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AI Tools That Help Small Businesses Excel | Dennis Jackson & Benny Carreon
Manage episode 521171078 series 2980277
What happens when small businesses stop fearing AI—and start using it to remove friction, boost margins, and strengthen customer trust?
Summary:
We trade fear for facts and show how real small businesses put AI to work without losing the human touch. From “Tina” the chatbot to contact-center triage, sales coaching, and smarter inventory planning, we map where humans still lead—and where bots quietly drive efficiency, speed, and margin growth.
We also dig into the changing labor market, the disappearance of entry-level tech roles, and why care, therapy, and spiritual support will remain human-only. If you’re a small business owner wondering how to test AI tools safely and ethically, this episode gives you real-world examples and a simple rule: AI drafts, humans decide.
🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBusinessSafari
💡 GOLD NUGGETS
• AI chat handling after-hours inquiries with clean human handoffs
• Why call centers are giving way to contact centers + chat automation
• Sales coaching using recorded ride-alongs & feedback loops
• What shifting market signals show across demographics
• The vanishing entry-level pipeline in tech roles
• Three domains AI won’t replace: caregiving, therapy, spiritual roles
• Why small companies have the edge in testing emerging AI tools
• Seasonal forecasting + inventory insights from real case studies
• Google vs ChatGPT and the new research habits
• A simple operational rule: AI drafts; humans decide
🔗 Guest Links
• W Rxsolution: Worxsolution.com
• Veloci Technology Group: velocitechnology.group
• WFH with Two Guys: Find on LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/dennisjackson10
linkedin.com/in/https://www.linkedin.com/company/wfh-with-2-guys/posts/
🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari
• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast
• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia/
• Website | https://chrislalomia.com
From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.
Chapters
1. Tina The Chatbot Joins The Team (00:00:00)
2. Why After-Hours Call Centers Are Fading (00:01:42)
3. Show Open And Safari Mission (00:01:58)
4. Host Banter And NARI Stories (00:03:00)
5. Market Uncertainty Across All Segments (00:05:02)
6. Ride-Along Recording And Sales Coaching (00:06:03)
7. Meet Guests Benny And Dennis (00:08:00)
8. WFH With Two Guys Origin (00:09:10)
9. What Their Companies Actually Do (00:11:20)
10. Early AI Advocacy And Jokes (00:12:40)
11. Will AI Eliminate Jobs Or Entry Paths (00:14:47)
12. Three Human-Proof Domains For Work (00:17:25)
13. Robots, Trades, And Trust In Homes (00:19:20)
14. Adoption Curves And Big Tech Missteps (00:21:25)
15. Small Business AI Wins And Examples (00:23:10)
16. Seasonal Inventory And Forecasting AI (00:25:20)
17. Personal Use: Finding A Better Car Deal (00:26:45)
18. Practical Workflow Automation Tactics (00:28:07)
19. Replacing After-Hours With Smart Chat (00:30:05)
20. Contact Centers, Attrition, And AI Triage (00:31:15)
21. Building Specialist Roles Over Scripts (00:33:15)
22. Fear, Hype, And Realistic AI Onramps (00:35:10)
23. Try It Now: Rufus And Copilots (00:37:15)
24. Google Vs ChatGPT: What’s Different (00:38:15)
25. Let AI Outline, Humans Add Insight (00:40:35)
26. Closing: Tools, Not Replacements (00:42:15)
257 episodes
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