Artificial intelligence has evolved far beyond writing emails or generating social media posts.
During Thryv’s webinar, Gene Marks explained that the businesses seeing the biggest gains aren’t simply asking ChatGPT random questions. They’re integrating AI directly into the systems they already use every day.
Instead of treating AI as another search engine, successful businesses are using it to:
• Analyze customer information
• Review contracts
• Summarize financial data
• Create reports instantly
• Recommend pricing
• Improve operational decisions
That shift from experimentation to implementation is where real productivity gains begin.
Key Takeaways
- AI delivers the biggest business value when connected to your own business data, not just public information.
- Most small businesses already have AI built into the software they use every day but aren’t taking advantage of it.
- AI agents can automate repetitive work like scheduling, reporting, document reviews, and customer communications.
- Businesses should identify one high-impact workflow before investing in custom AI solutions.
- Every business should create an AI policy to guide responsible, secure employee use.
Understand the Risks Before You Scale
AI offers tremendous opportunity, but every technology investment requires balancing risk with reward.
Gene highlighted several areas every business owner should understand before expanding AI use:
Hallucinations
AI sometimes provides incorrect information with complete confidence.
Always verify important business decisions before acting.
Misinformation
AI only performs as well as the information it receives.
Poor inputs often create poor outputs.
Privacy and Security
Cloud-based AI platforms continue improving security, but businesses should avoid sharing sensitive information without understanding how their chosen platform stores and protects data.
Bias
Businesses using AI in hiring, HR, or customer decisions should review outputs carefully and stay aware of emerging regulations.
Deepfakes
As AI-generated content becomes more convincing, verifying information through trusted sources becomes increasingly important.
Gene emphasized that AI should be viewed like any other business investment: understand the risks, evaluate the rewards, and make informed decisions.
Connect AI to Your Business Data
One of the biggest missed opportunities for small businesses is leaving valuable business data trapped inside disconnected systems.
Instead of asking AI general questions, businesses should connect platforms like ChatGPT or Claude to tools they already use, including:
- Gmail
- Google Drive
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Outlook
- QuickBooks
- PayPal
- Zoom
- Microsoft Teams
Once connected, AI becomes dramatically more useful.
For example, businesses can ask:
- Which customers were most profitable last quarter?
- Compare my freight invoices against contract pricing.
- Review this proposal before I send it.
- Which accounts are consistently paying late?
- Recommend pricing based on previous estimates.
Rather than searching the internet, AI begins analyzing your own business.
Why This Matters for Thryv Customers
Many businesses already store customer conversations, appointments, invoices, and their CRM data inside Thryv.
As AI capabilities continue expanding, connected business data becomes the foundation for smarter insights, better automation, and faster decision-making.
Build AI Around Real Business Problems
Not every business needs a custom AI application.
But many can benefit from solving one specific operational challenge.
Gene encouraged business owners to start with “low-hanging fruit.”
Examples include:
Inventory Optimization
Forecast inventory needs and automate purchasing decisions.
Faster Estimates
Generate proposals automatically after customer conversations.
Sales Recommendations
Suggest complementary products during customer interactions.
Predictive Maintenance
Monitor equipment using sensors before failures occur.
Smarter Scheduling
Automatically assign appointments based on technician availability and customer location.
Internal Knowledge Bases
Allow employees to search manuals, documentation, policies, and product information using natural language.
The goal isn’t to replace people.
It’s to remove repetitive work so employees can focus on higher-value tasks.
AI Expert Insight
Businesses that gain the greatest advantage from AI won’t be the ones chasing every new tool. They’ll be the ones solving real business problems.
Gene Marks
Create an AI Policy Before You Need One
Technology adoption should include clear expectations.
Gene recommended that every business create an internal AI policy covering:
- Approved AI tools
- Acceptable business use
- Data governance
- Employee responsibilities
- Privacy expectations
- Security requirements
The good news?
AI can help draft the first version.
Business owners can ask ChatGPT or Claude to generate a policy, then review it with legal and IT advisors before implementing it.
See how your business stacks up against competitors
Get a free AI-powered report showing where you rank online and what to fix first.
AI Success Starts with Solving Real Business Problems
AI isn’t replacing business owners.
It’s becoming another tool that helps businesses work faster, make smarter decisions, and eliminate repetitive work.
The businesses gaining the greatest advantage aren’t chasing every new AI trend. They’re focusing on practical improvements that save time, improve customer experiences, and increase profitability.
Whether you’re connecting AI to your CRM, automating reporting, or exploring intelligent scheduling, starting with one meaningful use case can create momentum for broader AI adoption.
As Gene Marks concluded, the future of AI will become increasingly invisible, quietly working behind the scenes to support everyday business operations while helping teams accomplish more with less effort.
4 AI Checklists to Automate and Grow Your Small Business
Simplify your daily operations with practical AI checklists designed to save time, improve consistency, and help you scale with confidence. From CRM and content to dashboards and customer interactions, learn how to streamline the systems that power your business.
Download
Ready to Put AI to Work?
The right software makes AI more practical by bringing together your customer data, communications, scheduling, and marketing in one place.
Try the upgraded Thryv™ to see how AI-powered tools can help you capture more leads, automate follow-up, manage customer relationships, and spend less time on manual tasks so you can focus on growing your business.
Frequently asked questions
Begin with the software you already use. Many platforms now include built-in AI features that can summarize information, automate repetitive tasks, and generate reports before investing in more advanced solutions.
Yes. Connecting AI to business systems like CRM, accounting, and document storage allows it to provide insights based on your actual customers, operations, and financial data rather than general internet information.
AI can be used responsibly when businesses understand its limitations, verify important outputs, protect sensitive information, and establish clear internal policies governing employee use.
An AI agent performs tasks on your behalf, such as reviewing documents, completing workflows, scheduling appointments, or gathering information across multiple systems with minimal manual input.
Not always. Many businesses can achieve significant productivity improvements by using the AI capabilities already built into their existing software before investing in custom solutions.
