What practical steps should small businesses take to adopt targeted AI for customer-facing services in 2026?
Start small, test low-cost tools, review risks, avoid sensitive data, and use NIST’s voluntary AI RMF plus SBA guidance before scaling customer-facing AI.
AI-assisted and automatically checked against the linked primary sources.
What should small businesses do first?
The practical first step is to pick one limited customer-facing task and test it before expanding. SBA says small businesses should “start small” and can use AI to improve customer service through tools such as website chatbots that answer common questions, phone routing that directs calls, and automated replies to online reviews. SBA also says to look at both the risks and benefits, use free or lower-cost tools when you are unsure what you need, and have another person review AI products so they are used ethically, securely, and accurately. NIST’s AI RMF Playbook is a voluntary companion guide that suggests ways to apply trustworthiness considerations through Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage, which makes it a useful framework for internal review and rollout decisions. For small businesses, the clearest path is to test a narrow use case, review the results, and only then expand to more customer-facing work.
- Start with one narrow customer-facing use case instead of a broad AI rollout.
- Use free or lower-cost tools to test whether the AI adds value before scaling.
- Do not feed sensitive or proprietary data into AI tools; have another person review outputs.
- Use NIST’s voluntary AI RMF Playbook to structure trustworthiness checks across Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage.
Process
- 1
Choose one customer-facing task
Start with a limited use case such as common-question chat support, call routing, or review replies.
- 2
Test with low-cost tools
SBA says small businesses can try basic services for free or at lower cost when they are unsure what tool they need.
- 3
Check risks before using live data
Review intellectual property and security issues, and avoid sending sensitive or proprietary information into the tool.
- 4
Have a second person review outputs
SBA advises having another person review AI products so they are used ethically, securely, and accurately.
- 5
Use NIST’s voluntary framework to guide rollout
Apply the AI RMF Playbook’s suggested actions across Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage to decide whether the use case is ready to expand.
Important Note
NIST’s AI RMF Playbook is for voluntary use, not a mandatory compliance regime. SBA also warns that users should not feed sensitive data or proprietary information into AI tools.
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