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How Microsoft Copilot Can Help Small Business Owners

January 14, 2025


In recent years, we've heard a lot about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential to change the world for better or worse, depending on who you ask. However, what many of us haven't heard much about is how AI can make an immediate positive impact on our businesses.


Recently, our client Fred Moore, Managing Partner at Moore Computing, LLP, shared a demonstration of Microsoft's AI-powered product called Copilot with his peer board. For many of us, it was a real-world, first-hand look at how AI can make us better communicators, analysts, decision-makers, and overall business owners.

Introduction to Copilot

Copilot is an umbrella of artificial intelligence programs designed by Microsoft for its users. All the leading programs within Copilot have options for using the program as a standalone desktop app, a mobile app, and/or an extension of the Microsoft Edge browser.


There are two options for small business owners:

Copilot Pro: Currently priced at $20/month and seen as a direct competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus model (though these two models have different capabilities). If you are a Microsoft subscriber, this model may be a good fit for you and your business.


Microsoft 365 Copilot: Currently priced at $30/month, it runs in conjunction with Microsoft 365 programs such as Teams, Excel, OneDrive, PowerPoint, and Outlook. If you don't mind the extra $10 a month, we recommend this Copilot model for its seamless integration into the Microsoft landscape.


There is also a more complex product called Copilot Studio, which allows you to program automation and Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPTs) for your business. While this level may be helpful for those who are more advanced in their understanding of AI, many small business owners are best to start off with Pro or Copilot.


These programs are a launching point for the company, as more Copilot products and iterations will likely come this year and beyond as Microsoft rolls them out. 

What Can Copilot Do?

So, what can Copilot do?


The answer is (just about) everything. If you need help with administrative tasks, Copilot can organize lists, summarize emails, suggest responses, clean up files, and more. Using Copilot in Microsoft Word can help you create drafts, brainstorm ideas, and strategize plans.


Copilot can also take your Teams meetings to a whole new level. It can generate meeting notes, list action items, identify agreements and disagreements, answer real-time questions, and more. It immediately creates an accurate recap of the meeting including resolved issues, next steps, and action items for each participant.


Copilot can create original PowerPoint presentations that are not only visually engaging and professional, but content rich with compelling sales pitches.


Check out these ideas for more of what you can do with Copilot. 


Integrating Copilot Into Your Operations

Before small business owners jump in with Copilot, they may want to set some goals. Where is their business currently struggling? Which tasks tend to get put off until the last minute or not get done?


Organizations should also examine their staff. What role does everyone on the team have, and where would extra coverage be helpful?


Once a small business owner and their team discuss these questions, they can formulate a plan for Copilot to fill the holes. Any new technology can take a while to learn and adjust to, so business owners should be sure to train themselves and their teams. 


Stay Vigilant With Artificial Intelligence

We would be remiss not to mention the stipulations and potential privacy concerns of using AI.


Like any new technology we have adapted to over the past few decades, it is imperative that we spend time learning its benefits and cautionary tales. AI's benefits are everywhere: increased productivity, ease of use, accessibility, and more. 


What small business owners and anyone using AI products need to be wary of is misinformation, bias, and privacy. Take the time to understand how this AI was "trained," and fact-check any critical information it may give you.


As for privacy, small business owners should pay special attention to voice activation features. When is the product listening, how far is its range, and what devices can it access?

Connect With The Alexander Group

While it may still feel like a novelty to some, Artificial Intelligence is here to stay; in what capacity and how it will alter the workplace is still too early to predict fully. Whether you try a version of Microsoft Copilot or choose a different AI product, we hope small business owners can take advantage of AI's benefits and stay ahead of the curve.


A small business owner needs a group of individuals with similar goals. Our group of Greater St. Louis area business owners collaborates, discusses everyday issues, and develops dynamic solutions. When business owners pair this with our one-on-one coaching, they set themselves up for success.


Contact us today if you're a business owner ready to commit to improvement!

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