provider in Thornhill struggling with marketing, a product-based business in Burlington that needs better systems, or a consultant in Hamilton who can't seem to stay on track without external accountability, you can use AI and HI and of course the aid of a Business Coach to achieve the success you are looking for.
The small business owners I work with across the Greater Toronto Area are succeeding because they are not scared of new platforms and technology. They adapt to embracing them while adding their personal human intelligence.
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If you're a business owner in Toronto, Hamilton, Oakville, Burlington, Thornhill, or anywhere in the GTA looking for help with marketing, systems, or accountability, let's talk. Book a free consultation HERE.