Welcome back friends!
We have a special guest joining our blog today and if you haven’t guessed by the title of the blog, it’s someone who is heavily immersed in technology and how it can improve and help business owners and founders lives. Before I get into the big reveal of who our writer is, I just want to pre-face with saying, I love technology and how it can advance the world but it also scares me a little bit. After chatting with our writer on numerous occasions and hearing her present previously, she definitely helped alleviate my fear of AI and the tools that are out there. I’m not an expert in technology by any means but I’m always open to learning and I think you guys should be too so, our special guest writer for this particular topic is Yvonne Pilon, the President and CEO of the organization local to Windsor-Essex called WeTech Alliance.
To give you a bit more background on Yvonne, her and I met years ago (I actually don’t remember where hahaha, I meet a lot of people on a weekly basis) but it was probably at an event or some sort of networking opportunity. I’m not here to tell you how incredibly smart she is but to instead give you a big introduction to her and a small snippet of her knowledge that has been helping people for over a decade. I will also say although Yvonne herself said “she is always learning in the ever changing world of technology”, I can confidently say she is definitely a leader in the realm.
So I won’t babble on much longer and instead I will pass Yvonne the mic to chat a bit more about tech and it’s uses. I did also want to mention they have a FANTASTIC event coming up this month (November), and we’ve been gifted a handful of tickets to offer to our readers to come, so if you’re interested in those make sure you read to the end of the post to snag those!
Okay *passing hypothetical microphone*
Yvonne here: When I was asked to write this blog, my first thought was: I’m still learning, too.
I’m not an AI expert, but I’m usually an early adopter of technology. Amazon drone deliveries, Waymo’s self-driving cars, EveryHuman’s AI perfume experience in Detroit, hotels in Japan staffed by robots? I’m curious. I don’t love everything I see, but I believe technology can serve a purpose, especially for busy entrepreneurs.
Recently, I’ve been testing Meta’s AI assistant Muse, affectionately named Merv, to track airfare and hotel prices for an upcoming trip. Mashable highlights people using it to chase airline credits, cancel subscriptions and plan nights out. Your next customer interaction might start with someone else’s Merv.
Of course, convenience raises questions about privacy. Just as with our phones, smart glasses, Alexa and online searches, we should ask: what are we sharing, who can access it and how is it being used?
At WEtech Alliance, we’re learning alongside entrepreneurs through practical programming, expert conversations and our own internal AI guidelines. My view? The genie is out of the bottle. We still need rules and a shared understanding of responsible AI use in Canada. For entrepreneurs, there’s also an opportunity to free up time for creative work and the things that need your expertise.
Even if you’re less enthusiastic, there’s a business reason to stay curious: customers are using AI to find products, compare options and decide where to shop.
Alongside SEO, there’s now GEO, generative engine optimization, which focuses on helping your business appear in AI-generated answers and recommendations. Clear product descriptions, helpful FAQs and accurate policies are a useful starting point. Try asking an AI assistant or AI tool the kind of question your customer might ask: “Can you recommend an interior designer in Windsor-Essex?” or “Where can I shop for locally made gifts in Chatham-Kent?” Does your business show up? If it does, is the information accurate?
You may choose not to use AI, but that doesn’t mean your customers will.
So, where do you start?
Two questions I hear often from founders are: “Where do I start?” and “What tools should I use?”
My suggestion? Start with the task that makes you sigh.
You’re the founder, marketing department, customer service and, occasionally, the person wrestling with the printer. Another tool should earn its place on your to-do list.
During WEtech’s recent Scaling with AI session, Camp Tech founder and CEO Avery Swartz encouraged businesses to evaluate AI at the task level: What are you doing? Why? What could the impact be? How will you manage the risks, and who is accountable?
Before choosing a tool, pick something useful to try. Consider the software you already use and whether it offers features that fit the task. Ask: does it solve my problem, fit my budget and handle my information in a way I’m comfortable with?
Start with something repetitive. A boutique owner could try:
“Using these approved shipping and return policies, draft five friendly answers to common customer questions. Keep each under 75 words. Flag anything the policies don’t answer rather than guessing.”
Check the answers, adjust the tone and save the useful ones. A good prompt gives the tool a clear task, relevant context and boundaries. You can then ask it to revise.
Here are ten everyday experiments to consider:
Answer recurring questions: Draft responses based on your approved policies.
Explain product care: Turn verified garment or furniture-care notes into clear instructions.
