For a non-technical small business owner, whether they run a cookie shop or a coaching agency, the mere thought of implementing tech in their business can be daunting. It makes sense. A baker doesn’t launch a business because they love software. A coach isn’t excited by systems integration. But in today’s world, no small business can grow without technology.
Many small businesses struggle with setting up core systems such as CRMs (customer relationship management). These are essential for functions like sales, marketing, and fulfillment, and without dedicated staff, these tools become overwhelming. Add artificial intelligence into the mix, and it is enough to overwhelm a typical small business owner completely. The result is that many business owners find themselves falling further and further behind the times.
While all this technology has the potential to help a business grow and make things run smoother, it does traditionally come with a big learning curve.
Matt Leitz, founder of BotBuilders, knows what it is like to start a business and try to figure out technology. He remembers the exhaustion and late nights. He’d watch YouTube video after YouTube video and hire consultant after consultant, but nothing seemed to work.
“I was burning the midnight oil, ripping my hair out,” Leitz says. “At one point, I looked at my credit card statement and saw 13 monthly software charges—and I wasn’t getting results from any of them.”
Many small businesses still face these same challenges today. Unlike corporations that can afford enterprise-level solutions, it is not uncommon for small businesses to have a multitude of software tools. These could include tools for phone, email, text messaging, invoicing, video, websites, project management, surveys, calendars, sales pipelines, reputation management, and so many more.
“Sometimes the hardest thing for people is just getting all the tools to work together,” Leitz says. It took him years to get any traction with his technology, and a large percentage of his startup budget was eaten up by hiring developers and high-priced consultants trying to get it all to work.
Fast forward to today, Leitz’s company BotBuilders aims to solve that problem. Ironically, they provide AI and technology to small business owners who face the same challenges that Leitz did years ago.
BotBuilders has become one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America by providing chatbots and other AI-powered tools to companies ranging from zero to ten million annually. One of their core company values is “technology for the people.”
Regarding AI and its part in the small business technology ecosystem, Leitz notes that small business owners have nothing to fear. He suggests that one of the primary roles of AI should be to make essential technologies easier to use.
“Our approach is to provide tools that don’t require integration. They just work out of the box. Then we layer on Hybrid AI, which makes it much easier to bring each of the features to life.”
Hybrid AI, he explains, is unique because it doesn’t rely solely on artificial intelligence to produce results. BotBuilders has integrated decades of sales and marketing experience of its founder and other experts to produce results not typical of popular AI tools.
For example, an email autoresponder is a tool that most small business owners recognize as valuable for warming up leads and increasing engagement, yet many do not implement it. With systems like BotBuilder’s Automator AI, a small business can have an autoresponder up and running in minutes as opposed to weeks or months.
BotBuilders has built its reputation around much more than just providing technology that is easier to use. They are an award-winning customer service company that provides many perks that most technology companies may not. These include live group trainings and daily “office hours” support on Zoom.
Concerning the old-world approach to customer service, Leitz states, “While our technology gets the attention, our true competitive advantage is our legendary support.”
It was a reminder that while technology is certainly inevitable for growth, it is all but worthless without good people behind it. The bells and whistles are great, but you should look beyond the technology itself.
“Don’t lose sight of why your business needs technology in the first place,” Leitz states. “Technology is here to serve us, not the other way around. When done right, it empowers your people to new levels and can give you a newfound sense of peace of mind.”
