No matter where you look, two initials seem to pop up everywhere – AI.
Artificial intelligence has permeated modern life faster and in more ways than almost any other technological innovation ever has.
Learning how to harness the power of AI will be the focus of a lunch and learn program presented by the Small Business Development Center.
“AI for Small Business Marketing” is a free program slated for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at San Juan College. This hybrid session will also be available via Zoom.
Carmen Martinez, director of the SBDC, explained some of the topics to be covered, which will include AI tools for automating tasks, effective prompt writing, avoiding AI mistakes and practical marketing uses. The class will be led by Elliot Anderson of Xsite Creative.
While people may have dipped their toes into the AI waters with such things as Chat GPT, this class will offer additional resources and guidance as to how to utilize this powerful tool, Martinez said.
She mentioned crafting email communications as an example. “If you’re not very comfortable in how to word certain things, you can create a prompt. Give AI some of the wording, and it’ll give you a more effective communication geared to your audience with the right terminology,” she said, such as whether it’s going to a lender, or an accountant, or potential customers or clients.
AI can also be a tremendous help is the area of recurring tasks. “If you have processes, like intake forms, those can be done with AI. You could write scripts to do that so it’s not as labor intensive,” Martinez said. “I don’t believe that we should replace people, but when you don’t have those people to begin with it’s nice to be able to do that.”
Marketing is also a key area for AI assistance. “You can tell AI to create a flyer for an event, a public service announcement or even a video. As long as you give it some of the initial information, it will come up with a whole bunch of things. And it’s very fast.”
Martinez explained this program will be helpful for pretty much anyone. “Truly, we all market in one way or another,” she said. “A lot of our clients use Facebook, Instagram, Google or Linked In – it’s pretty much for anyone to have more effective communication.”
Martinez mentioned another important reason for people to learn more about AI. “We encourage businesses to learn about AI to protect their personal data and avoid falling victim to AI-based scams,” she said.
The upcoming class has been getting a lot of response, with 22 signed up with the class more than a week and a half away. The lunch and learn will be presented at the college in a classroom that seats 50, but will also be available online. The SBDC has 18 centers throughout New Mexico. “We have attracted businesses from all over the state for this program,” Martinez said.
In addition to the free lunch and learn session, Martinez also pointed to free on-line courses available through America’s SBDC AI University, a national small business program dedicated to providing foundational AI training to small businesses seeking to leverage AI’s potential. People can access this free information at www.americassbdc-ai-u.org.
To sign up for the July 17 lunch and learn in-person or via Zoom, or for more information and details, contact the SBDC at https://nmsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/14052 or call Kristy King at 505-566-3528.
