How do I use AI in my business?
By the InTheory team · Updated November 2026
Start with one recurring task that costs your team real time, such as writing proposals or answering routine emails. Measure how long it takes today, test an approved AI tool on 10 to 20 real examples, and have a person review every output. Expand only after the numbers show it helps.
Pick the right first task
Good first tasks are frequent, text-heavy and easy to check. Drafting a follow-up email after a sales call, summarizing a long client thread, turning a site visit into an estimate outline, or pulling key dates from a contract for an attorney to confirm. Poor first tasks involve final pricing, legal judgment or anything a client sees without review.
Set ground rules before anyone starts
Decide which tools staff may use and with what data. A business account with admin controls is safer than personal accounts, because you control access and data retention settings. Write the rules on one page: approved tools, what never goes in, who reviews output, and where to report mistakes.
Then track one or two numbers for a month, such as minutes per task and how often the draft needed major correction. If the result is clear, roll it out to more people and train them. This is the same Diagnose, Deliver, Measure pattern InTheory uses over 90 days.