AI prompts for small business owners

Help me write a one-page business plan.

BUSINESS: [WHAT YOU SELL OR WILL SELL]
CUSTOMERS: [WHO BUYS AND WHY]
WHERE AND HOW YOU SELL: [shop, online, WhatsApp, marketplace, B2B]
PRICES AND COSTS (as known): [NUMBERS]
COMPETITORS: [WHO ELSE CUSTOMERS COULD BUY FROM]
MONEY AVAILABLE: [BUDGET]
GOAL FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS: [GOAL]

Produce one page with:
1. The problem and who has it
2. The offer and why customers would choose it over the alternatives
3. How customers find and buy it
4. The money: price, cost per unit or job, gross margin (show arithmetic), monthly fixed costs, and how many sales to break even
5. The 3 biggest risks and how to reduce each
6. A 90-day action plan with weekly milestones
7. The 3 numbers to track every week

Rules: use my numbers only; mark missing ones [NEED NUMBER]. Keep it to one page - cut, do not cram.

Help me reply to customer chat messages (WhatsApp Business, Instagram DM, website chat).

MY BUSINESS: [WHAT YOU SELL, WHERE YOU DELIVER]
KEY INFORMATION: [PRICES, DELIVERY TIMES, PAYMENT METHODS, RETURN POLICY, OPENING HOURS]
MESSAGES TO ANSWER: [PASTE]
LANGUAGE(S) MY CUSTOMERS USE: [e.g. English, Urdu, Roman Urdu, Arabic]

For each message: a reply under 60 words, in the customer's language and style (formal or casual), that answers the question first.

Then create QUICK REPLIES for the 10 most common questions (price, availability, delivery, payment, returns, order status, location, hours, bulk orders, complaints), each with a short shortcut name.

Rules: never promise delivery dates or stock I have not confirmed; for complaints, apologise once, state the fix, and ask for the order number.

Write a professional email to a [SUPPLIER / IMPORTER / DISTRIBUTOR / CUSTOMER].

RELATIONSHIP: [new / long-standing / strained]
PURPOSE: [e.g. request a quotation, confirm an order, chase a delayed shipment, dispute an invoice, negotiate price, request samples]
KEY FACTS: [ORDER NUMBERS, PRODUCT CODES, QUANTITIES, DATES, AMOUNTS, INCOTERMS if relevant]
WHAT I NEED BACK AND BY WHEN: [ACTION AND DEADLINE]
THEIR LANGUAGE LEVEL: [native English / English as second language]

Write:
1. A subject line with the reference number and topic
2. The email: purpose in the first sentence, the facts in a short list, the exact request and deadline, a polite close
3. A shorter follow-up for if there is no reply in [DAYS] days
4. If the reader uses English as a second language: simple sentences, no idioms, numbers written clearly (e.g. 12 October 2026, not 12/10)

Keep the tone professional and firm where needed. Do not invent any figures or dates I did not give.

Plan a month of social media posts for my local business.

BUSINESS: [TYPE AND AREA SERVED]
PLATFORMS: [e.g. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Google Business Profile]
POSTS PER WEEK: [NUMBER]
WHAT I CAN SHOW: [e.g. properties, team, products, before/after, customers who agreed to feature]
LOCAL EVENTS OR SEASONS THIS MONTH: [LIST]

Create a calendar table: Date | Platform | Format | Post idea | Caption hook | Call to action

Mix:
- Local knowledge posts (neighbourhood guides, local tips) - these build trust and get shared
- Proof posts (real results, reviews, sold/finished work) - only real ones
- Personality posts (team, behind the scenes)
- Offer or listing posts - no more than 1 in 4

Also give me 5 reusable caption templates and a note on posting to Google Business Profile, which helps local search visibility.

Write a payment chase.

CLIENT: [NAME/TYPE OF CLIENT]
INVOICE: [NUMBER, AMOUNT, ORIGINAL DUE DATE]
DAYS OVERDUE: [NUMBER]
PREVIOUS CHASES: [NONE / DATES AND WHAT WAS SAID]
RELATIONSHIP: [new client / long-standing / ending / we want more work from them]
OUR LEVERAGE: [e.g. work in progress we could pause, contractual late fees, nothing]
ANY REASON THEY MIGHT HAVE: [dispute, cashflow, process, unknown]

Write the message appropriate to this stage:
- Under 10 days overdue: assume process, not refusal
- 10-30 days: assume it needs a person, name one, ask for a date
- 30-60 days: state consequences plainly, once
- Over 60: formal, reference the contract term, state next step and date

The message must:
- Lead with the invoice number and amount in the first line
- Ask one specific question that can be answered in one line ('can you confirm the payment date?' not 'can you look into this?')
- Give them an easy out if the reason is process (wrong PO, wrong contact, missing detail)
- State the next step and when it happens
- Be under 120 words

No 'hope you are well', no 'just checking in', no exclamation marks, no apology for chasing.

