{"id":139403,"date":"2025-06-27T10:58:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T08:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/?p=139403"},"modified":"2025-07-09T11:01:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T09:01:07","slug":"ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers\/","title":{"rendered":"AI for SMEs: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs and Managers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Artificial Intelligence<\/strong> (AI) is no longer a technology reserved for large multinational corporations. Today, <strong>small<\/strong> and <strong>medium-sized enterprises<\/strong> (SMEs) can also benefit from it in a concrete and immediate way, thanks to increasingly accessible AI technologies, both in terms of ease of use and affordability, as well as supportive initiatives like the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) for <strong>SME<\/strong> <strong>digitalization<\/strong>.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>AI<\/strong> now represents an opportunity for business innovation, improved efficiency, and sustainable growth.<\/p>\n<p>We answer five questions that SME entrepreneurs often ask advanced technology providers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the immediate and tangible benefits of AI for an SME?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>AI can deliver measurable <strong>benefits<\/strong> within just a few months of implementation. Integrating intelligent digital systems into small and medium-sized businesses yields similar advantages to those seen on a larger scale: <strong>time savings<\/strong>, <strong>improved<\/strong> <strong>customer<\/strong> <strong>service<\/strong>, <strong>increased sales<\/strong>, <strong>optimized resources<\/strong>, and more <strong>informed<\/strong> and <strong>faster<\/strong> <strong>decision-making<\/strong>.<br \/>\nWhen properly implemented, AI integrates seamlessly into business processes: it automates repetitive tasks, freeing up staff time; through <strong>chatbots<\/strong>, it allows companies to maintain 24\/7 communication with customers. AI is able to assist in <strong>planning<\/strong> <strong>marketing<\/strong> <strong>campaigns<\/strong> from a strategic perspective, forecast demand, manage inventory avoiding waste or supply errors.<\/p>\n<p>Even small business can gain significant competitive advantages using <strong>accessible<\/strong>, <strong>easy-to-integrate tools<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How can I start implementing AI in my company without a multinational-level budget?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The best strategy is often the simplest: start small, with a <strong>measurable pilot project<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<strong>Identify<\/strong> a <strong>repetitive<\/strong> or <strong>inefficient<\/strong> <strong>task<\/strong>, such as email marketing planning or handling customer inquiries, that can be addressed with a <strong>basic AI tool <\/strong>requiring no complex installation.<br \/>\n<strong>Monitor<\/strong> <strong>performance<\/strong> over a short period (one or two months), collecting as much pre-AI <strong>data<\/strong> as possible. Then, monitor again with AI integrated.<br \/>\nOnly after conducting a straightforward <strong>cost-benefit analysis<\/strong> should you consider scaling up. This gradual approach allows team members and partners to get familiar with the new tools and their interactions: <strong>business innovation starts with small, smart changes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are some easy-to-use AI tools for those without technical expertise?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today, many tools are designed specifically for users with little or no technical background. Some examples.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ChatGPT<\/strong>: helps reduce time spent on basic research.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tidio<\/strong> and <strong>Intercom<\/strong>: create automated website chatbots to assist customers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mailchimp<\/strong> and <strong>Brevo<\/strong> (formerly Sendinblue): use AI for personalized newsletter campaigns based on user behavior.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Zoho<\/strong> <strong>CRM<\/strong> and <strong>Salesforce<\/strong> <strong>Essentials<\/strong>: support smart customer and sales management.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Looker<\/strong> <strong>Studio<\/strong> (Google): Visualizes business data and offers AI-based insights.<\/p>\n<p>Most of these tools offer free plans or trial versions, making experimentation low-risk. They\u2019re tailored for SME digitalization without requiring in-house IT departments.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the most common mistakes to avoid when adopting AI?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The most common mistake is overcommitting, <strong>trying to overhaul everything at once<\/strong>. This often leads to paralysis in the face of complexity.<br \/>\nSecondly, lacking <strong>clear<\/strong> <strong>objectives<\/strong> can result in serious setbacks. AI tools are instruments, not oracles: without well-defined goals, reliable data, and solid analysis, they can waste time and money.<br \/>\nA third major pitfall is <strong>failing to train the team<\/strong>. Every innovation requires targeted training for those who will use it. Involving people in the process is essential to success.<br \/>\nAI adoption calls for strategic vision, but also <strong>operational<\/strong> <strong>realism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How can I train myself and my team to meet this challenge?