When the world is chaotic, here's what you do about it 👊
(Hint: it involves AI, a business coach and an honest conversation)
Let’s be real. The global news right now is… a lot 😵Geopolitical 'tensions', trade uncertainty, a New Zealand economy that’s recovering — but gingerly, like someone getting out of bed after a big night out.
You can’t fix any of that. I can’t either. What we can do — and honestly, what we should be channelling our energy into — is getting really good at the stuff that’s actually within our control.
For me, that penny dropped in a session with my business coach. (You know how it goes — they ask the uncomfortable questions, you squirm a bit, and then something useful emerges.) The thing that kept coming up? How long I was spending preparing marketing proposals for clients.
Too long. Way too long. My coach basically said: go do your homework on this. So I did.
What I found (spoiler: it’s AI tools)
Turns out there are some genuinely useful AI tools that can help small businesses like ours move faster — without cutting corners or sounding like a robot wrote everything. Here’s the shortlist worth knowing about.
ChatGPT and Claude — the ones everyone’s heard of - I'll say no more 😜
Jasper AI — for when it needs to sound like you ✨
(best for marketing content with a consistent brand voice)
You train it on your tone, it writes in your voice. For anyone generating lots of content across a variety of brands, this is a bit of a game-changer.
Canva AI — because looks matter 🎨
(best for professional marketing material and documents)
AI-powered design tools, brand kits, auto-formatting. Around NZ$22/month for Pro. A well-designed proposal carries more weight than its words alone — and now you don’t need a designer to get there. (P.S. If you need any training on how to get the most out of it, sing out).
Fireflies.ai - the meeting note-taker you never had 📝
(best for documenting meetings, phone calls and action items)
Joins your Zoom or Teams call, transcribes everything, hands you a summary with action items. For proposal work, this alone is worth it — no more reconstructing a conversation from memory the next day.
Zapier AI - integration and automation at your finger tips 👌
(best for documenting meetings, phone calls and action items)
Describe a workflow in plain English, Zapier builds the automation. New enquiry comes in? It notifies your team, creates a task, and logs the contact — without you lifting a finger. Set it up once, appreciate it forever. Love the way it creates bridges between software.
Zapier AI - integration and automation at your finger tips 👌
(best for setting up automation that links multiple processes)
Describe a workflow in plain English, Zapier builds the automation. New enquiry comes in? It notifies your team, creates a task, and logs the contact — without you lifting a finger. Set it up once, appreciate it forever. Love the way it creates bridges between software.
One last thing
Your inbox and social feed are currently flooded with AI tools promising to change everything. A new one every week. Each one more revolutionary than the last.
Here’s my take: don’t get suckered in. Pick one or two tools that solve a specific, real problem in your business — and actually use them properly. That’s it. That’s the whole strategy.
One tool. Use it for a fortnight. Do an honest assessment of whether it’s making a difference.
In uncertain times, the businesses that come out ahead won’t be the ones who downloaded the most apps. They’ll be the ones who kept their head, focused on doing good work, and made a few smart decisions along the way.
Which of these tools are you already using - and which one is on your 'need to try' list? Drop me a line and let me know.
