Getting Started with AI
How to actually use ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini in your business, in plain English.
AI sounds complicated, but the most useful tools are free and you already know how to use them. You just type what you want, like you're texting a very capable assistant. This guide shows you the basics, the three tools worth knowing, and the everyday tasks they can take off your plate starting today.
In this guide:
Meet your new assistant
ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are AI chat assistants. You open a chat box, type a question or a task in plain English, and you get a written answer back in seconds. No setup, no code, no manual.
Think of it as the world's fastest assistant who has read almost everything, never gets tired, and works for free or close to it. It can write, rewrite, explain, summarize, brainstorm, and answer questions, all from a simple chat box.
The best way to learn is to open one up and start typing. You really cannot break anything. The rest of this guide shows you where to start and what to ask.
The three tools worth knowing
They are more alike than different, and any one of them will handle everything in this guide. Pick the one that fits how you already work, or try a couple and see which you like best.
ChatGPT
by OpenAIThe one most people have heard of. A great all-rounder for writing, brainstorming, and answering everyday questions.
Best for
A simple first tool if you're not sure where to start.
Cost
Free to start. Paid plan around $20/month.
Claude
by AnthropicKnown for natural, thoughtful writing and for handling long documents without losing the thread.
Best for
Working with long reports, contracts, and careful writing.
Cost
Free to start. Paid plan around $20/month.
Gemini
by GoogleBuilt into the Google world you may already use, from Search to Gmail and Docs.
Best for
If you live in Gmail and Google Docs all day.
Cost
Free to start. Paid plan around $20/month.
Get started in 5 minutes
Pick one tool
Any of the three will do. If you're not sure, start with ChatGPT, since it's the most popular and there's plenty of help online.
Create a free account
Go to the website, sign up with your email or your Google account, and you're in. The free version is more than enough to start.
Type like you're texting
Ask a real question or give it a real task. Plain English is perfect. There are no special words or commands to learn.
Ask follow-ups
If the answer isn't quite right, just say so: "make it shorter," "more casual," or "add a section about pricing." It remembers the conversation and adjusts.
Start here: let it read the boring stuff for you
If you only learn one thing, learn this. AI is incredible at digesting large amounts of text and handing you the short version.
Paste in a long report, a contract, a stack of invoices, a messy email thread, or your notes from a meeting, then ask for exactly what you need: the key points, the totals, the action items, the red flags. What used to take an hour of reading takes about thirty seconds.
You can paste text straight into the chat, and the paid versions of all three tools also let you upload files like PDFs and spreadsheets.
Summarize a long report
Drop in a report, proposal, or article and get the gist without reading every page.
Try this prompt
Summarize this in 5 bullet points and tell me the one thing I should act on: [paste the report]
Make sense of invoices and statements
Paste in invoice or statement details and have it pull the numbers and flag anything that looks off.
Try this prompt
Here are this month's invoices. Total them up, list each vendor and amount, and flag anything that looks like a duplicate or an unusual charge: [paste the details]
Catch up on a long email thread
Forward a tangled back-and-forth and get the decision and next step in plain English.
Try this prompt
Summarize this email thread. What was decided, what is still open, and what do I need to do next? [paste the thread]
Pull the key terms from a contract
Paste a contract or agreement and get the important terms in plain language. It's a fast first read, not legal advice.
Try this prompt
Explain this contract in plain English. List the key dates, costs, and anything I should be cautious about: [paste the contract]
More everyday wins
Once you're comfortable, here are simple tasks you can hand off this week. Copy a prompt, swap in your own details, and adjust the answer until it sounds like you.
Write and reply to emails
Get a polished draft in seconds, then tweak the tone to match your voice.
Try this prompt
Write a friendly email to a customer confirming their appointment for Tuesday at 2pm. Keep it short and warm.
Draft a proposal or quote
Turn a rough idea into a clean, professional starting point.
Try this prompt
Draft a simple one-page proposal for a [type of job] for a customer named [name]. Include scope, timeline, and a spot for pricing.
Create social media posts
Generate a batch of posts in minutes instead of staring at a blank screen.
Try this prompt
Write 5 short Instagram captions for my [type of business]. Friendly tone, include a call to action and a couple of relevant hashtags.
Reply to a review
Respond professionally to feedback, even the tough ones, without sounding defensive.
Try this prompt
Write a polite, professional reply to this Google review. Thank them and address their concern calmly: [paste the review]
Turn messy notes into a to-do list
Hand over your scribbled notes and get back an organized plan.
Try this prompt
Here are my notes from today. Turn them into a clear to-do list grouped by priority: [paste your notes]
Explain something in plain English
Get a quick, jargon-free answer to anything you've been meaning to look up.
Try this prompt
Explain what [topic, for example an SBA loan or a 1099] means for a small business owner, in simple terms, in about 5 sentences.
How to get great answers
The quality of the answer depends a lot on how you ask. These five habits make a big difference, and they take seconds to apply.
Be specific
"Write a sales email" is okay. "Write a short, friendly sales email to a homeowner who asked about gutter cleaning, and mention our fall discount" is great.
Give it context
Tell it who you are and who the answer is for: "I run a small landscaping company, and this is for a first-time customer."
Show an example
Paste in an email or post you liked and say "write one like this." It will match the style.
Tell it the format
Ask for bullet points, a table, a short paragraph, or "keep it under 100 words." You'll get back exactly the shape you need.
Keep going
The first answer is a starting point, not the final word. Ask it to adjust again and again until it's right.
A few simple ground rules
Double-check anything that matters
AI sounds confident even when it's wrong. For numbers, names, dates, and legal or medical questions, verify before you rely on it.
Be careful with sensitive information
Avoid pasting customer data, account numbers, or confidential details into the free tools. If you need to, use the paid business versions, which offer stronger privacy.
It's an assistant, not a replacement
AI handles the busywork so you can focus on the judgment, relationships, and craft that only you bring. Keep a human in the loop.
Start small and build the habit
Pick one task this week and let AI help with it. Once it saves you time once, you'll spot ten more uses on your own.
Want to go further than the basics?
I'm Brendan, founder of Quinn Labs. The tips above will save you hours, but the real wins come when AI is built into how your business runs: answering leads, following up automatically, and handling the repetitive work in the background. That's exactly what I do for local businesses in Monmouth & Ocean County. Let's talk about where AI would make the biggest difference for you.
Ready to see what AI can do for your business?
Let's talk about which tasks are eating up your time. In a quick call, I'll show you exactly which AI solutions can take them off your plate and what that would save you each month.