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How AI is Changing The Landscape for The Self-Employed
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard at least one person mention Chat GPT. Artificial intelligence is now bigger than it has ever been before, with companies like Open AI, Google, and Microsoft all throwing their hats in the ring with generative AI.
But while these new AI chatbots are certainly interesting to play around with, many people have been asking the same question: what are the practical use cases of AI, and how will it affect self-employed workers? In this post, we’ll be answering this question, discussing the use cases of different AI software, and whether it could either help or hinder small businesses.
Is AI making things easier or better for the self-employed?
With the rapid advancement of AI technology, it’s been hotly debated whether AI tools like Chat GPT and Midjourney will make things better or worse in the long run for small business owners and freelancers.
On the one hand, these tools have helped to streamline more monotonous processes and save tons of time for programmers, copywriters, and various other professionals. But on the other hand, many businesses have started viewing AI as a complete replacement for their workers, rather than a tool for them — resulting in some job loss.
But when taking a closer look at AI, it’s clear that it offers far more practical use cases than just writing assistance and image generation — entrepreneurs should not fear losing their jobs from AI but rather should learn how to take proper advantage of them. By doing so, entrepreneurs will benefit from AI and use it to improve their craft, rather than losing their jobs to it. Here are just a handful of the types of AI tools that self-employed workers should be taking advantage of.
AI tools for entrepreneurs
Large Language Models
When others throw around the term “AI,” they’re likely referring to LLMs (large language models). These include Chat GPT, Google Bard, Jasper Chat, and many others. Essentially, LLMs are advanced chatbots that can be requested to write a wide range of deliverables including drafting emails or blog posts, creative writing, brainstorming, offering information on topics, and much more.
These tools offer tons of practical use cases for entrepreneurs, including assisting with coding, brainstorming ideas, and so much more. When using an LLM, it is important to think of them as a tool, rather than an outright replacement for work.
Writing tools
While LLMs like Chat GPT can assist with writing tasks, it isn’t tailored specifically to it. If your micro business is looking for the best possible tool for crafting content such as social media posts, blogs, and email newsletters, there are better options available.
Tools like Jasper AI, Copy.ai, and OwlyWriter streamline the process of content creation with minimal input from the user. These tools feature prompt-based systems where users enter a short description of their writing needs, and the AI tool generates relevant and well-written content. If you happen to be a small business owner without much writing expertise or a large enough budget for a writer, then writing tools like Jasper AI, Copy.ai, and OwlyWriter may be the perfect fit.
Graphic Design tools
Running a family business means that you don’t always have the funding to hire outside talent, such as graphic designers. Thankfully, there also happens to be plenty of AI graphic design tools available that can allow you to create great designs with little to no prior experience. From Design.ai’s logo creation tool to text-to-image generation tools like Midjourney and DALL-E, there are tons of different graphic design tools available that offer a slew of features.
Job Seeker tools
If you happen to be an entrepreneur whose small business depends on selling your services to other businesses, then you’re probably constantly sending out resumes and cover letters. Thankfully, there are also tons of AI tools out there that help to simplify this process. Tools like Resume Worded can help spice up your resume, while Cover Letter Copilot eases the process of writing a cover letter by offering suggestions and edits. Overall, there are lots of great AI tools out there for simplifying client acquisition, so that you can spend less time finding work and more time on your craft.
Grammar checkers
Regardless of what industry you work in, good grammar is always important. One easy way for a micro business owner to avoid bad grammar is through using an AI grammar tool; Grammarly is probably the most popular, but any AI grammar tool will do. These tools can be added onto your web browser as a plugin so that you’ll always catch spelling and punctuation mistakes, whether you’re sending an email, crafting a social media post, or anything else.
Plagiarism and AI content detectors
While AI writing tools can bolster your writing output substantially, not all of them feature built-in plagiarism checkers. Some AI tools will outright take content from the web verbatim, which is considered plagiarism. This is a huge no-no and can get you and your business in huge trouble if caught. Because of this, it’s highly recommended to use a plagiarism checker, and while you’re at it, an AI content detector to ensure that your business’s written content is unique. Originality.ai, GPTZero, and Copyleaks are all great plagiarism and AI content detectors.
AI website builders
Building a business website can be daunting, especially if you happen to be less tech-savvy. But thankfully, the process of creating a website has gotten considerably easier thanks to modern website builders. Many modern website builders utilize AI technology that makes the whole process faster and more painless than ever before – if you’re a small business owner who needs a site built quickly, then we recommend using Wix, Hostinger, or Jimdo.
Can AI automate business processes?
AI is capable of automating various business processes, from graphic design to copywriting, and so much more. While AI may never fully replace jobs entirely, it can certainly help to streamline various tasks and make things easier for entrepreneurs interested in growing a business.
If you’ve never tried using AI before, then we suggest conducting a bit of research yourself – many of the AI tools mentioned above offer free trials or are entirely free to use, so there’s no reason to not try them out. Testing them out for yourself won’t cost you anything out of pocket, and your business may end up benefiting from it.
Where has AI come from and where is it going?
AI has been in development for many years, with more rudimentary AI writing tools being around for decades now. It’s only since Chat GPT’s release in late 2022 that the technology truly broke into the mainstream.
Moving forward, it’s highly likely that this technology will continue to grow, expand, and improve over time. While it’s doubtful that graphic design, content writing, and web design will ever be completely replaced by artificial intelligence, AI will continue offering new and innovative ways of improving efficiency and productivity. Whether you’re starting a business from scratch or are simply looking for new ways to cut down costs for your existing small business, AI may be a great asset for you.
Starting a new business and need a bit of additional guidance? Consider becoming a member of NASE today. NASE offers tons of guidance, resources, and benefits for self-employed workers, and can help get you one step closer to running a successful business.