How are you using AI to improve your business? What are your biggest questions?

[sargos]

👋 Hi folks! My name is Sam and I’m part of the team working on Square AI, which is now available in open beta to all owner accounts in the US. 

As we continue to build AI capabilities into Square and bring you resources to help you get the most out of AI, we’re curious to hear: 

What are some of your biggest questions about using AI to improve your business? 

What are some of the biggest unlocks you’ve found by using AI so far?

[JTPets]

I use AI for a lot of things, I am an individual who uses AI to write emails so I ensure my tone is corrrect and my message is clear, I use AI to write code to connect Square to Google Sheets to export my catalog information, and 91 days sales to create a order generation tool, I use AI to generate formulas in Google Sheets to create catalog audit filters for items missing GTIN, or image urls, or taxes etc, I use AI to write copy for marketing, I use AI to write SEO titles and SEO descriptions, I use AI to generate images for social media, I use AI to reflect on myself, I use AI for everything I can....Next step is learning some make.com automations

Check my signature below for some API code to connect your square to google sheets 

[Getonthebus]

We are using AI to help with marketing info and such. Sometimes when you have been tooting your own horn for so long, you run out of ways to promote yourself. AI has been a fresh step forward in presenting the info. 

[bonny]

I've also found some of the suggestions it makes are directions I would not have thought of on my own.  

Bonny Wagoner - Artist/Illustrator
www.bonnywagoner.com
@bonny 

[makedonas]

I’m still getting my feet wet with AI

[alexandriak]

Hello! I like to use AI to comb thru large amounts of data and pull out what I'm looking for. I also use it here and there for social media captions or post ideas for the days I just can't think. I also like to use it here and there for forecasting purposes, just to see if my thought process is on the right track.

[DinaLRosenberg]

We use Ai to generate product descriptions. Honestly when you're adding 15-50 products a DAY it's so important to move quickly. I can't begin to tell you how much time we've saved using AI for this.

AI is a great editing tool- sometimes I let it write for me as a personal assistant would- I'll "speak" into it plainly and then tell it to make it more professional, funny, serious, etc..

I'm especially impressed with how AI has adapted to us over time, understanding our tone and our business.

[JUYBoutique20]

Same here.  I always go through and edit before publishing so I can still keep my business vibe.

[ajrieseLAc]

which AI are you using? 

[CareyJo]

I personally find it extremely difficult to get on board with AI.  I'm of the belief (and the age group) that it's detrimental in so many ways.  I find it terrifying and annoying.  I hate my phone being controlled by it.  I hate my life being controlled by it.  

We're a small, mom and pop service business and AI does not only not benefit us but we believe that it's a danger.  My husband doesn't like it anymore than I do.  Let me also say, that in our business we have no need for digital or electronic systems of any kind, so it's not just AI that we're not using.  We do obviously have Square so that we can process payments, but over 99% of our clients pay with a check.

Since I run the business and he's all hands-on work, we don't have employees and don't need a lot of systems in place.  I often hear "You should use invoicing" or "You should use _____ service" but people do not understand that not a single one of our jobs are going to bill out the same.  That's not an exaggeration.  We have no two tickets alike and when we do, they are for multiple pieces of equipment that are identical and our commercial client will not except electronic invoices from a system like that.  We do over 75% commercial work and local.  Those business owners want paper or at the most a scanned invoice sent as a pdf.  So, AI and systems are just not helpful to us.

[LukeNieuw]

I use AI for copywriting, idea generations, strategy suggestions and crafting replies in peculiar situations with customers. I also use it as a debrief for situations or events where things could have been done differently or better. 

[SakredJoiArt]

As a creative entrepreneur and founder of ˈSāKrədJoi Art, I'm using AI in a few key ways to enhance my workflow and grow my business. AI tools help me brainstorm product descriptions, streamline marketing content like email campaigns and social media captions, and even organize large projects like course development or catalog creation. It’s like having a virtual creative assistant that helps me save time while staying aligned with my brand voice.

