Artificial Intelligence
tech guide & how tos..
When people hear artificial intelligence, they often picture billion-dollar tech companies with sprawling data centers and armies of engineers. But the reality is very different today. AI has gone mainstream — and so have the tools. You no longer need a corporate budget to start using AI to improve your business.
In fact, many AI-powered apps now cost less than a monthly Netflix subscription. From marketing automation to bookkeeping, the right AI tools can help you save hours of work each week and get more done with fewer resources. That’s especially valuable for small businesses where every dollar and every minute counts.
For this article, I’m defining affordable as:
Cost: Less than $50/month for most plans, with free trials or entry tiers available.
Ease of Use: No coding or advanced technical skills required.
Quick ROI: Can deliver measurable benefits (time saved, leads generated, costs reduced) within the first month.
Scalability: Flexible enough to grow with your business needs.
Type: AI-powered writing assistant
Price: Free tier available; Premium from $12/month
Best For: Polishing all written communication
Grammarly uses AI to check grammar, spelling, tone, and clarity in your writing. Whether you’re emailing clients, writing proposals, or posting on social media, Grammarly helps ensure your content is professional and easy to read.
Use Case: A local marketing agency uses Grammarly to ensure all client reports are error-free, saving hours on manual proofreading and avoiding embarrassing mistakes.
Type: Project management with AI-powered automation
Price: Free plan; Standard from $5/month/user
Best For: Automating repetitive task management
Trello’s Butler automation uses AI to recognize task patterns and automate routine actions — like moving cards between lists when deadlines are met, or sending reminders automatically.
Use Case: A small event planning business automates task assignments when a new client is onboarded, reducing admin time by 30%.
Type: AI content generation tool
Price: From $39/month
Best For: Creating marketing copy, blog posts, and ad headlines
Jasper’s AI helps you write compelling marketing copy in minutes. You can generate blog post drafts, product descriptions, ad headlines, and even social media posts with minimal input.
Use Case: A handmade crafts seller uses Jasper to quickly generate product descriptions and Etsy listings, freeing up more time to create products instead of writing about them.
Type: AI video creation platform
Price: From $19/month
Best For: Turning text into short, shareable videos
Pictory uses AI to transform scripts or blog posts into engaging videos complete with stock footage, captions, and music. This makes it easy to repurpose existing content for social media.
Use Case: A small consultancy turns blog articles into LinkedIn videos, boosting engagement and brand visibility without hiring a video editor.
Type: Workflow automation platform
Price: Free plan; Paid from $19.99/month
Best For: Connecting apps and automating workflows
Zapier isn’t an AI tool in the classic sense, but its integration with AI services allows you to automate multi-step processes. For example, you can connect an AI transcription service to your CRM and email system so meeting notes automatically become follow-up emails.
Use Case: A coaching business uses Zapier to automatically collect form submissions, generate personalized follow-up emails via ChatGPT, and add contacts to their CRM — all without manual effort.
The beauty of these tools is their adaptability. Whether you’re a retailer, freelancer, service provider, or online seller, you can apply them in ways that fit your workflow:
Retailer: Use Jasper for social media captions, Grammarly for product descriptions, and Pictory for short promo videos.
Consultant: Use Trello + Butler to automate client onboarding and Zapier to streamline scheduling and follow-ups.
Ecommerce Store: Use Jasper for SEO-friendly product descriptions, Grammarly for clear communication, and Zapier for automating inventory alerts.
In my book AI Made Simple for Small Business, I explain how to combine these kinds of tools into a cohesive system so they work together seamlessly. That’s where you get real leverage — when automation in one area feeds into productivity gains in another.
| Tool | Type | Price | Main Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammarly | Writing assistant | Free / From $12/mo | Error-free, professional communication |
| Trello + Butler | Project automation | Free / From $5/user/mo | Automates task workflows |
| Jasper | Content generation | From $39/mo | Fast, high-quality marketing copy |
| Pictory | Video creation | From $19/mo | Text-to-video content for social media |
| Zapier | Workflow automation | Free / From $19.99/mo | Connects apps and automates processes |
You don’t have to adopt every AI tool out there to see results. Start with one or two from this list, integrate them into your workflow, and measure the difference in time saved or revenue gained. Often, the benefits appear within weeks.
The point isn’t just to use AI for the sake of it. It’s to solve real business problems more efficiently, so you can focus on growth instead of getting bogged down in repetitive tasks.
This post is adapted from insights in my new book AI Made Simple for Small Business, available on Amazon worldwide in ebook, paperback, and hardcover. Get your copy here.
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Rajeev Kumar is the primary author of How2Lab. He is a B.Tech. from IIT Kanpur with several years of experience in IT education and Software development. He has taught a wide spectrum of people including fresh young talents, students of premier engineering colleges & management institutes, and IT professionals.
Rajeev has founded Computer Solutions & Web Services Worldwide. He has hands-on experience of building variety of websites and business applications, that include - SaaS based erp & e-commerce systems, and cloud deployed operations management software for health-care, manufacturing and other industries.