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Basic AI education<\/strong> is now widely accessible, but it\u2019s important to match the training to the technological demands and professional ambitions. While fundamental knowledge is often freely available online, a <strong>comprehensive<\/strong>, <strong>systems-level understanding<\/strong>, <strong>sufficient to manage AI implementation<\/strong> within a business, requires <strong>high-level<\/strong> <strong>specialized training<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bologna Business School <\/strong>combines <strong>high management training<\/strong> with a strong focus on the <strong>innovations<\/strong> shaping the business world. As such, it offers a variety of advanced learning opportunities led by an <strong>international<\/strong> <strong>Faculty<\/strong> and supported by BBS\u2019s <strong>global<\/strong> <strong>network<\/strong>. <strong>BBS<\/strong> also collaborates with local academic centers of excellence, such as <strong>Tecnopolo<\/strong> <strong>Bologna CNR<\/strong>, part of the Emilia-Romagna network of 10 technopoles, which supports <strong>innovation across traditional and emerging industrial systems<\/strong> in the manufacturing sector.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/global-mba\/ai-and-manufacturing-2\/\"><strong>Global MBA in AI and Manufacturing<\/strong><\/a>, <strong>full-time<\/strong>, <strong>12-month<\/strong>, <strong>English<\/strong>-language, is the ideal path to acquire technical and managerial skills capable of launching a career in the world of high-tech companies.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/master-fulltime\/artificial-intelligence-2\/\">Professional Master in Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Management<\/a><\/strong>: 1500 hours of <strong>full-time<\/strong> learning in <strong>English<\/strong>; <strong>12 months<\/strong> of dedicated study in software programming, data-base and SQL language, statistics, accounting and finance.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/master-executive\/artificial-intelligence-for-business\/\">Executive Master in Artificial Intelligence for Business<\/a>,<\/strong> <strong>12-month<\/strong>, <strong>part-time hybrid<\/strong> in <strong>English<\/strong> is designed for professionals who want to acquire a solid set of skills devoted to harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence in the business context.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/open-program\/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning-for-business-2\/\">Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI Open Program<\/a><\/strong>, <strong>part-time on-campus<\/strong>, in <strong>Italian<\/strong> and lasting <strong>5 days<\/strong>, is designed to offer an in-depth and practical understanding of how generative AI can be integrated into business processes to improve productivity and accelerate innovation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With the right training, <strong>AI<\/strong> is an <strong>opportunity<\/strong>, not an obstacle.<br \/>\n<strong>Digital<\/strong> <strong>transformation<\/strong> is a <strong>necessity<\/strong> for <strong>all companies wishing to remain competitive<\/strong>. With a step-by-step approach, appropriate tools and a good dose of curiosity, even a small business can automate processes, improve service and increase performance. Now, more than ever, <strong>is the right time to start<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a technology reserved for large multinational corporations. Today, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can also benefit from it in a concrete and immediate way, thanks to increasingly accessible AI technologies, both in terms of ease of use and affordability, as well as supportive initiatives like the National Recovery and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[207,92],"tags":[],"rubrica":[],"class_list":["post-139403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-en-2","category-news-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>AI for SMEs: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs and Managers | BBS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AI for SMEs: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs and Managers | BBS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a technology reserved for large multinational corporations. Today, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can also benefit from it in a concrete and immediate way, thanks to increasingly accessible AI technologies, both in terms of ease of use and affordability, as well as supportive initiatives like the National Recovery and [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BBS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BolognaBusinessSchool\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-27T08:58:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-09T09:01:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Paolo Onnis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Paolo Onnis\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers\/\",\"name\":\"AI for SMEs: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs and Managers | BBS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-27T08:58:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-09T09:01:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/040e30da17c8b14e48720afa6d2461c0\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"AI for SMEs: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs and Managers\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/\",\"name\":\"BBS\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/040e30da17c8b14e48720afa6d2461c0\",\"name\":\"Paolo Onnis\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/876893688789a0fff212771c460b6883ce258b2e76c4cdc4901fa2283682b407?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/876893688789a0fff212771c460b6883ce258b2e76c4cdc4901fa2283682b407?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Paolo Onnis\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"AI for SMEs: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs and Managers | BBS","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/ai-for-smes-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs-and-managers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"AI for SMEs: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs and Managers | BBS","og_description":"Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a technology reserved for large multinational corporations. 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