AI Readiness Checklist for Small Business

Do you re-type or re-enter the same data into different systems every day?

If yes, a connected software team can own that pipeline end-to-end.

Do you know exactly how many hours per week go to inbox, scheduling, and admin?

If you don't, measure for 3 days — that number is your real cost of operations.

Is a single person the only one who knows how a critical process works?

That is your biggest risk and your best first automation candidate.

Do you spend more time approving work than doing work?

Approval loops are where software agents collapse first.

Are your customer replies slower than 24 hours on average?

Support is the easiest agent job: it is bounded, measurable, and high-frequency.

Do invoices, follow-ups, or renewals sometimes slip through?

Chasing money is 100% automatable — and it pays for itself immediately.

Would your business break if you stopped working for 2 weeks?

That is the definition of a company that runs on you, not on systems.

Do you have written playbooks (even rough ones) for your top 5 processes?

No playbooks = not ready yet. Start with one page per process.

Are you open to paying a fixed monthly cost for output instead of headcount?

Software-as-a-company is a different budget line — but it replaces payroll lines.

Are you willing to be a founding customer of something new — for real leverage?

Early customers get pricing locked and a direct line to shape the product.