Small businesses must constantly seek ways to optimize operations, enhance efficiency, and ultimately, achieve sustainable growth. The Discovery Foundation's Applied AI for Business and Education project, delivered by Kamloops Innovation, aims to make AI more accessible to businesses and individuals. The project’s mentorship program is playing a crucial role in empowering entrepreneurs like Sarah Mathieu from MyBrokerPro to leverage AI for success.
Sarah, the owner of My Broker Pro, has been actively participating in the project's mentorship program, which pairs business owners with AI specialists. The program has provided Sarah with invaluable guidance and support, enabling her to integrate AI seamlessly into her business operations.
Before joining the program, Sarah's business faced several time-consuming challenges, including extensive copywriting and manual customer support. She was already using AI to a limited extent but recognized the need to expand her knowledge and application of AI tools. The mentorship program offered a personalized approach to address her specific business needs.
“Honestly, for businesses thinking of taking this program, it was almost life-changing for me and I think it's something that everybody should be a part of.”
The mentorship program provided Sarah with one-on-one sessions with an AI specialist who helped her identify and prioritize the areas where AI could make the most significant impact. Sarah's mentor helped her understand how to build custom GPTs, a powerful AI tool she had not previously utilized. Working collaboratively, they developed a custom GPT for customer support, which has significantly reduced the workload on her team, providing customers with instant answers to their questions and freeing up her team to focus on more complex tasks.
“After we created the custom GPT, I was able to shave almost 50 hours a month,” noted Sarah.
Sarah also used custom GPTs to streamline her content creation process, resulting in a significant reduction in time spent on marketing tasks.
As demonstrated by Sarah’s experience, the Discovery Foundation's Applied AI for Business and Education project is making a real difference by equipping entrepreneurs with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to thrive in the rapidly evolving technological landscape.
For businesses hesitant to adopt AI, Sarah emphasizes its crucial role in the future of business operations. “Honestly, for businesses thinking of taking this program, it was almost life-changing for me and I think it's something that everybody should be a part of.”
Sarah highlighted the program's impact on her team's efficiency and her ability to focus on strategic business growth. By delegating tasks to her team, Sarah has been able to work "on" her business rather than "in" her business, a crucial shift for any entrepreneur seeking sustainable success.
Kamloops Innovation’s commitment to fostering AI adoption through mentorship not only enhances individual businesses but also strengthens the broader economic landscape. By empowering entrepreneurs like Sarah, Kamloops Innovation contributes to a more innovative and competitive business ecosystem.
Learn more about the Discovery Foundation and its Technology Education Program.