Whether you’re already dabbling with ChatGPT or haven’t touched AI at all – it doesn’t matter.
This is a great place to begin, or to take your next step with AI.

Just like the industrial revolution or the rise of the internet, AI is a game-changer. But this time, small businesses in Australia have a real chance to level the playing field – even against companies with much bigger budgets and teams.

“AI technology has the power to streamline operations, improve customer experience, and drive growth for businesses of all sizes.”

And you probably already know that – otherwise, you wouldn’t be here reading this.
But…

• . How do you actually get started?
• . Is it easy to use?
• . Will it take hours to set up or cost a fortune?
• . Do you need to hire some ‘AI expert’ who speaks a different language?
• . What does AI look like in a real business?
• . And who on your team is already using it – and how?

These are exactly the kinds of questions I’ll help you answer.

With a background working in large corporations and more recently with small Aussie businesses, I understand what small business owners truly want:

• Save time.
• Save money.
• Get more leads.
• Increase sales.
• Stay in control of new tech.

That’s why I created the PANDA brand – and that’s the purpose of this blog.
To give you clear, simple guidance on using AI the right way in your business, starting now.

Let’s get your business moving in the right direction – with practical tools, tips, and insights that work in the real world.

Here is a definition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for small businesses – provided, ironically, by AI:

"Here's a clear and practical definition of artificial intelligence (AI) tailored for a business owner in Australia:

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems or software that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence - such as understanding language, recognising patterns, learning from data, making decisions, or solving problems.

For example, AI can be used to:

• . Predict customer behaviour based on past purchases,
• . Automate admin tasks like data entry or email replies,
• . Or even detect fraud or unusual patterns in financial records.

It's not about robots taking over - it’s about using smart tools to work more efficiently, reduce costs, and make better decisions."

For small businesses in Australia, AI means using powerful tools available today to help achieve your business goals faster and more efficiently.

If you’re just starting to explore AI, here are four important things every small business owner should know:

1. AI Doesn’t Have to Be a Big Mystery

Sure, AI tools has been developed by technical experts, but you don’t need to be a tech whiz to use it effectively in your business. AI tools are designed to be user-friendly, and with a little practice, you’ll be able to see amazing results in no time – and enjoy the process!

2. Understand the 4 Main Types of AI Tools

AI comes in many forms, but the most common tools that can benefit your business are:

• Text LLM (Large Language Models) – for tasks like writing and answering questions.
• Text-to-Image – for creating visuals to use in marketing or content.
• Text-to-Video – for creating engaging videos.
• Text-to-Audio – for generating voiceovers or podcasts.

Each of these can help streamline your operations and improve your communications.

3. Know Which Tools to Use Every Day

Not all AI tools will be necessary for every small business. It's important to select the right tools that align with your business goals, whether that’s improving marketing, customer service, or content creation. These tools can help save time, cut costs, and increase your reach.

4. Develop your AI Strategy - by Understanding How Your Team Is Using AI Now

The first step in developing an AI Strategy for your small business, is to know and understand how your team is using AI in your business - if at all. Understanding their tools and workflows helps identify opportunities to improve efficiency and collaboration – and to make sure everyone’s on the same page. See details below.

Large Language Model – a type of advanced artificial intelligence that can understand and generate human-like language.

In practical terms:
An LLM is the technology behind tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft's Copilot. These tools can:

• . Write content (like emails, ads, or blog posts),
• . Answer customer questions automatically,
• . Summarise reports or documents,
• . Translate languages, and
• . Help brainstorm or research quickly.

To function effectively, LLMs are trained on billions of words from books, articles, and online content. This allows them to recognize patterns, common phrases, and structures in human language.

Note: LLMs struggle with long-term context. While they can maintain coherence over short passages, they may lose track of key details in lengthy conversations.

From my recent experience (note AI moves quickly – information up to date with my experience when I wrote this blog), here are the tools (off-the-shelf) that I recommend for specific tasks – if you are at the Beginner Level of Using AI as your Assistant. All have free trial access.

