Presented by Brent Young · Young Creative Media

AI is now part of every small business, but most people are only using a tiny slice of what it can do — or avoiding it because the noise is overwhelming. This session gives you a clear foundation: what AI actually is, where it genuinely fits in a small business, and how to separate the useful from the hype.

Instead of memorising steps, attendees learn a way of thinking they can apply long after the tools change. It’s a practical, live demonstration session using real small-business tasks across several major AI platforms. No jargon, no hype, no doom — just straight answers and hands-on examples. Whether you’ve never touched AI or you’ve dabbled and want more, you’ll walk away confident and equipped.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

• Understand what AI is (and isn’t) in plain English
• Get clear answers on jobs, privacy, the environment and creative ownership
• Build a mental map of major AI platforms and how to choose between them
• Learn what prompt engineering really means and how good prompts work
• See AI applied live to real small-business tasks
• Leave with a practical foundation and easy first-step materials

Ideal Audience

Beginner to intermediate: small business owners, sole traders, retailers, trades, tourism operators and community organisations. No technical background needed.

Key Message

AI isn’t here to replace small business owners — it’s here to take the work you never wanted. Learn what to hand over, keep your own voice, and use the hours you get back on the things only you can do. That’s a real competitive edge.

Materials Provided

• Printed framework for deciding which tasks to hand over
• Starter prompt library (email, social, websites, reviews)
• One-page action sheet with tools and experiments
• Digital copies for Chamber members who can’t attend

Where This Can Go

This session stands alone, but a deeper two-day workshop is in development for businesses ready to build prompts, simple automations, and AI workflows tailored to their own operations.

Presenter

Brent Young, founder of Young Creative Media — web development, photography, and AI/automation consulting, based in Cowra. Everything taught is used daily in his own business.