OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) – Main Street Ottumwa has launched a study to help business leaders in the community understand the capabilities of AI.
Lance Williams, owner of a faded barbershop, said running a small business requires juggling many tasks.
“I use ChatGPT to get little ideas, or because I'm not very good at coming up with sales pitches and things like that, I use it to come up with ideas and ways to engage people,” Williams said.
Although he doesn't rely entirely on it, he wants to put more effort into learning AI tools that can help his business.
“It would be great to learn how to set up automatic text so that you have something ready for things like no-calls and no-shows…something where you don't have to think about what to say or feel bad about it,” Williams said.
Main Street Ottumwa conducted a survey asking business leaders like Williams how they use technology now and how they would like to use it in the future.
“Developing helpful resources is very important to us, and our starting point was research,” Main Street Ottumwa Coordinator Zach Simonson said. “Common barriers are predictable things like cost and not knowing how to use them, but another big barrier we like to face right up front is the fact that the new AI systems we're considering aren't integrated into workflows, so we can focus on closing that gap.”
Another goal is to get the most out of AI without impacting the brand identity of owners like Williams.
“The other thing we really want to talk to companies about is we want them to use AI. AI can help you, but you still need to make sure that you have your own voice and that you're not relying on that AI or that chatbot cadence. It's about staying true to your identity to your brand,” said Chris Patrick, executive director of Main Street Ottumwa.
This initiative aims to help businesses compete in the digital world without losing their uniqueness.
For more information about the study, visit the website Main Street Ottumwa.
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