AI Strategy for Small Business
Most small businesses are experimenting with AI tools. Few have a real plan. The gap between those two groups is widening fast — and the businesses without a strategy are already feeling it.
Why This Matters Now
Small businesses used to have the luxury of waiting out new technology until it was proven. That window is closed. AI adoption among small businesses tripled in under two years — and the businesses moving fastest are pulling ahead on cost, speed, and customer experience.
The problem isn't access. AI tools are cheap and available to anyone. The problem is strategy. Most small business owners are either ignoring AI entirely, or throwing tools at problems without a plan — wasting time, creating data exposure, and missing the actual opportunities.
The businesses that will own the next decade aren't the ones with the biggest budgets. They're the ones that moved with intention when the window was open. That window is open right now.
Five questions. No signup required. Check the ones that are true for your business right now.
How We Work Together
A structured one-on-one engagement — not a course, not a lecture. Mike works through your business directly: auditing your workflows, evaluating tools against your actual use cases, and building a written 12-month AI strategy with you. Includes 8 hours of guided support across pre-work and three working sessions.
After the business owner has a strategy, the team needs to understand how to operate inside it. Mike delivers a live risk-awareness engagement for your leadership team — not a training session, but a facilitated conversation that changes how they think about AI risk, responsibility, and their role in your plan.
Not sure where to start? The triage worksheet is a 15-question diagnostic across five readiness pillars — live on the page, no signup required. Find out exactly where your gaps are. Get the PDF version sent to your inbox and use it with your team.
Many AI consultants come from marketing or software. My background is in research, security, and operations. That changes the kind of advice I give.
I've spent years doing cybersecurity red team work — which means I know exactly how AI tools can be used against a business, what data leaks through them, and where the real exposure is. That's not a reason to avoid AI. It's the foundation for using it wisely.
The guidance I give small businesses isn't fear-based. It's grounded in reality. I want your business to benefit from AI. I've seen what it can do for organizations that approach it with a plan — and I've seen the mess that comes when they don't.
I have taught lean manufacturing and cybersecurity at the university level, which means I know how to explain complex things clearly. I have led R&D facilities, managed multi-disciplinary teams, and run my own businesses. I don't have a vendor relationship with any AI platform. My only interest is in what actually works for you.
Roadrunner Cybersecurity handles the other half of the picture — privacy audits, cybersecurity policy, employee training, and risk assessments for small businesses in New Mexico. Same advisor, different front door.
The triage worksheet takes 10 minutes. It shows you exactly where your AI readiness gaps are — across policy, opportunity, team literacy, competitive awareness, and planning. No signup required to use it online. Get the PDF sent to your inbox if you want it in hand.
One email a month. Threats, AI tools, and privacy issues that matter to small business owners — in plain English. No jargon, no vendor pitches.