Free guides for the everyday jobs of running a business

Plain-English steps you can finish today, with a free AI tool doing the first draft where it helps. For people just starting with AI and people who use it every day.

From Rich Thurman, who spent about 15 years at Microsoft as an application-development consultant and has helped about 1,500 small businesses automate the busywork that eats their week. Want to see AI used on jobs like these, live? Come to Live Tuesdays: a free 30-minute AI training, then Q&A, every Tuesday at 5:30 PM Arizona time (4:30 Pacific · 6:30 Central · 7:30 Eastern).

• Where does my week go? The first 3 jobs to hand to AI

  For many owners, lost time hides in switching between small jobs. Find where your hours go with a 5-minute AI tally, then hand AI the repeat jobs first.

• Is AI worth it for a business like mine? 10 plain answers

  Plain answers for owners weighing up AI: what it costs, how long it takes to start, what it can and can't do, and how to stay in charge.

• Is it safe to use AI for my business? What never to paste, and how to spot a scam

  What never to paste into an AI tool, how to clean up a note before you paste it, the signs of a scam, and strong passwords made simple.

• Start a business (first week)

  A finishable checklist plus where AI helps with drafts and research — without replacing judgment.

• Simple one-page business plan

  Plain-English one-pager: offer, customers, costs, risks, and next seven days.

• Home & online business

  Zoning, domains, payments, and AI-era drafting — with eyes open for work-from-home traps.

• Licenses & permits

  How to find the licenses and permits your business needs, with a checklist and official places to check.

• Loans & grants overview

  How lending usually works, why “free grant” ads mislead, and where to check current programs.

• Write the one sentence that tells people who you help

  How to write one short, clear line about who you help and what you help them with, with a free AI tool doing the first draft.

• Say what you sell so a buyer gets it in 10 seconds

  Build a short offer paragraph that says who it's for, what they get, why you, and what to do next, with AI drafting it.

• Make AI writing sound like you

  Show a free AI tool a little of your own writing so its drafts sound more like you and less like a robot.

• Write clearer words for your website or flyer

  Use a free AI tool to check one web page or flyer for the four things a busy reader needs, and say them more clearly.

• Answer your top 10 customer questions once

  Write down the questions customers ask most, and use a free AI tool to turn your quick answers into a short questions page.

• Freshen up one old page on your website

  Pick one old page on your website and use a free AI tool to spot what's out of date, using only the facts you give it.

• Tell new customers what to expect

  Write a short thank-you note for new customers that says what happens next, with a free AI tool drafting it.

• Ask customers 3 questions that show what to fix

  Write a tiny 3-question survey for recent customers with a free AI tool, and learn what to fix first.

• Write a short monthly update for customers

  Use a free AI tool to turn one tip, one bit of news and one next step into a short, friendly customer email.

• Ask your customers for a review

  Write a short, honest review request with a free AI tool, and ask every customer the same way.

• Check what people see when they look you up

  Search for your business the way a stranger would, then use a free AI tool to turn your notes into a short fix list.

• Win back customers you haven't heard from

  Use a free AI tool to write a warm, no-pressure note to past customers you haven't seen in a while.

• List the jobs you could hand off

  List the jobs that fill your week and use a free AI tool to sort them: keep, AI could help, a person could do, or drop.

• Turn one job you repeat into a checklist

  Talk or type the steps of one job you repeat, and let a free AI tool put them in order as a checklist.

• Set up simple record keeping

  Use a free AI tool to plan a simple set of folders and file names so you can find receipts and files fast. Not tax advice.

• Plan a shorter meeting

  Use a free AI tool to write a short meeting agenda: why you're meeting, what you'll cover, and how long each part takes.

• Build a list of helpers and tools for one goal

  Use a free AI tool to list the people, tools, places and skills you already have for one goal.

• Get paid on time with clear invoices and kind reminders

  Send a clear invoice the same day. Keep a kind reminder ready. A free AI tool writes the first draft of both.

• Write a clear job post when you're hiring help

  List the tasks, hours and skills. A free AI tool turns your notes into a short, friendly job post.

• Set a price for a new service

  Use a free AI tool to list what a new job takes, so you can pick a price you can explain. The AI never picks the number.