Small Business Month Spotlight: Helping Local Businesses Put AI to Work

Article by David Egan, Vice President, Comcast Business, responsible for serving customers in Greater Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and northern Delaware.

Small businesses do not need more hype about AI. They need practical ways to use it, and a reliable technology foundation that makes it work.

At a recent Comcast Business event at the Comcast Technology Center, one message stood out: small businesses don’t need to chase AI hype, they need practical ways to apply it where it can make an immediate difference.

Cut Through the Noise: Start with What Works

AI is everywhere, but many business owners still face the same challenge – where to begin, and what will actually help. Comcast Business convened this Small Business Month conversation to keep the focus on real-world use cases and the steps that make adoption easier, safer and more effective.

From customer support and marketing to staffing, inventory management and cybersecurity, the discussion reinforced that AI can help small businesses solve everyday challenges when applied in focused, practical ways.

Jody Hagemann, Senior Director of Sales Engineering for Comcast Business, moderated the discussion with Christian Nascimento, Senior Vice President of Connectivity & Digital Customer Solutions at Comcast Business; Rich Roseman, AI Global Solutions Architect at Microsoft; and Sherrill Mosee, founder of MinkeeBlue & Forest Park AI, who brought an entrepreneur’s perspective on learning and applying AI quickly.

Start Small. Start Now.

Small business owners do not need to overhaul their operations to begin. They can start with one task, learn what works, and build from there.

Mosee shared her experience adopting AI tools over the past year and emphasized the value of momentum. “You have to jump in and start learning as the tools evolve,” she said. “Start with something simple, get a win, and build from there.”

She also reinforced a practical truth: AI requires human judgment. “AI is not always correct – you have to be the driver,” she said. “It will give you ideas and take you in different directions, but you have to understand your business and decide what works.”

Save Time, Focus on Customers, Deliver Results

In practice, AI helps most when it reduces low-value work and gives owners time back – time they can reinvest in customers, teams and growth.

This is where many small businesses see the fastest return, whether through automating customer interactions, streamlining marketing, or improving day-to-day operations.

For Mosee, the efficiency gains showed up quickly. “Something that used to take me months – like creating product designs and preparing materials for manufacturing – I can now do in minutes,” she said. “That gives me time back to connect with my customers.”

Roseman echoed that point with his own work. “If I’m spending hours writing reports, that’s not where I bring value,” he said. “AI helps take those tasks off my plate so I can focus on delivering results to my clients.”

Level the Playing Field, Without a Big Budget

AI tools also help smaller organizations compete. Businesses can create content, analyze competitors and improve how they operate without adding headcount or major new overhead.

“AI really puts everyone on a more even playing field,” Mosee said. “You don’t need a big budget anymore to create marketing content, analyze your competitors or build your brand. You can do it yourself.”

Clearly, that kind of access matters. It allows entrepreneurs to move faster, make better decisions and grow with more agility, especially when they pair AI with a reliable network and strong security.

Rethink the Process. Don’t Just Automate It

The panel also pushed business owners to think beyond automation. AI can do more than speed up existing work. It can help redesign how work gets done end to end.

“Don’t just layer AI on top of what you’re already doing,” Roseman said. “Think about your business processes from start to finish. What could you change? What could you eliminate?”

AI Depends on the Basics: Connectivity and Security

Nascimento added a critical takeaway: Small businesses should not treat AI as a standalone tool. They should treat it as part of a broader technology foundation that starts with connectivity and security.

“We’re at an inflection point of AI, connectivity and cybersecurity,” Nascimento said. “Connectivity powers everything – how you connect with your customers, your employees, how you take payments. Then you need the right cybersecurity, because AI is a powerful tool for businesses – but also for bad actors.”

“Success with AI starts with having the right infrastructure in place,” Nascimento added.