Field notes from the trenches
AI for Central Florida small business — without the hype.
Plain-English writeups on tools, vendor selection, and real implementation stories from Orlando-area businesses. Skim a category, click anything that matters to you, and email me if you want a real opinion.
Why I Still Do the First AI Audit Myself
<i>I've tried handing off the first audit to a junior or a tool. Every time, I missed the real story. Here's what I catch in the first hour that no software ever will.</i> Last year, I…
AI for Excel Power Query: Save Your Bookkeepers a Weekly Afternoon
<i>If your bookkeeper still spends Friday afternoons wrestling with Power Query formulas, you’re leaving money on the table. Here’s how AI turns…
AI for Event Planning Checklists: From Lake Nona to Disney Venue Prep
<i>If you're planning events in Central Florida—from a corporate conference in Lake Nona to a wedding near Disney—AI can help you stop…
AI for Children’s Camps and Activities in Central Florida: DCF-Aware Workflows
<i>Running a children's camp in Central Florida means juggling DCF regulations, parent expectations, and daily operations. Here's how AI can help you…
AI for Canva and Visual Design: A Workflow That Scales for SMBs
*I help small and mid-market business owners in Central Florida turn Canva from a time-suck into a 30-minute-a-week design engine. Here’s the…
AI for Business Card Data Entry: The 30-Second Workflow That Scales
<i>Imagine never typing another business card into your CRM. I’ll show you the 30-second AI workflow that’s saving Central Florida business owners…
AI for Bridal and Event Vendors in Central Florida
*If you're a bridal shop or event vendor in Central Florida, you already know the struggle: endless emails, missed calls, and too…
AI Data Residency and Florida Businesses: Where Your Data Actually Lives
You wouldn't let a stranger walk off with your customer files. So why are you letting an AI tool store them in…
AI Context Windows Explained for Small Business Owners
<i>If your AI assistant keeps forgetting what you just said, it’s not broken — it’s a context window limit. Here’s what that…
AI Budget Templates for Florida Small Businesses: 3 Real Numbers from Real Owners
<i>Three Central Florida business owners share exactly what they spent on AI tools last year—and what they got back. No hype, just…
What to Do When Your AI Tool Gives a Customer Wrong Information
<i>Your AI assistant just told a customer the wrong return policy. Now what? Here's the exact playbook a Winter Park retailer used…
Using AI to Write Job Descriptions That Get Responses
<i>Stop writing job descriptions that sound like every other company. Here's how small and mid-market businesses in Orlando are using AI to…
Perplexity vs ChatGPT for Business Research: Which Finds Real Answers?
You can ask either tool a question. But one of them will hand you a list of sources you can actually click.…
Otter vs Fathom vs Fireflies: Best Meeting Notes for SMBs
*I’ve tested all three with Central Florida business owners. Here’s how they stack up for saving time, cutting costs, and keeping your…
n8n Self-Hosted for an Orlando SMB: When Running Your Own Automation Server Beats Zapier
<i>If you’re an Orlando business owner tired of Zapier’s escalating costs and limitations, self-hosting n8n on a cheap VPS might save you…
Make.com vs. Zapier for Small Business: Which Wins in Orlando?
<i>If you run a small business in Central Florida, you've heard the buzz about automation. But which tool — Make.com or Zapier…
Local SEO for SMB Without an Agency: AI Tools vs. Reality
<i>You don't need to hire a pricey agency to improve your local search rankings, but not everything can be automated. Here's what…
How to Evaluate an AI SaaS Pitch in 15 Minutes
<i>You’ve got a calendar full of AI demos. Here’s how to separate the real tools from the vaporware in a quarter of…
How a 200-Line Python Script Saved an Apopka Tax Firm 40 Hours a Season
<i>A small tax firm in Apopka, Florida, used a simple AI-built script to automate a tedious data-entry task, freeing up 40 hours…
How AI Overviews Changed Local Search Results
<i>Google's AI summaries now answer questions directly in search results. For small businesses in Orlando, this means fewer clicks and more competition…
7 Google Business Profile Mistakes Central Florida Businesses Make in 2026
<i>You're losing customers every day because of these simple GBP errors. Here's how to fix them — no fluff, just what works…
What Central Florida Small Business Owners Actually Use AI For in 2026
<i>Anecdotal field report from a dozen local businesses — from a Winter Park bakery to a Lake Mary construction firm — showing…
Cursor for Non-Developers: Ship a Real App Without Code
<i>You don't need to be a developer to build a working app. Cursor, an AI-powered code editor, lets small business owners in…
Claude Projects for SMB Knowledge: Turn Your Messy Drive Into a Q&A System
<i>If your business has a Google Drive full of old PDFs, SOPs, and spreadsheets that nobody can find, you can turn that…
ChatGPT Projects vs. Custom GPTs: Which One to Use When
<i>If you run a small or mid-market business in Central Florida, you've probably heard about ChatGPT's new Projects feature and Custom GPTs.…
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