Prepare for consultations: Use a fictional project to build a checklist you can adapt.
Stretch existing content: Turn your own blog into three social posts.
Support accessibility: Draft image descriptions and video captions, then check their accuracy.
Simplify instructions: Rewrite a complicated process in plain language.
Explore ways to reduce waste: Brainstorm uses for fabric remnants, packaging or surplus materials.
Practise tricky conversations: Rehearse explaining your pricing or setting boundaries.
Organize a launch: Turn your ideas into a checklist and timeline.
Support community work: Draft a donation-drive announcement using confirmed details.
These are experiments, with results that depend on your business and the task. Pick one that feels useful.
Keep your creative fingerprints and your judgment
Swartz’s values-alignment exercise asks you to connect what matters to your business with how you choose to use AI.
If craftsmanship defines your brand, you might use AI to organize a launch while developing your designs yourself. If personal service is your strength, it could help prepare a consultation agenda, leaving you more time for the conversation.
Try finishing this sentence:
“I’m comfortable using AI for ______, and I want to personally handle ______.”
Those boundaries also apply to the information you share. Think beyond customer names to unreleased designs, supplier pricing and confidential client material. Start with public information or fictional examples as you practise.
Before anything goes out, give it your own final review: Are the facts correct? Has it invented a promise? Does it sound like my business? Would I put my name on it?
You don’t have to figure it out alone
There are learning opportunities and business supports close to home, along with resources you can explore at your own pace:
Local guidance: The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre’s Digital Accelerator Program offers free training and personalized digital advisory support for eligible Windsor-Essex businesses with permanent customer-facing locations. Topics include AI, e-commerce and marketing, with priority given to West Windsor businesses.
Learn with others: Digital Main Street Academy offers free Ontario training in practical AI, business management and cybersecurity. Programs combine independent learning with live sessions and workshops. Check individual intakes for location and participation requirements.
Practice prompting: Google’s small-business prompting examples offer scenarios you can adapt, from email to marketing. The examples are written for Gemini, but they can help you think more clearly about the instructions you give an AI tool.
AI resources and workbooks: Explore Section’s AI resources for downloadable workbooks, guides and tools, including an AI Workflow Audit Worksheet to help identify where AI could fit into your everyday tasks.
Plan a bigger investment: BDC’s LIFT program combines consulting and financing for eligible businesses adopting technology. Its digital transformation and AI pathway requires at least $1 million in annual revenue, making it an option for more established businesses. BDC also has AI articles and tools to explore.
Listen and explore: Try Hands-On AI for practical demonstrations or AI for Humans for AI news, tools and discussion.
Build your AI confidence: Launching December 4, Amii’s AI for All: Essentials for Canadians offers free, Canadian-made learning that breaks AI down into plain language, with topics including everyday uses, privacy and responsible adoption.
Visit WEtech’s AI Hub for regional workshops, events and resources. We’re also planning a hands-on AI Build Day for February 2027 with Camp Tech, helping participants turn ideas into working projects without coding experience.
My suggestion: give yourself 20 minutes to test one task. Include editing time when deciding whether it helped. A useful win might mean responding sooner, making room for creative work or closing your laptop earlier.
A special invitation to the Timber + Plumb community
If this has sparked your curiosity, the timing couldn’t be better to keep the conversation going in person.
Join us for InnovateHER: Art & AI on Friday, November 20, from 1–4 p.m. at Art Windsor-Essex, celebrating Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.
You’ll hear from Avery Swartz, who has been travelling across Canada helping entrepreneurs and small businesses explore how AI fits into their businesses. She’s fantastic at breaking it down, brings a realistic perspective on the opportunities and limitations, and makes room for your questions and concerns.
Come for the interactive AI session and fireside chat, and stay for the connections, delicious bites from women-owned businesses and creative experiences.
We’re offering the Timber + Plumb community up to 10 complimentary tickets, first come, first served. I’d love to see you there.
I just have to say, I love listening to Yvonne speak and I also have heard Avery Swartz speak as well and she is fantastic. So make sure you guys snag those complimentary tickets and come out and celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day on November 20th!
Sending a big THANK-YOU to Yvonne for making time to craft this blog and share some great resources. I love supporting women and I love when women support us back with sharing their expertise in their field.
I’m going to wrap this up but I hope you guys enjoyed our blog post this month and if you have a topic you would love to see us cover, let us know!
Cheers and best of luck in the last quarter of your year!
Markie.