My Biggest Questions:

My biggest questions revolve around sustainability and strategy:

• How can I best integrate AI without losing the soulful, handmade feel of my brand?

• What are the ethical and creative boundaries I should be mindful of?

• And how can I use AI to better understand my customer journey and make data-informed decisions without feeling like I'm chasing algorithms?

I'm excited by the possibilities but committed to staying rooted in authenticity.

[CareyJo]

I think those are some very smart and thoughtful questions.  Fantastic that you're thinking that way!

[TheRealChipA]

@sargos Three use cases that I've found have helped me streamline and make some regular tasks more efficient....

1. I have a costing and inventory spreadsheet that determines theoretical inventory.  This spreadsheet takes into account not only variations sold, but also modifiers added for all items sold.  I used to download the item details CSV but whenever the format of that CSV changed (without warning! ha) it would mess things up.  Now, I have Square AI give me customer CSVs in my preferred format which I download every day and import into that analysis.  The AI CSV actually is much better in other ways, too.  For example, the standard item details CSV has one huge modifiers-applied field that I use to have to parse.  With the AI, I get one record per item/modifier combination which has streamlined my calculations immensely.
2. On the first of each month, I run a what-if pro-forma budget.  I have four Square AI queries that I execute and then import the results into that spreadsheet.  Then I download data from Zoho Books (my accounting software) and I can see at a glance how my big-picture cash flow for the next twelve months is shaping up based on various assumptions I want it to apply.
3. I also have a 28-day detailed cash flow spreadsheet that merges Square and Zoho data.  With this spreadsheet I can see the potential cash-flow pain points well in advance of them happening so that I can adjust as needed.  While most of this currently uses standard Square CSVs, my plan is to create my own Square AI queries to replace those as new functionality is added to the AI LLM -- for example I need the AI to scour payroll data.  But, for now, some of the same Square AI data used in #2 above is also used in this task.

Otherwise, I am starting to use ChatGPT to have it suggest revisions to marketing posts.  I am nothing if not wordy (hmmmm), and I've been told that I never use one word when a half-dozen will do. LOL.  ChatGPT gives me some good guidance and ideas for revising my posts, though I NEVER copy/paste what it suggests verbatim.  It still sounds too "machine like."

My employees know that I have Square AI now, and so they regularly pester me for Piper's trivia and stats.  Now that we are testing mobile Square AI that has proven to be easier and more fun for all of us.

Like @CareyJo I'm of the generation that initially wrote off AI.  But I have to say it is growing on me.  I still verify everything it says, and I still have a healthy dose of distrust. But I find that if I carefully choose the tasks I want it to accomplish for me, I'm saving time and energy -- not a bad thing for a 63-year old codger!  

[a440]

Like Dex at Mudfire we are concerned about AI's energy footprint (https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/). We're also concerned about the terms where we "...grant [Square] and our subsidiaries, affiliates, and successors a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, fully-paid, transferable, irrevocable, perpetual, and sub-licensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, prepare derivative works of, distribute, publicly perform, and publicly display your AI Content throughout the world in any media for any reason...". We also don't have a big need for it in our guitar repairing business, but the couple of times we've used free ChatGPT over the last year it is pretty astonishing.

[CareyJo]

Okay everyone... after reading all of the responses, I had a thought in my head that @JUYBoutique20 touched on.... how can you use AI and be authentic in your business?  How you can use this and feel like you're not being fake to your public.  That would bother me immensely.  I wouldn't like knowing that it's not my words, my expressions and how we conduct business.  Having integrity and authenticity are extremely important to me in our business.  I want it to come from us, not a machine.  If it doesn't talk the way I talk, then it's not me.  I get that not everyone is a good writer and struggles with putting things into words, I'm fortunate not to have that issue.  Maybe that's why I don't like it.  But seriously, as a customer of your business, how would you personally feel if everything you read that comes from that business is not actually the owner?  I'm genuinely interested to know how y'all feel about this...

