AI for professionals
AI for Small Business Owners
Put AI to work in a small business: a website, content, customer service, automation, research and simple accounts.
AI for Small Business Owners is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for small business owners, shopkeepers, founders and freelancers. It has 9 modules and takes about 6.2 hours, with written notes, a practice task per module, a practical project and a final assessment of 15 questions (pass mark 60%). Learning costs nothing and needs only a free account. The optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code, is a one-off US$23.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.
- Free
- Beginner
- 6.2 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
No card, no trial. The course is free for good. Certificate US$23.99, optional.
- Who it is for
- Small business owners, shopkeepers, founders and freelancers
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: analyst, operations specialist, project coordinator and team lead using AI tools. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- A free account on at least one AI assistant (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Copilot), a Google account for Sheets, Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) and Gems, and free tiers or trials of the website, design and automation tools shown. Every exercise can be done without paying for anything. Hardware: A laptop or desktop, and a phone for testing a store and WhatsApp.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Choose where AI will save your business time
- Write prompts that produce usable drafts
- Build and check a website or store with AI
- Set up a customer service agent that hands over to a person
- Automate repetitive copying between apps
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
Small business owners, shopkeepers, founders and freelancers.
Level: Beginner. Beginner. For small-business owners, managers and staff. No technical background, no coding.
What you need
Software: A free account on at least one AI assistant (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Copilot), a Google account for Sheets, Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) and Gems, and free tiers or trials of the website, design and automation tools shown. Every exercise can be done without paying for anything..
Hardware: A laptop or desktop, and a phone for testing a store and WhatsApp.. What to download, and how.
How this course works
Watch the lessons
Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.
Read the notes
Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.
Practise in the 3D labOptional
Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.
Check yourself
Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.
Final assessment
Pass the final once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptional
Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.
What you learn
9 modules in order, at your own pace. 6.2 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1What AI can do for a small business11m
- 2Prompts, risks, and choosing an assistant, with lab practice: 22m
- 3A website and an online store with AI25m
- 4Content, social posts and images32m
- 5WhatsApp, Meta AI and customer service agents, with lab practice: 26m
- 6Automating the busywork24m
- 7Research and planning with Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) and Gems, with lab practice: 22m
- 8Accounts and a simple CRM, with lab practice: 31m
Show the other 1 modules
- 9Final Assessment2m
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Every exercise can be done without paying for anything.
Show what to download (7 tools)
Required
- 01Free
Google Sheets
Google, in the browser
- Runs on
- Web browser; apps for Android and iOS
- Account
- A free Google Account
Anyone with a Google Account can use Google Sheets free. Some Gemini features in Sheets need a paid Google Workspace plan.
Steps
- 1.Open Google Sheets and sign in with your Google Account, or create one.
- 2.Select Blank spreadsheet, or open a template.
- 3.Use File, Import to load the course's CSV or Excel file.
- 4.Your work saves automatically to Google Drive.
- 5.Use File, Download to save an .xlsx copy if needed.
- Most Excel formulas work the same in Sheets; a few functions have different names.
Open Google Sheetsworkspace.google.com - 02Free with limits
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Google, in the browser
- Runs on
- Any modern web browser, plus Android and iOS apps
- Account
- A free Google account (age verified)
Free with a personal Google account. Usage limits apply and paid Google AI plans give higher limits and extra features.
Steps
- 1.Open notebook.google (the old notebooklm.google address redirects there).
- 2.Sign in with your Google account and verify your age if asked.
- 3.Create a new notebook.
- 4.Add sources such as PDFs, web links or Google Docs, then ask questions about them.
- NotebookLM was renamed Gemini Notebook in July 2026. Existing notebooks and links still work.
- Only upload documents you have the right to share.
Open Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)notebooklm.google
One AI assistant
Any one is enough.
- 03Free plan with limits
ChatGPT
OpenAI, in the browser
- Runs on
- Any modern web browser, plus mobile and desktop apps
- Account
- A free OpenAI account
The Free plan allows everyday text chats. File uploads, image creation, voice and data analysis have tighter limits than paid plans, and ads may appear in some countries. Paid plans raise the limits.
Steps
- 1.Open chatgpt.com.
- 2.Click Sign up and create an account with your email, or a Google, Microsoft or Apple account.
- 3.Verify your email and confirm your details.
- 4.Type your question in the message box.
- Do not paste personal data, passwords or confidential work files.
- ChatGPT tells you when you reach a limit. Wait for it to reset or switch to a lighter task.
