How to start using AI in your business without giving away your data

It's a chat app. You type or say what you want in plain words, and it writes back. ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are the main ones. They all have a free plan that's enough for this and work in much the same way, so pick whichever you like.

Think of it as a new hire who's read a lot but has never been to your business. It's quick, but it doesn't know your prices or your customers unless you tell it, and it can sound sure about something that's wrong. Treat what it writes as a first draft.

They overlap, but here's a simple rule. If you're looking for something that already exists, like opening hours or a phone number, search for it and open the real page. If you want to turn something into something else, like rough notes into a tidy email, ask AI.

Two small things while you're in there. Rating an answer with the thumbs up or down can let the company use that chat even if you turned training off, so skip it on anything sensitive. And these apps can remember things about you between chats. If you'd rather they didn't, look for Memory in settings.

Ask the way you'd brief someone new: say what you want, give it the facts it can't know, say how long or what tone, and mention anything it mustn't do.

Then talk back. If the first answer is off, say what's wrong ("shorter", "less formal", "don't mention prices") and it'll try again. The second try is usually better.

Out of the box, these apps have a few habits that get old fast. They use jargon, write far more than you asked for, turn everything into bullet points, start with "Great question!", and agree with nearly anything you say.

You don't have to correct that in every chat. Each app has a box in its settings where you write how you like answers, and it uses that from then on. Copy this in and change anything that doesn't sound like you:

ChatGPT also has ready-made styles in the same place. Professional leans into business jargon, so if that's what bugs you, pick Friendly or Efficient instead.

Can't find the setting, or it isn't available where you live? Paste the same lines at the start of a chat instead. There's nothing private in any of it, so it's a safe thing to set up on day one. Just don't expect miracles: answers get easier to read, but it can still get things wrong, so keep checking.

Once this feels easy, you can give it more to work with. Go one step at a time, and only when the generic answers stop being good enough.

First things that are already public, then your own writing with other people's details taken out, then a short description of your business. Connecting your email or calendar, or letting it act for you, comes last. Plenty of businesses never need that.

Ask the chat. Paste in the part you're unsure about and say "explain this like I'm new to it" or "what should I try next?" There's nothing private in that, so it's a good first conversation to have.