AI Tools: 5 Best Practices for Small Businesses
There’s seemingly endless buzz around AI. And “buzz” is exactly how it can feel: constant, confusing, and sometimes even annoying. Small businesses looking to adopt their own AI tools may not know where to start or what mistakes to avoid.
That’s why we’re covering 5 best practices for small businesses starting with AI, from picking the right AI for the right job to creating a detailed AI policy.
Let’s get into it.
Key Takeaways
- Choose the right AI tools for the right job.
- Protect your data when using AI tools and services.
- Set clear boundaries for AI agents.
- Always check your AI’s work.
- Create an AI policy and keep it updated.
AI Security and Adoption Challenges
Your employees are using AI even if you don’t know it – It’s a fact. Just look at Salesforce’s survey where 55% of surveyed employees reported using unapproved AI tools at work. We call this unmonitored, undocumented use of AI, shadow AI.
Here are a few AI security challenges your business needs to be aware of:
- Sensitive data exposure: 94% of people don’t understand the privacy risks of using AI at work. That means they might end up sharing sensitive information – such as client data or financial information – with their AI tools.
- Security gaps: If you don’t know what AI tools are being used, you won’t know what needs protecting. If one of those unmonitored services is compromised in a cyberattack, your business could be exposed.
- Compliance issues: If client data is exposed, or your business experiences a security incident because of poor AI security, you could face legal consequences and hefty fines depending on the data and regulations involved.
- AI hallucinations: If your employees aren’t checking their AI output, they may miss mistakes – because AI does make mistakes. This behavior is known as AI hallucinations. Say, for example, an employee uses AI to generate code, and assumes it’s correct, only to find out later that the AI made a mistake.
So how can businesses avoid these challenges? They can start by implementing these 5 best practices when adopting AI across their business. But first…
What Is an AI Agent?
While AI tools typically solve an immediate task – Claude writing a draft, for example – an AI agent can take things much farther.
That’s because AI agents can act more independently, using multiple tools and systems to complete a series of tasks based on a goal you give it.
For example, let’s say you run a local hotel. You could have an AI agent automate customer booking inquiries, handle scheduling, answer pricing questions, and send out appointment reminders.
Finding the right combination of AI tools and AI agents is where you’ll truly take your AI implementation to the next level.
1. Use the Right AI for the Right Job
Not every AI tool will fit your business. When implementing AI, you should start with a goal in mind.
Ask yourself: “What problem am I trying to solve?”
Maybe you want to answer customer questions faster. Maybe you want a way to automatically sort your messy inbox. Maybe your employees could benefit from an HR hub that makes it easier to find important information. Or maybe you aren’t creating enough marketing content and need a little help.
Jot down your main problems and work from there. And remember, you shouldn’t just be trying to use AI because it’s the new hotness. You should use it because it makes sense for your business.
2. Choose a Secure AI Provider
You’re going to need to do two things before picking your AI tools: find a secure AI vendor and understand how that vendor handles your data.
When looking for secure AI tools, check for these key things:
Is this the “free” or “paid” version?
Paid business AI services often offer stronger privacy and data controls compared to free AI tools. Check the provider’s terms before sharing any sensitive information – or just keep that info out of AI.
Can you opt out of training?
Make sure your ideas or client lists aren’t being used to “teach” the AI how to help your competitors.
Is it properly secured?
Look for security certificates like SOC2 Type II or other mentions of compliance regulations. If the company can’t provide certification, reconsider sharing your data.
How does the AI handle data?
Does the tool use your data to train its AI models? How long does it save your data for? Can you access your data once it’s entered the AI?
Does the vendor offer AI agents?
Do you need more than just a basic AI tool? Maybe you want an autonomous marketing system, or data-entry assistant, or something that can handle a series of tasks without constant input. Look around for vendors that offer agents that make the most sense for your business.
Only by fully understanding what AI tools and AI agents a vendor offers, and how they properly handle your data, can you move forward with confidence.
3. Protect Your Data
Picking an AI provider is a good start, but you’ll also need to be able to protect your own data.
The last thing you want is an AI tool accessing confidential or proprietary information it shouldn’t have – that’s how your intern stumbles into sensitive client info.
When setting up AI in your business, you should:
- Apply permissions: AI security starts with controlling what your AI can access. Restrict permissions so your AI tools or agents can only access the bare minimum information needed to function.
- Turn off model training when possible: If given the option, disable the use of your business data for model training unless there’s a specific reason to keep it enabled.
- Update your security: Even with the most trustworthy vendors, cyber incidents can happen. That’s why your own security tools – multi-factor authentication, anti-virus, zero trust policies, encryption, etc. – should be regularly updated so your defenses are always prepared for the worst.
4. Always Check Your AI’s Work
As we mentioned earlier, AI can get things wrong and hallucinate answers.
At its core, AI tools – specifically LLMs like Claude and ChatGPT – are prediction systems. When an AI answers a query, it generates a response based on patterns it has learned. And while AI tools are incredibly powerful, they won’t always know when they’re wrong.
That’s why human oversight is so important.
We recommend implementing a final “quality” check before using any AI output. That could be before something goes live on your website, an email is sent out to clients, or data is entered into spreadsheets.
By keeping a human involved in the process, you drastically reduce the chance of a mistake slipping through the cracks.
5. Create a Strong AI policy and Keep it Updated.
Think of an AI policy like a user’s guide for using AI in your company. It defines how AI tools should be used, who can use AI, what it should be used for, and what information is safe to enter into them.
A strong AI policy covers:
- Approved AI tools and services
- Acceptable AI use
- Sensitive information employees should never enter into AI
- Rules for AI-generated content
- AI agent permissions
- Human oversight
- AI security requirements
- Compliance requirements
An AI policy is not a one-and-done. AI is changing fast. New tools are being created, AI agents are becoming stronger, and AI security risks continue to evolve. Your AI policy can’t afford to stay static.
If you’re curious about building your own policy, check out our full post designed to help small businesses get started.
The 20 MSP Gets AI
The businesses that take the time to understand their AI tools and adapt their business around them will have a massive advantage moving forward.
If that all seems like a bit much to handle, that’s what we’re here for.
At The 20 MSP, we offer small businesses AI consultation, data governance, employee training, and a whole lot more to help them adopt AI without risk.
Ultimately, AI is just another layer of your tech stack – a crazy powerful one, but technology nonetheless. That’s why we help small businesses figure out where AI makes sense in their businesses, and build the foundation they need to use it.
Whether you’re looking at new AI agents, assessing AI security risks, or just trying to figure out what AI tools make sense for your business, you don’t have to go it alone.
Reach out today, and we can help you along your AI journey.
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About The 20 MSP
As a leading provider of managed IT services, The 20 MSP serves thousands of businesses nationwide, providing each one with white-glove service, secure and streamlined IT infrastructure, and 24/7/365 dedicated IT support. We believe in building lasting relationships with clients founded on trust, communication, and the delivery of high-value services for a fair and predictable price. Our clients’ success is our success, and we are committed to helping each and every organization we serve leverage technology to secure a competitive advantage and achieve new growth.
