Guides

Plain-English AI guides for SMBs.

Short, opinionated reads from the engagements I run. No hype, no "AI could one day…" - just what works when you have a real team and a real P&L.

• Why AI projects fail (and what to do instead)

  AI projects rarely fail because the model is wrong. They fail because nobody designed for how people would actually use them.

• How to roll out AI to a small team

  A practical sequence for getting AI adopted by a 5-50 person team without breaking what's working today.

• AI 101 for small business owners

  A contrarian intro to AI for SMB owners: skip the hype, focus on the handful of decisions that actually matter.

• AI tools for small business in 2026 (what actually works)

  A short, non-sponsored roundup of the categories that earn their seat - and the five questions to ask before you buy.

• How to evaluate AI vendors: a buyer's checklist

  Data handling, lock-in, real ROI, contract terms - the checklist I run on behalf of clients before they sign anything.

• Prompt engineering for SMBs

  Four habits and three templates your team can use today. No programming, no jargon - just clearer briefs.

• Measuring AI ROI: a simple framework

  Hours saved, throughput up, error down - the defensible math behind whether an AI project is worth doing.

• Data readiness before AI

  A one-week sweep across your drive, CRM, and operational tools so your AI project doesn't stall on day 14.

• AI policy template for small teams

  A one-page acceptable-use policy in plain English - what employees can and can't paste into public LLMs.