AI chat assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini can save a small business owner hours every week, but only if you ask well. A vague request gets a vague answer. Below are 25 prompts we use with small business clients, grouped by task. Replace the text in [brackets] with your own details.
How to write a good business prompt
Every strong prompt has four parts: role (who the AI should act as), context (your business and customer), task (exactly what you want) and format (length, tone, bullet points or table). Always review the answer before you use it: AI can be confidently wrong.
Marketing prompts
- "Act as a social media manager for a [type of business] in [city]. Write 10 Instagram captions for [product], each under 40 words, with one clear call to action."
- "Give me a 4-week content calendar for [business] with 3 posts a week, mixing tips, behind-the-scenes and offers."
- "Rewrite this product description to focus on benefits for [customer type]: [paste text]."
- "Suggest 15 long-tail keywords people might search for when looking for [product] in [country]."
- "Write a short email announcing our [sale or launch] to existing customers. Friendly tone, under 120 words."
- "Turn this blog post into 5 LinkedIn posts: [paste text]."
Sales prompts
- "Write a polite WhatsApp follow-up for a customer who asked for a quote 3 days ago and has not replied."
- "List the 10 most common objections to buying [product] and a short, honest reply to each."
- "Create a simple 3-tier pricing table for [service], with what each tier includes."
- "Draft a cold email to [type of company] offering [service]. Under 100 words, one question at the end."
- "Summarise this sales call transcript into next steps and a follow-up message: [paste]."
Customer service prompts
- "Write 10 FAQ answers for our website about delivery, payment and refunds, based on these policies: [paste]."
- "Reply to this unhappy review calmly and professionally, offering a solution: [paste review]."
- "Translate this message into [language] in a warm, natural tone: [paste]."
- "Create a short WhatsApp auto-reply for after-hours messages."
Admin and operations prompts
- "Turn these notes into a clear standard operating procedure with numbered steps: [paste]."
- "Create an Excel formula that totals column C when column B says 'Paid'."
- "Write a job advert for a [role], including duties, requirements and benefits."
- "Draft a polite payment reminder for invoice [number], due on [date]."
- "Make a weekly checklist for running a small online shop."
Planning and strategy prompts
- "Act as a business coach. Ask me 10 questions to find the biggest bottleneck in my business."
- "Do a simple SWOT analysis for [business] based on this description: [paste]."
- "Suggest 5 low-cost ways to get my first 20 customers for [product]."
- "Compare these two suppliers in a table on price, delivery and risk: [paste]."
- "Create a 90-day plan to launch [product], with weekly goals."
Want 300 more prompts, ready to use?
- 50 AI Prompts for Small Business Owners: a quick, focused starter pack.
- AI Prompt Playbook: 300 Prompts in 6 Languages.
- Prompt Engineering Masterclass to learn the skill properly, or the Prompt Master Bundle to get both.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI tool is best for small business?
Any major chat assistant works for the prompts above. Pick one, learn it well and use the free tier first.
Is it safe to paste customer data into AI tools?
Avoid pasting personal or confidential data. Remove names, phone numbers and payment details first.
Will AI replace my staff?
AI is best at drafts and repetitive tasks. People still need to check, decide and build relationships. Results vary by business.
An Eseries Now AI Development Initiative · Powered by eportalnow.com