Hi

You're a busy small business owner. You're juggling marketing, sales, customer service, inventory, and a dozen other things. Now, imagine having a super-smart assistant who doesn't just follow instructions, but actively anticipates your needs, tackles complex tasks, and even helps you strategise. That's the promise of agentic AI, and it's poised to be the next big wave of innovation for businesses just like yours.

If you've been hearing about AI and wondering what's beyond the current chatbots and content generators, agentic AI is it. Think of it as upgrading from a basic calculator to a full-fledged financial advisor who not only crunches numbers but also offers insights and handles transactions for you.

So, What Exactly IS Agentic AI? (No Tech Degree Required!)

At its heart, agentic AI is about AI systems that can take action and make decisions on your behalf to achieve specific goals. Instead of you needing to prompt it for every little thing, an AI agent can understand a broader objective – like "plan my upcoming business trip" or "manage customer enquiries this week" – and then figure out the multiple steps needed to get it done.

Remember that business trip example? An AI agent wouldn't just find flight options. It would understand you're going to a sunny climate, so it would also suggest and even order sunscreen, a new pair of sunglasses (based on current deals!), and make sure everything arrives before you leave. All with your approval, of course.

For your business, this could mean an AI agent that:

• Handles customer service inquiries: Not just by answering FAQs, but by understanding customer history, resolving complex issues, and even knowing when to escalate to a human. 
• Manages your marketing campaigns: From drafting social media posts to analysing campaign performance and automatically adjusting strategies to get you better results.
• Streamlines your operations: Think inventory management that reorders stock proactively, or scheduling tools that optimise your appointments and deliveries without you lifting a finger.
• Conducts research and analysis: Imagine an agent that scours the web for competitor information, market trends, or supplier deals, and then presents you with a concise summary and recommendations.

This About Proactive Problem Solving

The AI we've seen become mainstream recently is already impressive. It can write emails, generate images, and answer questions. But agentic AI takes it a crucial step further. It’s about:

• Proactivity: Agents don't just wait for commands; they anticipate needs.
• Autonomy (with oversight): They can carry out multi-step tasks independently, freeing up your valuable time.
• Personalisation: These agents can learn your preferences, your business's style, and your customers' needs to deliver truly tailored experiences.
• Complex workflows: They can connect different tools and information sources to achieve more sophisticated outcomes than a single AI model could alone.

Companies are already recognizing this shift. Research from my former firm Deloitte suggests that by 2027, half of all companies using generative AI will be exploring agentic AI. 

Big players like Microsoft (with its Azure AI Foundry) and NVIDIA are investing heavily in the platforms and infrastructure to make these powerful AI agents a reality for businesses of all sizes. They're creating "agent factories" and tools that will make it easier to build and deploy AI agents tailored to specific business needs.

What Does This Mean for YOUR Business?

You might be thinking, "This sounds like something for big businesses." But the beauty of technological advancement is that it eventually becomes accessible to everyone. Here’s why you should be paying attention:

1. Save time & money: Imagine automating routine but time-consuming tasks. This frees you and your team to focus on strategic growth, customer relationships, and the parts of your business that truly need a human touch.
2. Boost productivity: AI agents can work 24/7, handle large volumes of information, and perform tasks faster and sometimes more accurately than humans alone.
3. Enhance customer experiences: Personalised, proactive customer service can lead to happier customers and increased loyalty.
4. Unlock new opportunities: By handling more of the day-to-day, agentic AI can give you the bandwidth to explore new products, services, or markets.

Getting Ready for the Wave

You don't need to become an AI expert overnight. But here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Start small: Think about the most repetitive, time-consuming tasks in your business. Could an AI assistant potentially help there?
• Stay curious: Keep an eye on how AI tools are evolving. Many user-friendly platforms are emerging that will make agentic AI capabilities more accessible.
• Focus on problems, not tech: What are the biggest challenges or bottlenecks in your business? Then, explore if AI could offer a solution.
• Remember the human element: Agentic AI is incredibly powerful, but it's a tool to augment human capabilities, not replace them entirely. Your expertise, judgment, and personal touch will always be crucial.

The future of AI is about collaboration – humans working alongside intelligent agents to achieve more than ever before. For small business owners, agentic AI represents a significant opportunity to level the playing field, operate more efficiently, and focus on what you do best: building your business. The wave is coming; it's time to get ready to ride it.

Noel Guilford