Start here · Lesson 1.5
12 Examples of What to Automate With AI, by Business Type
It is easier to see what to automate with AI when you can compare your week to someone else's. Below are twelve examples across different small businesses and solo roles. They are illustrations we made up to show the pattern, not case studies, and we claim no results from any of them.
Each one notes why it works as a hand-off and what to check. Use them as models for your own list. The method for finding yours is in Lesson 1.5: Find the jobs to hand to AI.
The best jobs to hand over repeat often, follow a pattern, and give a result you can check in a minute.
What the twelve have in common
Look for three traits as you read. The task repeats on a rhythm. The inputs are the same kind each time. And a mistake is cheap and visible if you read the output before it goes. Where a task goes to a customer, we say to read first. AI tools can make mistakes, and the vendors say so on their own pages.
Local services
1. Cleaner: weekly rota message
The job: turn a pasted schedule into a short message to the team listing who is where and when. Why it fits: same layout every week, goes only to staff, easy to check against the schedule. Check: every time, name and address against the schedule.
2. Electrician: appointment reminder texts
The job: write a short reminder from tomorrow's job list. Why it fits: fixed pattern, small amount of text, quick to read. Check: the time and address, and that nothing promises arrival to the minute.
3. Dog groomer: post visit care note
The job: turn a few notes about the dog into a friendly summary for the owner. Why it fits: same structure each time, your notes supply the facts. Check: do not let it add care or health advice you did not give. For anything about health, rely on a vet.
Shops and makers
4. Florist: supplier order message
The job: convert a stock sheet into the weekly order message. Why it fits: repeats weekly, the sheet is the single source, errors are easy to spot in a list. Check: quantities copied exactly from the sheet.
5. Online craft seller: product description first drafts
The job: from your own notes on materials and size, draft a description in your shop's voice, using one past description as the example. Why it fits: repetitive, and the example steers tone. Check: every fact against your notes. Never let it invent materials or claims.
6. Bakery: allergen sheet formatting
The job: reformat your ingredient list into a standard layout for a printed card. Why it fits: it is only formatting. Check: treat this as high risk. Allergen information is a legal and safety matter in many places, so verify each line against your recipes and check local rules with the official food authority. If you cannot check every line, do not hand this over.
Coaches, consultants and creators
7. Coach: session follow-up email
The job: turn your rough session notes into a follow-up with the agreed actions. Why it fits: you were there, so you can check it in a minute. Check: actions and dates match your notes.
8. Consultant: meeting notes to action list
The job: turn your own notes into a list of actions with owners and dates. Why it fits: it repeats after every call and the source is your own notes. Check: owners and deadlines. Mistakes here are easy to miss, so read each one. See How to Brief AI Like a Senior Hire for a good brief.
9. Podcaster: show notes draft
The job: from your episode outline, draft show notes with a summary and a list of topics. Why it fits: same layout each episode, and you know the content. Check: names, links and anything quoted.
10. Freelance designer: weekly client status note
The job: from a list of what you did this week and what is next, write a short status note. Why it fits: same format weekly, low risk, easy to check. Check: the dates and anything that sounds like a promise.
Admin and money
11. Bookkeeper: monthly documents reminder
The job: write the reminder email to clients, using a client list for names and due dates. Why it fits: monthly, same structure, personalised from a list. Check: names and dates. For anything involving tax rules, rely on official guidance and a qualified person, not a draft.
12. Small shop owner: month end summary for the accountant
The job: turn a sales sheet into a short plain summary of totals and notable items. Why it fits: repeats monthly, and the numbers come from your sheet. Check: every figure against the sheet. Numbers are where invented details hide, so do not skip this.
The twelve at a glance
| # | Job | Goes to | Risk | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rota message | Staff | Low | Names, addresses |
| 2 | Reminder texts | Customers | Medium | Times |
| 3 | Care note | Customers | Medium | No added advice |
| 4 | Order message | Supplier | Medium | Quantities |
| 5 | Product drafts | Shoppers | Medium | Facts |
| 6 | Allergen sheet | Public | High | Every line |
| 7 | Session follow up | Client | Low | Actions |
| 8 | Action list | Client or team | Low | Owners, dates |
| 9 | Show notes | Audience | Low | Names, links |
| 10 | Status note | Client | Low | Dates |
| 11 | Docs reminder | Clients | Medium | Names, dates |
| 12 | Month end summary | Accountant | Medium | Figures |
The ratings are our own rough judgement for the illustrations. Rate your own, since your situation may differ.
How to adapt one to your work
- Pick the closest exampleChoose the one most like a task you already repeat.
- Write your sentence"Every [when] I [do what] using [inputs] and produce [output]."
- Paste a real past exampleYour best one, since Anthropic's prompting guidance lists examples among the most reliable ways to steer tone and format.
- Add what to avoidPromises, advice, invented details and anything off limits.
- Run it on old workCompare with what you actually produced before relying on it.
If you use a tool that works with files on your own computer, such as Claude Code, which its documentation describes as able to edit files and run commands, several of these, like the formatting jobs, could work on saved files. Check what your tool can do on its own docs page.
What these examples do not cover
Anything involving sensitive judgement: hiring, complaints, refunds, disputes. Also anything where a wrong answer could harm someone. Keep those with you. For a routine to find and score your own, see the Find framework.
Questions people ask
Are these real businesses?
No. They are invented to show the pattern. No results are claimed.
Which example should I start with?
One that goes only to you or your team, such as 1, 7, 8 or 10. They are lowest risk.
Should I automate the allergen sheet?
Only as formatting, and only if you verify every line. It is a safety matter.
What if my business is not listed?
Look for the pattern, not the industry: repeats often, same kind of input, checkable output.
Where to go next
Pick the example nearest to your week, and adapt it. To go from there to a scored list and a written brief, Lesson 1.5 walks you through it: Find the jobs to hand to AI.