Type	Name	Owned by	Recommended for
LLM	ChatGPT	Open AI (USA) - Several founders incl Elon Musk. Microsoft major investor.	Most things – problems, decisions, communication etc.
LLM	CoPilot	Microsoft (USA)	Drafting documents, analyzing data, automating processes, and summarizing information from meetings.
LLM	Claude	Anthropic (USA) Founders Amodei & Amodei (siblings and former Open AI Employees. Investments by Google, Amazon and Microsoft)	Deeper level of analysis than ChatGPT. For example, drafting policies.
LLM	Perplexity AI	Perplexity. Founded by Srinivas & Lu (USA)	Research – provides sources of information for fact-checking.
Text to Image	Leonardo.AI	Australian start-up acquired by Canva	Creating images from a text prompt.
Text to Image	ChatGPT	Open AI (USA) - Several founders incl Elon Musk. Microsoft major investor.	Creating images from a text prompt.
Text to Video	Kling.ai	Kuaishou Technology (China)	Creating videos from a text prompt – about a 5 second limit.
Text to Audio	ElevenLabs	Founded by Staniszewski & Dabkowski (Poland)	Creating voice over from a text prompt – in different language styles (including Australian).

Start with ChatGPT – if you haven’t already. Go to Google and enter “download chatgpt”.

Experiment by simply asking some questions. Then compare the same question with, for example, using Perplexity – which provides source documents for your questions.

While LLMs can generate text efficiently, they lack true creativity. They remix existing content rather than invent new ideas, making them useful but not entirely original.

LLMs assist writers by generating ideas, outlining articles, and even drafting full-length pieces. However, human oversight is needed to ensure accuracy and authenticity.

Once you start using AI to help generate content (e.g., blogs, newsletters), make sure you review it for “human oversight”. This is to help ensure your customers and team can relate to it – and you are not just “spitting things out,” which may affect Google SEO.

AI tends to overuse certain words and phrases, often choosing overly complex or formal language. Words like:

• "plethora"
• "utilize"
• "paradigm"
• "robust"
• "framework"

Other frequently used terms include:

• "comprehensive"
• "nuanced"
• "leveraging"
• "synergy"
• "dynamic"
• "intricacies"
• "holistic"
• "underpinning"
• "trajectory"

AI also tends to favour transition phrases such as:

• "in light of"
• "to a certain extent"
• "arguably"
• "it is worth noting"

Despite AI's capabilities, human writing remains irreplaceable. Authenticity, personal experience, and emotional depth set human-created content apart from AI-generated text. Working in small business in your specialist area, you are the expert - and your customers are looking to learn from YOU. So use AI to help generate some ideas - it really is a great way to kick you off - getting over any "writer's block". Then "humanise" it with your expertise and experience. AI can also write in your "brand voice" - the "how to" of that subject at another time.

When starting with AI, the most important skill to learn is writing text prompts that will get the best outcome from AI – for you. Learning how to write effective AI prompts, called “prompt engineering” is a bit of an artform. It takes time to explore, test, and refine your approach in order to unlock the full potential of AI.
For example results from using this prompt: "Improve this passage: .....", not as powerful as "Change this passage to be more user-engaging and easy to read, and will encourage users to read more ....".
I will post a blog specialising in this area soon.

“Challenge Accepted!”

Ask 3 different LLM platforms (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude), each of the following questions, one at a time:

1. Q1. My business is called “XYZ”. It provides XYZ to XYZ (markets) in (location). Who are the main competitors?

2. Q2. Then, of these companies, how does my business compare to these companies, in terms of:

   •    Criteria 1 (e.g., high profile in selling to <your preferred market>)
   •    Criteria 2 (e.g., easy to understand website for customers)

3. Q3. Then, what steps can my business take to be more like <the leading company>?

Then compare your responses across platforms.

To save even more time, you can outsource tasks like marketing support to our AI team at Panda-AI. Visit Panda-AI.com.au to explore our products and services. The homepage includes real examples of how we use all four major types of AI tools – from text and image generation to video and audio. We would also love to create an engaging song for your business. AI makes things so low cost now "it's ridiculous" as they say.

All leaders of small business need to develop an AI Strategy for their team. You need to consider: “Who else in the business is using AI – and how are they using it?”

That’s where Panda-AI comes in.

As a Business Psychologist and Change Manager, I’ve developed the Panda AIQ to help you understand how your team is using AI. It assesses AI usage across individuals and teams, then maps those results across your business.

Visit Panda-AI.com.au to learn more. I highly recommend starting with a trial of the AIQ – it’s all explained on the website. The AIQ also includes a risk profile to help you identify potential misuse of AI in your business.

Now you will have a solid base to develop your AI strategy for your business.

I look forward to supporting your journey into the AI world.

Profile your AIQ