In a fast-changing business landscape, the call to become “AI-first” has never been louder. But beyond the hype, what does that actually mean for small and growing companies?
At a recent ICAP webinar, long-time partner and entrepreneur Tim Freed shared how he’s using artificial intelligence and automation tools to streamline operations, save time, and attract more customers without spending a fortune.
Tim runs two businesses: Toddle About, a franchise network and events hub for parents of under-fives, and Book That In, an online bookings and payments platform. With a small team and big ambitions, he’s embraced automation to cut down admin and free up resources for growth.
Why Embracing AI Matters Now
You don’t need a formal qualification in artificial intelligence to reap its benefits what matters is practical, hands-on experience using it to solve real problems. The reality is clear: AI is not a passing trend; it’s a transformative tool that’s here to stay. Those who embrace it will find new opportunities for growth, while those who ignore it risk becoming obsolete, much like once-dominant brands that failed to adapt.
AI tools can shoulder repetitive, time-consuming administrative work reliably, 24/7, and at a fraction of the cost of human labour. This isn’t about replacing people, but about freeing them to focus on the creative, high-value work that drives innovation and success.
AI’s strengths:
- Repetitive admin and process-heavy tasks
- Generating fresh ideas and starting points for projects
- Communicating at scale
- Creating content quickly (text, images, video)
AI’s limits:
- Deep strategic thinking and prioritisation
- Genuine emotional understanding
- Consistently flawless accuracy
- Being authentically human
Creating Your Own AI Assistant
With so many AI tools on the market, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The key is to start small and focus on solutions that deliver genuine, measurable impact. One powerful option is building Custom GPTs – AI assistants tailored precisely to your business needs.
What AI Can Do for Your Business
- Meeting Summary Generator – Creates concise, tailored meeting notes based on key criteria such as participant background, skills, suitability for a role, and agreed next steps.
- Sales Email Writer – Crafts persuasive sales emails in your preferred tone of voice, cutting hours from the drafting process.
- Advert Design Critiquer – Provides structured, actionable feedback on advert quality, helping improve engagement and results.
- Email Subject Line Optimiser – Instantly generates attention-grabbing subject lines to boost open rates.
- Email Response Assistant – Transforms recorded explanations into clear, professional written replies for customer support.
- Data Manipulation Assistant – Processes raw data exports into ready-to-use reports and insights.
- Article Writer – Produces authentic, on-brand articles by combining your spoken notes with your established writing style.
AI-powered visuals that work
Recent upgrades to ChatGPT’s image capabilities mean it can now:
- Render clear, readable text in graphics.
- Keep a consistent “character” across multiple images (multi-turn generation).
- Accurately handle multiple objects in a scene.
How AI Can Elevate Your Marketing Materials
Flyer Refresh – Upload an existing design and request a more eye-catching version; AI can deliver a bolder, more compelling flyer with stronger visuals and a clear call to action.
Social Media Graphics – From witty memes to themed event posters, AI can produce fully laid-out designs with text and imagery tailored to your audience.
Infographics Transform a dry process or concept such as a sales funnel – into a colourful, on-brand visual guide that’s easy to understand and engaging to share.
Mascots, Image Editing, and AI Video
AI isn’t just for generic visuals it can learn your brand’s unique look. By training a Custom GPT on images of a mascot, you can generate unlimited new poses, outfits, and scenarios in seconds. For example, Tim created a “mascot illustrator” GPT for his monkey character, producing anything from “waving superhero” to “swinging on a swing” without paying for an illustrator each time.
This is particularly valuable for seasonal campaigns think your mascot in Christmas gear, summer settings, or themed event scenes.
Editing with multi-turn iteration
You can also tweak existing images, although AI will re-generate the whole picture rather than simply altering one element. That means small changes (e.g. swapping a hat for a party hat) may slightly affect other details like colour tones or facial features. The differences are minor, but worth noting for brand consistency.
Image referencing for brand likeness
Image referencing lets AI base its output on a photo you provide useful for maintaining a consistent look across visuals. Quality varies between tools:
- ChatGPT’s image referencing is improving, but still hit-and-miss for realistic headshots.
- Hailuo AI delivered a far more convincing likeness using the same prompt and reference photo, though Tim cautions that as a Chinese-run platform, it raises data privacy considerations.
AI-generated video
Video generation is also here though still in early stages. By simply describing a scene (“primary school children at a dance class learning ballet”), AI can produce short clips.
- ChatGPT’s video tool, Sora, created something recognisable but not fully accurate to the brief.
- Hailuo AI produced a more refined result from the exact same prompt.
While neither is flawless yet, these tools will only improve and they already offer a glimpse into a future where businesses can generate promotional videos instantly.
Why a CRM is No Longer Optional for Growth
A good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system centralises every interaction you have with your customers from the moment they first hear about you, to booking, to follow-ups, reviews, and re-bookings. Done well, much of this can run on autopilot.
While many businesses in the children’s activities sector still operate without one, the benefits are undeniable:
- All-in-one communication – Email, SMS, WhatsApp, and even Instagram DMs in one place.
- Automation -Triggered messages, reminders, and follow-ups without manual work.
- Team visibility -Everyone can see the customer history, reducing overlap and missed opportunities.
- Efficiency & cost savings -Replace multiple separate tools like Calendly, Mailchimp, and standalone SMS platforms.
- Lead conversion -More touchpoints mean more prospects become paying customers.
In one demonstration, a single form submission automatically triggered an email, an SMS, a WhatsApp message, and even a backup SMS all without lifting a finger. More sophisticated workflows can branch based on the answers a person provides, creating genuinely personalised customer journeys.
A modern CRM is far more than a database, it’s a growth engine. Whether you opt for Book That In Automate or another platform, the real power lies in setting up and using automations. They save time, keep customers engaged, and drive more bookings all without adding to your workload.
If you’re interested in building your own article-writing AI assistant, download the free workbook at bookthatin.online/CustomGPT. You can also join the priority list for Book That In AutoMate at https://automate.bookthatin.com, or book a call with Tim directly at bookthatin.online/demo
ICAP members can watch the full recording of the webinar from their dashboard click here. If you’re not a member yet, sign up for membership here to access expert guidance, resources, and support.