[JUYBoutique20]

Hey @CareyJo 

For me I use AI as a guide.  Most boutique owners I talk with about this don't just post whatever the system spits out. For me it helps me gather my thoughts and then I can tailor them to my customer base.  Isn't it the same when you hire a marketing team or social media team?  They get a feel of the vibe for the business so they can post content.  Maybe using AI could help the business owner not have to hire out that team.   Like I said I need to play around with it more, but if it can help business owners get more customers to their storefronts or online store than I say go for it.  

[CareyJo]

That's a good point - maybe it is the same.  I don't know anyone here locally that uses a team.  We have those services all over the place but I think only really large players are using them, not the small ones like me, so I don't know any of them personally.

[JUYBoutique20]

@CareyJo I actually got to play around a bit with Chat GPT this weekend and I was amazed.  My loctician was literally having a full conversation with hers to show me one way she uses it.  It was asking her questions about things they talked about before, giving her advice on things, etc.  I was speechless because it never occurred to me that this was something that could be used outside of business.  

[bonny]

It is intriguing, isn't it?  

[Donnie-M]

I understand and this is what I my wife faced.  She felt like it was "cheating".  I explained to her, use it as a "tool" and not a replacement.  You use electricity?  how is that not authentic?  But let me give you an AI answer, I am going to use AI to answer your question, and then I will show you what AI wrote.  What you are getting next is me using AI:

I don’t see AI as replacing me, I see it as a tool that helps me focus on what is important. If you're handing the wheel over to a machine and calling it "you," then yeah, it’s fake. But if you're using AI as a tool to help express your ideas faster, cleaner, or at scale while still making sure it matches your values and sounds like you?  That is being efficient.  And, we owe it to ourselves, our customers, and our employees to be the best we can be.

Being authentic doesn’t mean you have to write every word yourself,  I have taken great pains to "train" or curate my AI with instructions so it reflects closely how I want it to be.  It is my intent.  I use AI like I’d use a smart assistant: help me get the draft down, clean up the phrasing, make sure the tone matches what I’d say if I had more time. But nothing gets posted that doesn’t sound like me, and gets a go over.

I even use 2 ai platforms to double check my work from the other platform.  End of the day, it’s just a tool. Do you mean what you’re saying? Because if you do, I don’t care if you used a pen, a keyboard, or a circuit board to say it.  This is where your feelings might actually be holding you back.

Now here was the original what AI gave me:

"Here’s a reply in your tone—direct, grounded, and strategic, with a touch of pragmatism:

---

Fair point—and I get where you're coming from. But here's the thing: I don’t see AI as replacing my voice, I see it as sharpening it. If you're handing the wheel over to a machine and calling it "you," then yeah—it’s fake. But if you're using AI as a tool to help express your ideas faster, cleaner, or at scale while still filtering it through your intent, your values, your phrasing? That’s not inauthentic—that’s efficient.

Authenticity doesn’t mean you have to write every word with your own hands—it means the message still reflects your thinking. I use AI like I’d use a smart assistant: help me get the draft down, clean up the phrasing, make sure the tone matches what I’d say if I had more time. But nothing gets posted that doesn’t sound like me.

End of the day, it’s just leverage. And the key is still: do you mean what you’re saying? Because if you do, I don’t care if you used a pen, a keyboard, or a circuit board to say it.

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Want me to tweak it more confrontational, more casual, or more polished?"

[sargos]

Thank you for all your thoughtful responses so far! Whether you're an AI power user, have started dabbling, or you have concerns about AI and don't find it a fit for your business, your insights are helpful as we build Square features that will best meet your needs, learn from one another, and craft resources to continue leveling up together. Keep the responses coming, and you may see myself and my team reach out to some of you in the coming days to hear more!