How AI Ready Is Your Business?

Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a buzzword. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), it’s fast becoming the difference between staying competitive and being left behind.

However - a cautionary note - jumping straight into AI tools without checking your readiness is like building a house without foundations.

So - how AI ready is your business?

What AI Readiness Really Means

Being AI ready isn’t about whether you’ve tried out ChatGPT or bought the latest software. It’s about whether your organisation has the right foundations, mindset, and processes to make AI work for you.

At Talisman, we define readiness across five dimensions:

1. People

Do your teams understand AI enough to use it with confidence and consistency? Is there leadership support to drive adoption?

2. Data

Do you have reliable, accessible, and well-governed data that can fuel AI tools effectively?

3. Skills & Capacity

Do you have the balance of skills in-house - or trusted partners - to move AI projects forward?

4. Processes

Are your workflows flexible enough to integrate AI into daily operations without disruption?

5. Ethics & Risk

Have you considered issues of trust, bias, privacy, and compliance before deploying AI solutions?

A Quick Self-Check

Ask yourself these five questions:

• Do your people see AI as an opportunity or a threat?

• Can you quickly access clean, reliable data?

• Do you know where AI could add real business value - beyond simple admin tasks?

• Do you have a plan to upskill your team or bring in external expertise?

• Have you thought about risks such as bias, data protection, or regulation?

If you can answer “yes” to most of these, you’re on the right track. If not, don’t worry - most SMEs are at the start of their AI journey.

Why Readiness Matters

Without readiness, effective AI use often fizzles out. Teams get excited by tools, but without strategy, clear processes, and confidence, the benefits don’t last. Readiness ensures that when you do invest in AI, it lands, lasts, and delivers real outcomes.

Where to Start

At Talisman, we help SMEs move from “curious” to “confident” with practical tools and support:

• AI Readiness Self-Assessment – a simple tool to score where you are today.

• Explore AI Playbook – your roadmap to build capability and identify opportunities.

• AI Readiness Diagnostic Workshop – a hands-on session to identify quick wins and longer-term priorities.

Readiness isn’t about being perfect - it’s about being prepared, having a plan and an understanding of what outcomes you want to achieve.

Ready to Check Your AI Readiness?

Take our free [AI Readiness Self-Assessment] today, or book an [AI Readiness Workshop] to give your business a practical roadmap for action.