As a business owner, you wear many hats—now, instead of wearing 10 hats, AI gives you 10 chats to work smarter and get more done.
Moorhead, MN - June 10th | Carlton, MN - June 17th
Early Bird Ticket Pricing End April 30th
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Your guided path to exploring and using AI in your small business.
This is your space to explore how AI can simplify, support, and strengthen your business—no tech background required. Start with our 3-part video bootcamp (just 30 minutes) to learn what AI is, how generative tools work, and how to begin using them right away.
Then, dive into our curated AI tools built to help with real business tasks like planning, marketing, HR, customer feedback, and operations. Each one is ready to explore—click in, ask what it can do, and experiment with your own business context. The more you give, the better they respond.
Finally, grab our Downloadable AI Toolkit for Business—a growing set of checklists, templates, and guides to help you take action with confidence.
We're here to support your journey, so feel free to reach out with questions, feedback, or ideas for new tools.
Let’s get started.
— The West Central MN SBDC Team
Part 1
Navigating the Basics of “Artificial Intelligence”
Part 2
Unlocking the Power of GPTs for Small Business
Part 3
Building Confidence with Practical Tips & Tricks
This tool, SBDC Biz Buddy, is a personal business companion designed to guide entrepreneurs through the challenges of starting and growing a business. It offers practical tips, insights, and advice based on real-life experiences, while encouraging users to seek expert help from their local SBDC for in-depth support.
This chatbot provides clear, step-by-step instructions on how to start a business in Minnesota, using official resources to ensure accuracy and simplicity. It offers guidance while emphasizing that it does not provide legal, accounting, or tax advice, and directs users to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for further assistance.
This tool helps you create a traditional business plan, guiding you step-by-step with insights and suggestions. It covers everything from defining your idea to building financial projections, making the process easy to follow.
This chatbot helps business owners prepare for selling or exiting their business with practical, easy-to-follow advice on planning, valuation, protecting assets, and maintaining profitability. It offers clear guidance to ensure a smooth transition for your business.
This GPT helps small businesses develop and manage marketing campaigns by providing guidance on content creation, audience targeting, platform selection, and scheduling. It also offers personalized recommendations based on business details, while integrating strategies like email marketing and social media for effective promotion and customer engagement.
HR Blueprint Assistant helps small businesses create HR plans with customizable templates for job descriptions, recruitment strategies, and employee handbooks. It provides tailored advice based on the business's location and industry, while offering compliance reminders and encouraging users to consult professionals for specific legal guidance.
This virtual assistant helps small business owners create a customized cybersecurity plan by asking questions about their business, industry, and security practices. It provides tailored guidance based on industry standards and prioritizes critical security measures, offering recommendations on how to improve over time.
Strategy Integrator is a tool designed to help business owners and entrepreneurs create, structure, and manage their long-term business strategies by breaking them down into manageable goals across different timeframes, from 5-30 years to weekly tasks. It also facilitates team accountability by defining roles, assigning responsibilities, and tracking progress in regular team meetings to ensure alignment with the business vision.
Feedback Analyzer Pro helps small business owners and managers quickly analyze and interpret customer feedback by identifying key themes, common issues, and actionable insights. It summarizes feedback, detects sentiment, and provides recommendations to improve customer satisfaction, all in a simple and efficient manner.
Jumpstart your AI journey with simple, actionable resources built for small business owners. These tools are designed to help you explore, experiment, and apply AI in ways that make sense for your business—at your pace, on your terms. Whether you're just starting or ready to dive deeper, these downloads give you a solid foundation to move forward with confidence.
Disclaimer: The tools provided by the West Central SBDC AI Resource Lab are experimental and intended for educational purposes only. They are not designed to provide legal, financial, or professional advice. Users should always consult with a qualified professional and fact-check all outputs before making decisions. The use of these tools is at the user’s own risk, and users are solely responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided.
Copyright © 2018 West Central Minnesota SBDC (Small Business Development Center) - All Rights Reserved.