Open ChatGPTchatgpt.com - 04Free plan with limits
Claude
Anthropic, in the browser
- Runs on
- Any modern web browser, plus desktop and mobile apps
- Account
- A free Claude account (you must be 18 or over)
The Free plan covers chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search, file creation and Artifacts. Usage limits reset on a rolling five-hour window and depend on message length and features used. Paid plans give more usage.
Steps
- 1.Open claude.ai (or see the plans at claude.com/pricing).
- 2.Sign up with your email or Google account and confirm your email.
- 3.Confirm you are 18 or over and accept the terms.
- 4.Type your question in the message box.
- Long conversations and large files use up your limit faster. Start a new chat for a new topic.
- Do not paste personal data or confidential work files.
Open Claudeclaude.com - 05Free with limits
Google Gemini
Google, in the browser
- Runs on
- Any modern web browser, plus Android and iOS apps
- Account
- A free Google account
Free with a Google account, including a Flash model, limited access to the Pro model, image generation, Deep Research and Gems. Paid Google AI plans give higher limits. Some features require you to be 18 or over.
Steps
- 1.Open gemini.google.com.
- 2.Sign in with your Google account.
- 3.Accept the terms the first time you use it.
- 4.Type your question or upload a file in the prompt box.
- Use a personal Google account. Work or school accounts depend on your administrator's settings.
Open Google Geminigemini.google.com - 06Free
Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
Microsoft, in the browser
- Runs on
- Any modern web browser, plus Windows, macOS, Android and iOS apps
- Account
- None needed
Microsoft Copilot is free for individuals; you must be at least 13 (older in some countries). Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is included at no extra cost for organisations with an eligible Microsoft 365 licence and needs a work or school (Microsoft Entra ID) account.
Steps
- 1.Open copilot.microsoft.com.
- 2.Optionally click Sign in and use your personal Microsoft account.
- 3.Type your question in the message box.
- 4.For work or school use, sign in at microsoft365.com with your organisation account and open Copilot Chat.
- Copilot Chat with a work or school account adds enterprise data protection. Use it for work material if your organisation provides it.
Open Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chatcopilot.microsoft.com
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 07Free plan with limits
Canva
Canva, in the browser
- Runs on
- Any modern web browser, plus desktop and mobile apps
- Account
- A free Canva account
The Free plan gives you Canva's editor and free templates, with up to 5 GB of storage for uploads. Premium templates, elements and some features need a paid plan.
Steps
- 1.Open canva.com and click Sign up.
- 2.Create a free account with your email, or a Google or Microsoft account.
- 3.Search for a template or start a blank design.
- 4.Download or share your design when finished.
- Items marked with a crown are paid. Filter for free items to avoid watermarks.
Open Canvacanva.com
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
Practise in the 3D lab
Practise the checks that keep AI safe in a small business, in the AI Workbench: clear prompts, answers from your own documents, checked figures and customer data protected.
- Prompt to specAI Workbench, about 25 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Prompt to spec
- Answers with sourcesAI Workbench, about 25 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Answers with sources
- Check the AI's work: financeAI Workbench, about 20 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Check the AI's work: finance
- Privacy firstAI Workbench, about 25 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Privacy first
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 6 hours
A 90-day AI plan for a small food business: adoption plan, tool and data register, risk register, message procedure and review
Plan the first 90 days of AI use for a small home-food business. Choose the tasks by hours and harm, record every tool and its data, list the risks, write a customer-message procedure and review the first month. The sample pack shows each document for a millet-snacks business in Nakuru, Kenya.
- 5documents in the pack
- 5steps to follow
- 5things to hand in
- 6 hof work, at your pace
- Plan90-day AI adoption plan: Mavuno Home Foods
- RegisterAI tool and data register
- Risk registerRisk register: AI use at Mavuno Home Foods
- ProcedureReplying to customers with AI help
- ReportFirst-month review: AI adoption, days 1 to 30
The project is optional practice. The certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
After the course, your next step
Show what you can do, then keep going in the same field.
A certificate you can verify
Finish the modules and pass the final assessment (15 questions, pass mark 60%) and you can add a certificate with a public verification page. One-off, US$23.99 for you. It is not a vendor credential.
Want a free certificate? Do the matching Free internship: 4 weeks, nothing to buy, with a free certificate of completion.
