Beyond ChatGPT: Is Your Business Really Harnessing AI Strategically - AI Transformation for SMEs

It feels like AI is everywhere. Tools like ChatGPT, Co-pilot, Gemini, and even productivity platforms like Asana are making their way into the daily routines of businesses, both big and small. Whether it’s drafting an email, summarising a report, or generating quick content, these tools have become the go-to assistants of the modern workplace.

The key question though is - are they helping you truly harness the full power of AI, or are they just scratching the surface?

Is ChatGPT really enough for your business?

The Tactical Edge:

There’s no denying the benefits of these tools on a tactical level:

• Speed: Drafting emails, proposals, or articles in minutes instead of hours.

• Efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks and saving precious staff time.

• Convenience: Seamlessly integrating with your everyday workflow.

For many businesses, this feels like a game-changer—and in some ways, it is. But tactical gains alone don’t necessarily translate into long-term advantage.

It's something that I experienced with my own business - the initial eureka ('aren't I a clever clogs!') of using AI to write a tricky email or summarise a report was great. Still, subscription costs often limited me without really knowing if I could justify it from a value perspective.

The Strategic Gap:

Relying solely on these tools is a bit like having a shiny set of power tools but no blueprint for the house you want to build, or the flatpack wardrobe that needs putting together. You can do useful things here and there, but without a bigger plan, the end result is fragmented.

To really unlock competitive advantage, businesses need to answer bigger, strategic questions:

• Where does AI fit into my business model?

• How can it free up capacity for growth rather than just save time?

• Which areas of my business will benefit most from AI transformation?

• How do I manage risks, ethics, and data readiness alongside adoption?

Moving from Tactical to Strategic:

That’s where the difference lies. Tactical use of AI is about speed and convenience. Strategic use is about direction and value creation. It’s the difference between “AI helps us write faster” and “AI helps us grow smarter" - it was a real 'penny dropping' moment for me. Write faster was nice but grow smarter was much better.

The Takeaway

Yes, tools like ChatGPT, Co-pilot, Gemini, and Asana are powerful. I like them, I use them daily, they can add some value for sure. But they’re just the beginning. If you want AI to be more than a clever sidekick—to become a driver of resilience, efficiency, and competitive edge—you need to think bigger.

AI isn’t just about doing the same things faster. It’s about doing better things in more innovative ways.

And that starts with strategy - we're here to help you.

At Talisman, we work with SMEs to bridge that gap. We build on our own experiences of running a small business, tinkering with AI and then realising we were risking competitive advantage by failing to harness its true potential. Our AI Playbooks, workshops, and structured programmes help you move beyond surface-level wins to embed AI where it really matters—into your strategy, your processes, and your growth plans.

If you're curious to know how AI-ready your Business is, why not take the AI Readiness Assessment on the Talisman AI website?