BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Small business owners and entrepreneurs in Calhoun County are getting a closer look at how artificial intelligence could fit into their day-to-day operations.
The Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a free AI training session Thursday in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The Small Business B(AI)sics program is supported by Google and is designed to introduce business owners to different ways AI tools can be used in the workplace.
The 90-minute session covered uses ranging from marketing and customer service to workflow efficiency and inventory management.
For independent insurance broker Kenneth Atkinson, the training was an opportunity to explore ways technology could help with some of the tasks that take up his time.
Atkinson started his own business earlier this year after working in the insurance industry since 2022. He said part of the reason he went out on his own was to have more time with his family.
“What initially got me into the business was to spend more time with my family,” Atkinson said.
Now, he is looking at whether AI could help him spend less time on certain day-to-day tasks and more time working directly with clients.
“The main takeaway that I have today is learning how to just use it as a tool to help me achieve the tasks that take up more of my time, so I can have more time to talk to clients and people who need protection,” Atkinson said.
Other business owners at the training were interested in the technology but also raised questions about maintaining the human side of their work.
Colleen Burke owns Burke’s Unique Chic Beauty Boutique, a mobile business offering services including social dance instruction, cosmetics, skin care, etiquette, career development and fashion and style coaching.
Burke said she came to the training interested in learning what AI could offer her business while being careful not to rely on it too heavily.
“I’m also interested in making sure that it’s also human-centered, and I don’t want things to get too overly AI adjusted,” Burke said.
She said the session gave her ideas for using the technology in areas such as marketing, sales and customer service.
Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kara Beer said the organization wants businesses to view AI as another tool rather than a replacement for workers.
“We really want them to use AI to enhance their businesses, not to eliminate individuals, but really, how do we grow business as a whole in our communities?” Beer said.
The Battle Creek session was the first training offered through the initiative locally.
Beer said the chamber's goal is to train 200 businesses over the next 18 months. Organizers anticipate holding approximately four to six sessions, though the next training date has not yet been scheduled.
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