The AI hype is overwhelming. Every software vendor claims artificial intelligence will transform your business. Most of these claims are exaggerated or irrelevant for small regional businesses.

But some AI tools genuinely help. I’ve spent months talking to regional businesses about what they’re actually using. Here’s what works.

Content Creation

This is where AI delivers clearest value for small businesses.

ChatGPT (and similar tools like Claude) can draft marketing copy, social media posts, email newsletters, and website content. The output needs editing—AI writes competently but generically—but it dramatically speeds the first draft.

“I used to stare at a blank page for hours writing our monthly newsletter,” one Bendigo retailer told me. “Now I give ChatGPT bullet points of what happened and it gives me a draft in seconds. I edit for our voice and it’s done.”

Cost: Free versions exist. Paid versions ($20-25/month) are faster and more capable.

Best for: Businesses that need regular content but don’t have dedicated marketing staff.

Caution: AI can produce plausible-sounding nonsense. Always review for accuracy, especially anything factual.

Customer Service

AI chatbots for small business websites rarely work well. They frustrate customers more than they help.

But AI-powered email and message drafting is useful. Tools like Freshdesk and Zendesk use AI to suggest responses to customer queries. Staff select and personalise, speeding reply time without losing human judgment.

“We get the same twenty questions constantly,” a Ballarat professional services firm told me. “AI recognises the question type and suggests our standard answer. We review and send in seconds instead of typing the same thing repeatedly.”

Cost: Built into many customer service platforms, typically $15-50/month per user.

Best for: Businesses handling significant email or message volume with repetitive queries.

Accounting and Bookkeeping

Modern accounting software like Xero and MYOB uses AI for transaction categorisation, invoice matching, and anomaly detection.

“The software learns our patterns,” one accountant explained. “It automatically categorises most transactions now. We just review exceptions. That’s hours saved every week.”

Some AI features work better with more data, so larger businesses or those with longer history benefit most.

Cost: Part of standard accounting software subscriptions ($25-70/month).

Best for: Any business doing their own bookkeeping.

Scheduling and Administration

AI scheduling assistants like Calendly with AI features or x.ai can handle meeting scheduling without human back-and-forth.

The value is marginal for businesses with simple scheduling. But for those managing complex calendars with multiple staff, client meetings, and site visits, automation helps.

“Trades booking was killing us,” a Geelong construction company said. “Every job needed coordinating customer availability, our team availability, equipment. The AI scheduling tool reduced our admin time by a third.”

Cost: $10-30/month for AI-enhanced scheduling tools.

Best for: Businesses with complex scheduling requirements.

What’s Overhyped

Several AI categories get more attention than they deserve for small businesses.

AI-generated images: Tools like Midjourney create impressive images, but licensing and appropriateness for business use remain complicated. Stock photos are safer for most needs.

Predictive analytics: AI forecasting tools work best with large datasets. Small businesses rarely have enough data for predictions to be reliable.

Fully automated customer service: Chatbots without human oversight frustrate customers and damage reputation.

AI-written long-form content: Blog posts and articles from AI are detectable and often low-quality. Use AI for drafts, not final content.

Implementation Realities

AI tools only help if you actually use them. Implementation matters.

Start with one tool. Master it before adding more. Spreading attention across multiple new tools ensures none are used effectively.

Commit time for learning. Budget several hours initially to understand capabilities and limitations. Rushing produces poor results.

Build into workflows. AI tools isolated from daily processes get forgotten. Integrate them into how you already work.

Measure results. Track time saved or outcomes improved. If a tool isn’t delivering value after a fair trial, stop paying for it.

Getting Expert Help

For businesses wanting to explore AI more strategically, Team400 can assess your situation and recommend appropriate tools. This is particularly valuable for businesses considering significant investment or complex implementation.

The right consultant understands regional realities—connectivity limitations, smaller budgets, different priorities than metropolitan businesses. Generic AI advice often doesn’t translate to regional contexts.

Looking Ahead

AI capabilities are improving rapidly. Tools that are marginal today may be compelling in a year. Keeping awareness of developments—without chasing every new release—positions businesses to adopt valuable tools when they mature.

The businesses getting most from AI today share common characteristics: they identify specific problems, find tools addressing those problems, and implement thoroughly. They don’t chase AI for its own sake.

That practical approach—matching tools to genuine needs—is the path to AI value for regional small businesses.

What problems would you solve if you could? That’s the question to start with.