AI, data and processes
Our top 10 AI tools for small businesses, and what each is actually good for
By the Long Lever team · 8 min read · Last checked 6 November 2026
The short answer
Most small businesses only need one general AI assistant, chosen to fit the software they already use, plus two or three specialist tools for the jobs that eat time: graphics, presentations, video, meeting notes or connecting apps. These are the ten we rate, from running our own businesses, and what each is genuinely useful for.
How did we choose these?
We've used every tool on this list in a working business, not just tried a demo. Each one saves real time on a real job. We don't earn commission from any of them and we don't resell software, so the list is simply what we'd tell a friend who runs a business. New tools appear every week; these have stayed useful.
Which general AI assistant should you pick?
Start with one of these four. They're more alike than different, and all have business plans that don't use your data for training by default. The best one is usually the one that sits closest to where your team already works.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot. Best if you run on Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams. It works inside those apps with your own emails and files: summarising long email chains, drafting replies, building a first-draft report from a spreadsheet, writing up Teams meetings. It's often the favoured choice for Microsoft businesses. Watch out: it's licensed per user, so it gets costly across a big team, and it can only be as tidy as your file permissions.
- ChatGPT (Business plan). The flexible all-rounder: writing, analysis, research, data tidying and shared team projects that hold your standard documents and instructions. Watch out: make sure staff use the business workspace the company controls, not personal accounts.
- Claude. Particularly strong with long documents and careful writing: reading a 60-page tender, comparing contract versions, drafting policies and reports in a consistent tone. Watch out: as with the others, use a business plan for company data.
- Google Gemini. The natural choice for businesses on Gmail, Google Drive and Docs, working across your Workspace files. Watch out: features vary by Workspace plan, so check what yours includes.
Which specialist tools are worth having?
- Nano Banana (Google's image model, inside Gemini). Creating and editing graphics from a plain description: product mock-ups, social media images, illustrations for reports and websites, swapping backgrounds or changing colours on an existing image. Watch out: always check text and details in the image, and don't use it to create pictures of real people or real sites.
- Canva. Marketing graphics, social posts, flyers and brochures that stay on brand, with AI features for writing, resizing and editing. Watch out: set up your brand kit first, or everything starts to look like a template.
- Gamma. Turning an outline or a document into a presentable deck, one-pager or simple web page in minutes. Good for proposals, internal briefings and training. Watch out: it gives you a strong first draft, not the final version; check every figure.
- HeyGen. Video presenters and avatars from a script: training videos, inductions, explainers and short marketing clips, without filming. Watch out: only create an avatar of someone with their clear consent, and say when a video uses one.
- Plaud. A small recorder that turns meetings and site visits into transcripts, summaries, action lists and mind maps. We use it in our own process-mapping sessions. Watch out: always tell people you're recording and get their agreement first.
- Zapier. Connecting the apps you already use so routine jobs happen on their own: a new web enquiry becomes a CRM record and a reply, a signed form updates a spreadsheet, a morning summary lands in your inbox. It's often the first step towards AI agents. Watch out: map the process first, or you'll automate the muddle.
What does a sensible starter kit look like?
| If you need to… | Start with | Typical first use |
|---|---|---|
| Write, summarise and analyse | One general assistant (Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini) | Weekly reports, email replies, meeting notes |
| Look good online | Canva and Nano Banana | Social posts, website images, flyers |
| Present and propose | Gamma | Proposals, briefings, training decks |
| Train and explain | HeyGen | Inductions and how-to videos |
| Capture meetings | Plaud | Summaries, actions and mind maps from visits and calls |
| Stop retyping | Zapier | Enquiries, forms and reminders that move on their own |
Honourable mentions: Perplexity for research with sources, and the new AI app builders that let a business build its own tools without a developer. We cover those in do you need a developer to build a business app?
Why do the tools matter less than the process?
Because a tool only saves time on a job you understand. The businesses that get the most from AI pick one process, decide how it should work, and then choose the tool that fits. The ones that struggle buy five subscriptions and hope. The tools above are good; what makes the difference is knowing which job to give them, joining them up with your own data, and setting rules so the data stays safe.
What this won't do
This isn't a full market review, and it isn't paid placement: we have no commercial ties to any of these companies. Features, prices and plan names change often, so check the current terms, especially for how each plan handles business data, before you buy. And no tool replaces knowing your own processes.
Questions people also ask
What is the best AI tool for a small business?+
Usually one general assistant that fits your existing software: Copilot for Microsoft businesses, Gemini for Google Workspace, with ChatGPT and Claude as strong all-rounders. Add specialist tools only for jobs that take real time.
Is Microsoft Copilot worth it for a small business?+
Often, if your team lives in Outlook, Word and Excel. It's licensed per user, so many businesses license the people who'll use it most rather than everyone.
What AI can create graphics for my business?+
Nano Banana, Google's image model inside Gemini, is excellent for creating and editing images from a description, and Canva is good for keeping marketing graphics on brand.
How many AI tools does a small business need?+
Fewer than you'd think. One general assistant and two or three specialist tools is plenty for most. Prove each one saves time before adding the next.
Sources
- OpenAI: Business data privacy, security and compliance
- Microsoft: Enterprise data protection in Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Anthropic: Is my data used for training? (commercial products)
Facts and rates last checked 6 November 2026. We review every article at least every six months.
About the Long Lever team
Long Lever Partnerships is a collective of business owners and operators: people who have built, run and sold businesses, some with multi-million-pound turnovers, and people who have spent their careers in the field. We have no software to sell and no commission from any provider.
We guide, you build and own it.
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