Also give me the follow-up message for if this gets no reply in 7 days, and the point at which I should stop emailing and call.

Draft a reply to a negative public review.

REVIEW:
"""
[PASTE REVIEW]
"""
RATING: [STARS]
PLATFORM: [Google / Trustpilot / App Store / other]
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: [OUR SIDE OF IT, HONESTLY]
IS THE REVIEW ACCURATE: [yes / partly / no / cannot verify]
WHAT WE CAN OFFER: [IF ANYTHING]

Remember the audience is not the reviewer. It is the next hundred people reading reviews before they buy.

Write a reply that:
- Is under 100 words
- Addresses the specific complaint, not reviews in general
- Corrects a factual error only if it is material, once, neutrally, without arguing
- Takes responsibility where we were wrong, plainly
- Moves the resolution off the platform with a specific route (named contact or direct address), not 'please contact our support team'
- Never asks them to change or remove the review

Then give me:
- WHAT NOT TO SAY: the two things I will be tempted to write that would make this worse
- ESCALATE OR LET IT GO: whether this is worth further effort, and why
- If the review appears to be fake or from a non-customer, say so and describe the platform's reporting route instead of replying.

Write Facebook / Instagram ad copy for my local business.

BUSINESS: [WHAT YOU DO AND WHERE]
OFFER: [THE SPECIFIC OFFER, PRICE OR PROMOTION]
CUSTOMER: [WHO BUYS, WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT]
PROOF: [REAL REVIEWS, YEARS IN BUSINESS, NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS - only real]
ACTION: [call / message / book / visit / buy online]

Write 5 variations:
1. Offer-first
2. Problem-first
3. Social proof-first
4. Local identity ("For families in [AREA]...")
5. Question hook

For each: primary text (first 125 characters matter most), headline (under 40 characters), description, call-to-action button choice, and an image or video idea.

Rules:
- Do not target or mention personal attributes (e.g. "Are you struggling with debt?", "Other [religion] parents...") - Meta's ad policies prohibit implying you know someone's personal characteristics.
- No fake urgency or invented discounts.
- Include one version under 50 words total.

Write a product description.

PRODUCT: [WHAT IT IS]
KEY SPECIFICATIONS: [MATERIALS, DIMENSIONS, CAPACITY, COMPATIBILITY, WHATEVER APPLIES]
PRICE: [PRICE AND POSITIONING - budget, mid, premium]
WHO BUYS IT: [CUSTOMER AND THEIR SITUATION]
WHAT PROBLEM IT SOLVES: [THE JOB IT DOES]
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT: [VS ALTERNATIVES]
WHAT CUSTOMERS ASK BEFORE BUYING: [PRE-PURCHASE QUESTIONS]
COMMON RETURN REASONS: [IF KNOWN]
PLATFORM: [own site / Amazon / Etsy / marketplace]

Produce:

1. THE TITLE - platform-appropriate. For marketplaces, front-load the terms people search. For your own site, prioritise clarity.

2. THE OPENING - two sentences: what it is and who it is for. Buyers scanning ten products need to eliminate quickly; help them.

3. THE BENEFIT SECTION - what it does for them, each tied to a specific feature. Never a benefit floating free of a fact.

4. THE SPECIFICATIONS - complete and scannable. Include the ones people have to email to ask about: exact dimensions, weight, materials, compatibility, what is in the box, care instructions, warranty.

5. THE PRE-PURCHASE QUESTIONS - each one I listed, answered in the description. Every question answered here is a sale that does not need a support conversation to happen.

6. WHO IT IS NOT FOR - the single highest-value section for reducing returns and bad reviews. Name the use case it does not suit.

7. THE RETURN-REASON FIX - for each return reason I gave you, what the description should say to prevent it. Most returns are expectation mismatches created by the listing.

Rules:
- Every claim must be checkable. 'Premium quality' says nothing; '3mm full-grain leather' says something.
- No superlatives without substantiation
- Do not hide dimensions or compatibility
- Sensory and concrete over abstract
- If the price is premium, justify it with specifics rather than adjectives
- Never invent a specification. Mark [NEED SPEC] where I have not given you one.

Help me think through pricing.

PRODUCT: [WHAT IT IS]
COSTS: [UNIT COST, SHIPPING, FEES, AND ANY FIXED COSTS TO COVER]
CURRENT PRICE: [IF ANY]
COMPETITOR PRICES: [WHAT SIMILAR THINGS COST]
WHO BUYS IT: [CUSTOMER]
WHAT THEY COMPARE IT TO: [THE ALTERNATIVE IN THEIR MIND - not necessarily a direct competitor]
MY POSITIONING: [budget / mid / premium]
VOLUME: [CURRENT OR EXPECTED]

Produce:

1. THE FLOOR - the price below which this loses money. Include everything: unit cost, shipping, payment fees, marketplace fees, returns at your actual return rate, and a share of fixed costs. Show the arithmetic. Most small sellers price above their true floor by accident because they forget returns and fees.

