Categories: Blog

Startup Business Tips: How To Best Use AI In A Startup

Introduction:

As a Founder navigating the dynamic landscape of startup success, you often come across a barrage of startup business tips. However, you deserve insights from someone who has been in your shoes. I’m a serial entrepreneur, a prolific angel investor, and a mentor at global startup accelerators. Welcome to my blog, where I share practical and proven advice on achieving your entrepreneurial goals.

Amidst the wealth of information available, specificity is key to truly actionable advice. Today, we’ll focus on harnessing the power of apps and automation to drive your startup forward efficiently and effectively.

Embrace the excitement and potential of your entrepreneurial journey as we explore the best ways to leverage apps and automation.

Together, we’ll discover the tools that lay the groundwork for success and propel your startup towards your envisioned exit.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a robust understanding of which apps and automation to integrate at different stages of your startup’s growth, ensuring seamless operations and elevated productivity.

Whether you are just embarking on your startup venture or looking to optimize your existing processes, read on to unlock the best Startup business tips covering AI and automation.

In the beginning…

One of the first choices you need to make is what work platform you use. By that I mean Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Clearly, there are pros and cons to using both. It is a decision left to the Founder/s but one that needs to be taken first, before developing a more complete App + Automation strategy.

Startup business tips: build a strong foundation

Establish control and communication processes early. No startup ever failed because of good communication, knowing how much cash they had, and being aware of progress on critical processes.

If you choose Google Workspace as your business platform, you get access to Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet, Chat, Docs, Sheets and Slides. That covers the basics.
On top of your Microsoft/Google foundation (slab), you need to add the following. Accounting software (Wave – Xero et al). Team communication and task management (Slack – Notion et al). And time tracking – attendance – payroll software (Clockify – OnTheClock – Rippling et al).
As you start to build or create your product or service, you should be testing your thesis about customer fit by conducting surveys/focus groups etc. This would be a good time to add something like Survey Monkey – Typeform – Gleap et al.
When you are ready for a BETA test, you should consider adding these two. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Business Intelligence (BI) modules.

No list of Startup business tips is complete without automation

Aman Sharma a 4X SaaS Founder has this to say…

Just 3 Automations can save 15 additional hrs in a week.
1. Development previews – Setup Vercel Deployment & Previews Saves 20 mins/ deployment x ~10 Deployment/ week = 200 mins
2. Customer Support – Setup Intercom automation Saves 15 mins/ customer ticket x ~ 30 ticker/ week = 450 mins
3. CRM interaction – Setup Pipedrive Automation Saves 5 mins/ lead x ~ 50 leads/ week = 250 mins Total = 900 mins = 15 hrs

Read his full post on the subject here…

If you are a (potential) Founder, I wrote a post about how Generative AI (ChatGPT et al) might make some businesses obsolete.

Conclusion about Startup Business Tips:

Summary: From inception to exit, the journey of a startup demands a strategic blend of innovation and efficiency. With the power of apps and automation at your fingertips, you can streamline operations and scale your startup to new heights.

Proof: We have explored a range of essential apps and automation tools tailored to each stage of your startup’s growth. Start utilizing platforms like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Then integrate accounting software, team communication tools, and CRM modules, and you will build a strong foundation for success.

Emotions: Embrace the time-saving potential of automation and the excitement of taking your startup to the next level.

Action: Armed with insights from successful entrepreneurs, take immediate action to incorporate these tools into your daily operations.

Resolution: As you embark on your entrepreneurial journey, remember that apps and automation are your allies. They save you valuable time and resources. Keep iterating, refining, and seizing new opportunities as your startup flourishes.

With this comprehensive guide, you are equipped to make informed decisions that optimize AI and automation in your startup. Hence, paving the way for a successful and fulfilling entrepreneurial venture.

Applicable to you are a seasoned Founder seeking new strategies or a potential Founder planning your startup’s future. You can take charge with the knowledge and tools to thrive in the dynamic world of startups.

About the Author

James Spurway is an Angel Investor, Mentor, Advisor, Speaker, former Commercial Pilot, and Author who specialises in raising debt and equity capital. He strives to model diversity, equity, and inclusion in the founders he agrees to invest and work with. He has paused his angel investing activity to focus on raising his first US$ 50M venture capital fund, which will invest in startups that can accelerate the achievement of net zero emissions. James spent the past 33 years living in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, the USA, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Australia, his country of birth. In that time, he started 10 businesses, exited from seven, shut down two, and kept one. He has invested in a total of 50 startups since 2001 and had six successful exits.

James Spurway

Genius is widely distributed. Opportunity is not. If you were #rejected by a top-ranked #accelerator, we can check your #pitchdeck, #model, and #capvalue to make you #investorready and help get you #funded. I'm a serial entrepreneur, startup mentor and fundraising advisor, angel investor, licenced twin-engine commercial pilot, author and speaker.