Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Unlocking the Potential of AI in Business
Many entrepreneurs rely on AI to assist with routine tasks, such as drafting posts and organizing emails. While these applications are certainly beneficial, they do not have the power to elevate a side hustle into a thriving seven-figure enterprise. The true potential lies in leveraging AI for high-value decision-making: determining what products to sell, identifying the right hires, discovering lead leakages, and strategizing future offerings. According to a Goldman Sachs survey conducted in March 2026, 76% of 1,256 small business owners utilize AI, yet only 14% have integrated it into their core operations.
Transforming AI from a Tool to a Partner
In this video, I explore four significant AI applications that demonstrate how entrepreneurs can stop viewing AI as merely a shortcut and instead focus on its lucrative possibilities:
- A cryotherapy franchise that grew from $300K to $1.1 million by using AI for pricing, staffing, and market strategies.
- A plumbing company that generated $8,310 in just eight days by incorporating AI into its lead-to-booking process.
- A SaaS founder who utilized AI to cover 31% of positions typically required for a lean team.
- A no-code developer who transformed domain expertise into lucrative software revenue while Base44 showcased how quickly AI-generated products can attract buyer interest.
AI can serve as more than just a productivity tool; it can act as a strategic partner that helps you identify what truly matters for your business.
This concept aligns with Rule #10 from The Wolf Is at the Door: the costly decisions are often those you hesitate to make because you’re waiting for perfect certainty. While AI cannot eliminate risks, it can expedite research, highlight options, and compel you to gain clarity before more time slips away.
Supporting this perspective, a report from Gusto, covering 100,000 small and medium-sized businesses, revealed that a 10 percentage point increase in workforce exposure to AI correlated with an anticipated 2.2% monthly revenue boost after six months.
This distinction is crucial: engaging with AI tools is different from embedding AI within a business model. If your side hustle has hit a plateau, the issue often isn’t lack of effort. Instead, it could be that a critical decision, lead transfer, ongoing role, or product concept remains unvoiced in your mind instead of being integrated into a systematic approach.
This video delves into the four AI strategies responsible for a $1.1 million turnaround, an $8,310 lead system developed within eight days, and an $80 million exit, offering insights on how to implement similar strategies in your own business.
The AI Success Kit is available for free download, which also includes a chapter from my new book, The Wolf is at The Door.