AI for Project Management
Eight short weeks of using AI for charters, schedules, risks, minutes and status reports, and of knowing where its estimates fall short: notes, diagrams, a few videos and worked exercises. Finish weeks 1 to 4 and the final, then claim a free Internship Completion Certificate with your real dates and study hours, and a QR code anyone can scan to verify it. Training, not employment.
See the internshipMore free courses
Roles that use this skill
- Analyst
- Operations specialist
- Project coordinator
- Team lead using AI tools
These are the kinds of roles where the skill is used. We make no promise of a job or an interview.
Plain notes
- Free: the whole course, the notes, the practice tasks, the final assessment and support from practising engineers.
- Paid, and optional: the course certificate, and the Engineer-verified internship (the Free internship costs nothing).
- No job promise: the course teaches a skill. It does not place you in a job.
- Lessons by: Stewart Gauld, GoDaddy, OpenAI. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Stewart Gauld · GoDaddy · OpenAI. If you are one of these creators and want a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@edwartens.com.
Practise what you learn in the free 3D lab
Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.
- Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
- The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
- Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.
Why learn with EDWartens
What you get with this course, and what comes after it.
- Free from the first lesson to the final assessment.
- Practice in a free 3D lab in your browser, with nothing to install.
- Video lessons with written notes and a project.
- An optional certificate that anyone can verify online.
- Free internships to keep practising afterwards.
Common questions
Who is the AI for Small Business Owners course for?
Owners, managers and staff of small businesses: shops, home businesses, restaurants, service firms and online sellers. No technical background is needed.
Do I have to pay for AI tools?
No. Every exercise can be done with free tiers or trials. The course shows how to work out whether a paid plan is worth it for your business before you buy.
Is this course tax or legal advice?
No. It shows how AI can help explain your accounts and draft documents. It also points out the laws a small business meets, such as data-protection law (India's DPDP Act 2023 in the examples) and consumer protection rules. Filings and legal questions stay with your accountant and adviser.
Is it only for businesses in one country?
No. Some examples use Indian law and businesses, but the lessons and tools work for small businesses anywhere.
Is the AI for Small Business Owners course really free?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the project and the final assessment. The only paid item is the certificate, if you want it.
What certificate does the AI for Small Business Owners course give?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a number anyone can verify on our site.
How long does the AI for Small Business Owners course take?
About 3.3 hours of video lessons, plus time for the notes, the practice questions and the final assessment. The optional project adds about 6 hours.
Who made the video lessons in the AI for Small Business Owners course?
GoDaddy's AI for small business course, Stewart Gauld's small-business tool tutorials and an OpenAI Academy lesson, credited on each module. None of them is affiliated with EDWartens, which wrote the notes, practice, project and assessments.
Do I have to use the lab?
No. The lab is optional practice. You can skip it whenever you like, and it never blocks your progress, the final assessment or your certificate.
Is the lab free?
Yes. Every lab level for this course opens in your browser, free, with nothing to install.
What topics does the AI for Small Business Owners course cover, module by module?
The AI for Small Business Owners course has 9 modules. It opens with "What AI can do for a small business", goes through "Prompts, risks, and choosing an assistant", "Content, social posts and images", "Automating the busywork" and "Accounts and a simple CRM" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the AI for Small Business Owners course?
After the AI for Small Business Owners course: Choose the tasks where AI will save your business time, and the ones it must not decide; Write prompts that produce usable drafts, and choose an assistant that fits your tools; Build and check a website or online store with AI. These are the practical outcomes the course is written around, and the final assessment of 15 questions checks them.
What software and hardware do I need for the AI for Small Business Owners course, and does it cost anything?
For the AI for Small Business Owners course, software: A free account on at least one AI assistant (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Copilot), a Google account for Sheets, Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) and Gems, and free tiers or trials of the website, design and automation tools shown. Every exercise can be done without paying for anything. Hardware: A laptop or desktop, and a phone for testing a store and WhatsApp. The course itself is free.
Is the AI for Small Business Owners course suitable for me, and what level is it?
AI for Small Business Owners is rated beginner. Beginner. For small-business owners, managers and staff. No technical background, no coding. It is written for small business owners, shopkeepers, founders and freelancers, and takes about 6.2 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the AI for Small Business Owners course?
Skills from the AI for Small Business Owners course (for example: choose the tasks where AI will save your business time, and the ones it must not decide) are used in roles such as analyst, operations specialist, project coordinator and team lead using AI tools, and in small business owner work. The course gives you practical evidence of the skill; it does not promise a job, and employers decide on experience and interview.
Start free today
AI for Small Business Owners, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.