By Marcedes Schindler
The Hotel Insider
There is a lot of hesitation among small business owners when it comes to artificial intelligence. Some think it is too technical. Some think it is a passing trend. Others are simply too busy running payroll, serving customers, managing employees and keeping the lights on to stop and learn one more new tool.
I understand that hesitation. I spent 30 years in hotel operations, and if there is one thing I know, it is that the hotel industry is slow to adopt new technology. But hotels are also large organizations. When they finally decide to move, they have teams, budgets and systems to move fast.
Can the average small business owner in Blount County say the same?
AI is not just another app or marketing fad. It is changing how customers discover businesses, compare options and decide where to spend their money. Today’s consumer is no longer searching with Google, a phone book, or a billboard. They open ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or another AI search tool and ask, “Who is the best plumber near me?” “Where should I eat in Maryville?” “What local boutique has unique clothing?” “Which hotel should I book near the Smokies?” The answer they receive may become the recommendation they trust.
That should get every business owner’s attention. If your business is not known, understood or clearly represented in the “answer” these tools provide, you may become invisible in places where customers are beginning to search.
This is not about replacing people. It is about using the most powerful knowledge tool ever made available to the general public. AI can help a business owner write better emails, improve website content, answer customer questions, study competitors, plan marketing, train staff and identify what your customers are really asking for and want daily.
The businesses that fall behind will not do so because AI “kills” them. They will fall behind because they refused to understand the tools, while your competitors learned how to use it.
Try this simple test. Open the free version of ChatGPT on your phone. Ask it a question a customer might ask about your type of business in Blount County. Then ask yourself: did my business show up? Did my competitors? Was the answer accurate?
That moment may tell you more about your future business and marketing plan than any seminar ever could.
The time to learn AI is not six months from now.
