This year, National Small Business Week celebrates small business owners leveraging emerging technologies like generative AI. Cece Meadows, founder and CEO of Prados Beauty, first turned to Google to learn how to grow her brand using digital tools. Currently, she uses her Gemini to save time in daily tasks and brainstorm ideas to grow her business.
Cece started Prados Beauty out of her daughter's daycare in 2019, then relocated to Las Cruces, New Mexico with her husband, Daniel, a major in the U.S. Army. When she started using her Google Ads in 2020, Cece said her ad spend was recouped within two months, her web traffic increased by 500% year over year, and her sales increased by 500%. I noticed an increase of 700%. “I realized the importance of running Google Ads every day,” says Cece.
A few years later, Cece attended a Grow with Google event, where she first learned about AI tools, specifically Gemini. “I thought this would be a great help to my business,” says Cece. Currently, she uses Gemini to write social media posts, brainstorm packaging ideas, and learn about aspects of brand building. “What would take me an entire day or two, I can do in an hour with her,” she says. “It's very helpful to me and my business.”
Like Cece, small business owners can take advantage of resources like AI training and Google AI Essentials. Google AI Essentials is a self-paced course designed to help people in a variety of roles and industries learn AI skills and increase productivity. You can also participate in the National Small Business Week Virtual Summit hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration from April 30th to May 1st. Grow with Google will host AI webinars and virtual booths with resources to help small businesses connect with customers, sell products online, and more.
