Building an AI-Ready Business¶
A 3-part series for small businesses that want AI to land instead of stall — by doing the operational work that has to come first.¶
Most AI pilots stall in the same place. The tool is not the problem. The work underneath it was never stable enough to improve. This series walks the three layers that have to be in place before AI gets a clear job to do: the process foundation, the procedure your agent can actually run, and the reasoning that keeps the whole thing from drifting when conditions change.
Read in order, or jump to the layer you need first.
Post 1¶
Most SMBs don't have an AI problem: they have a process problem
AI is on every SMB's agenda, but most pilots stall because the workflow underneath was never documented. This post covers why the process work has to come first and how to sequence it without slowing the business down.
Categories: Strategy · Automation
Post 2¶
Writing for agents: SOPs your AI can actually run
Human SOPs lean on tribal knowledge and judgment. Agents have neither. This post covers what makes a procedure agent-runnable, the six elements every agent-ready SOP needs, and the patterns that break agents most often.
Categories: Automation · AI & Models
Post 3¶
Decision logs: the one page that captures why your business does what it does
SOPs capture what your business does. Decision logs capture why. This post covers the five fields every entry needs, why small teams feel the gap first, and how to start one this week.
Categories: Strategy · Knowledge & RAG
Read the series¶
Start at Post 1 and follow the callout at the top of each post to move through the sequence.
Start with Post 1: Most SMBs don't have an AI problem →
Related reading¶
These posts pair well with the series:
- Writing Markdown documentation AI agents can actually use — the format that makes documentation agent-readable
- The AI champion: the quiet role that makes adoption stick in small teams — who owns the work once it lands
- AI Readiness in 60 Minutes: Map Workflows Before You Automate — a starting point if you're not sure which workflow to document first
Keep exploring¶
If you are ready to map your readiness with a partner, start the AI Readiness Audit or contact FIT.