2. THE REFERENCE PRICE - what the customer mentally compares this to. This anchors their sense of value more than competitor pricing does, and it is often not another product at all.

3. THE VALUE CASE - what the product saves or delivers, expressed in the customer's terms. Where the value is quantifiable, quantify it.

4. PRICE POINTS TO CONSIDER - three, with the reasoning for each: what it signals, who it attracts and excludes, and the margin at my volume.

5. THE POSITIONING CHECK - does my stated positioning match my price? A premium position at a mid price confuses buyers and leaves money on the table; a budget position at a premium price does not sell.

6. PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS - where charm pricing helps and where it undermines a premium position. Round numbers signal quality; .99 signals discount. Match to positioning.

7. WHAT TO CHANGE INSTEAD OF THE PRICE - if the price is right and it is not selling, the problem is elsewhere: the listing, the images, the trust signals, the traffic. Say so.

8. THE TEST - how to test a price change without damaging existing customers, and what to measure. Note that revenue, not conversion rate, is the metric; a price rise that converts less and earns more is a win.

I am not asking for financial advice, only for this reasoning laid out clearly.

Write a client quote.

CLIENT: [NAME/TYPE]
WHAT THEY ASKED FOR: [THEIR REQUEST, IN THEIR WORDS]
WHAT I WILL ACTUALLY DELIVER: [YOUR SCOPE]
PRICE AND BASIS: [AMOUNT, AND WHETHER FIXED / DAY RATE / MILESTONE]
TIMELINE: [DURATION AND ANY DEPENDENCIES ON THEM]
WHAT I NEED FROM THEM: [ACCESS, CONTENT, APPROVALS, DECISIONS]
CURRENCY AND PAYMENT TERMS: [DETAIL]

Structure:
1. Understanding - their problem in their words, two sentences. Shows you listened.
2. What is included - specific deliverables, each with a one-line description of what 'done' means
3. What is not included - the adjacent things they will assume are in. Be thorough; this section prevents the argument.
4. What I need from you - with dates, and what happens to the timeline if each is late
5. Timeline - phases with dates, marking which depend on their input
6. Price - the number, what it covers, and what triggers an additional charge
7. Revisions - how many rounds are included and what counts as a revision versus a new request
8. Payment terms - schedule, method, late terms
9. Validity - how long this quote stands

Rules:
- Section 3 must be specific. 'Additional work' is not an exclusion; 'migration of historical data prior to 2024' is.
- Section 7 is where fixed-price work goes wrong. Define a revision precisely.
- No hourly estimates unless the basis is a day rate.
- Under 700 words.

You are a process documentation specialist. Turn the messy description below into a formal Standard Operating Procedure.

PROCESS NAME: [PROCESS NAME]
DEPARTMENT: [DEPARTMENT]
WHO PERFORMS IT: [ROLE OR ROLES]
HOW OFTEN: [FREQUENCY]

MESSY DESCRIPTION:
"""
[PASTE THE INFORMAL DESCRIPTION]
"""

Produce the SOP with these sections in order:
1. Purpose - one sentence on why this process exists
2. Scope - what is and is not covered
3. Roles and responsibilities - table of role vs responsibility
4. Prerequisites - access, tools, approvals needed before starting
5. Procedure - numbered steps. One action per step. Start each step with a verb.
6. Decision points - any step where the path branches, written as IF/THEN
7. Common failure points - what usually goes wrong and how to recover
8. Revision history - a table with a single first row dated today

Rules:
- Where the description is ambiguous, do NOT invent detail. Insert [CLARIFY: your question] instead.
- Keep each step under 25 words.
- Do not use the words 'simply', 'just', or 'obviously'.

Build me a small web tool as a single HTML file I can open in a browser.

WHAT IT SHOULD DO: [e.g. calculate loan repayments / convert units / split a bill / track daily water intake / estimate project cost]
INPUTS: [LIST THE FIELDS THE USER ENTERS]
OUTPUTS: [WHAT IT SHOULD SHOW]
FORMULA OR RULES (if I know them): [DETAILS, or "please suggest and explain"]
LOOK: [simple / colourful / dark mode], works on phones

Requirements:
- One file: HTML, CSS and JavaScript together, no external libraries or internet needed
- Clear labels, input validation (no negative numbers where that makes no sense), and helpful error messages
- Results update when I press a button (or live, if simple)
- Explain the formula in plain language under the tool
- Comments in the code so I can change things later

After the code:
1. Tell me how to save and open it (save as .html, double-click)
2. List 5 test inputs with the expected results so I can check it works correctly
3. Suggest 3 improvements I could ask for next

If a formula is financial, medical or legal, add a note that results are estimates and should be checked with a professional.