How I Use AI in My Tiny Business

I wanted to write a little note about AI, because it is something more and more people are talking about now, and I think it is better to be open about these things.

Jo Thornton is a tiny business. It is not a big company with different departments and lots of staff behind the scenes. It is me - Jo - doing the ordering, packing, stock checking, website updates, customer questions, accounts, product planning, problem solving, and all the other bits and bobs that come with running an online shop.

My lovely Mum helps me with some product wrapping, which I am very grateful for, but the day-to-day running of the business is very much me.

So yes, I do use AI as a business tool.

Not in a scary “robots are running the shop” sort of way. More in a “Jo has a lot of spreadsheets and needs to check her maths” sort of way.

It helps me with the background jobs: checking sums, planning stock, organising ideas, looking over wording, and thinking through the many little decisions that come with running a business by myself.

The final decisions are still mine. The customer care is still mine. The slightly obsessive checking of details is definitely still mine.

What I do not put into AI

One thing I want to be very clear about is customer privacy.

I do not put customer personal data into AI tools.

That means I am not putting your name, address, order details, private messages, emails, or anything personal like that into AI tools. Customer emails stay within my Google Workspace email system and are only ever read or seen by me. Orders are kept securely within my ordering system, and your personal details go no further than they need to for me to process and send your parcel.

Customer privacy matters to me, and I treat that information carefully.

The environmental side

The other thing I have been thinking about is the environmental impact.

AI is digital, but that does not mean it is weightless. It uses energy, and data centres can also use water for cooling. I cannot calculate the exact impact of my own AI use, and I am not going to pretend there is a neat little sum that works it all out perfectly.

But I do know it is not impact-free.

So I have decided to make a small monthly business donation to WaterAid.

I am not saying this perfectly cancels anything out, because I do not think it works that neatly. But clean water matters, and making a regular donation feels like a practical way to acknowledge the issue and put something positive back.

It is only a small monthly donation, but small things done regularly still matter.

Keeping the human bit

The human side of this business matters to me more than anything.

AI can help me check, plan, organise, and think things through, but it is still me choosing the products, answering questions, packing orders, checking details, and trying to make sure customers feel comfortable and supported.

So that is my little AI policy, really: use helpful tools, be honest about them, protect customer privacy, be aware of the impact, and keep the heart of the business human.

That feels like the right balance to me.