AI in Business · Hands-on workshop
Put AI to work on your everyday business tasks.
A practical introduction to Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work for small-business owners and operators.
Running a business means keeping up with quotes, spreadsheets, customer questions, production notes, and all the details in between. In this two-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to give AI a specific job, provide the information it needs, and check its work.
- When
- 6–8 p.m. Eastern
- Ticket
- $47, including all ticketing fees
- Group size
- Limited to 15 participants
Registration and payment through Ticket Tailor.
Bring a laptop and one paid Claude or ChatGPT account. Subscription cost is separate.
Start with familiar work
What could AI help with in your business?
We’ll use examples relevant to small manufacturers, makers, and other local businesses. If you handle customers, documents, or spreadsheets, you’ll find work here you recognize.
Quotes and customer follow-ups
Turn an inquiry, your pricing information, and product or service details into a draft response, with missing information flagged.
Sales and production spreadsheets
Compare weekly figures, highlight changes, and prepare questions worth investigating. Check the numbers against your source data.
Procedures and training guides
Turn rough process notes into draft procedures, onboarding guides, and checklists for your team to review.
Supplier comparisons
Organize quotes, quantities, lead times, and terms into a comparison you can check before making a purchasing decision.
Product information
Bring specifications, descriptions, and existing documents into a consistent product sheet or catalog draft.
Marketing from your own material
Use your product information, photos, and past writing to prepare a newsletter or a set of posts for review.
See it, try it, check it.
Agentic AI can work through several steps using your files and tools to produce something you can review. You’ll see examples in both Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work, then use your preferred tool to work through a task, with guidance and time for questions.
- 1
Give it a useful job
Choose a manageable task, describe the result you need, and supply the files and context it should use.
- 2
Review the result
Check facts, prices, and details against the originals. Practice spotting gaps and asking for corrections.
- 3
Keep what works
Save useful instructions and examples so you have a starting point the next time the task comes around.
A brief look ahead
Where personal AI agents are heading.
We’ll briefly discuss OpenAI’s Dots, Meta’s Muse, and xAI’s Grok Bot, and the move toward AI that can keep track of ongoing work and carry out tasks between conversations. What might that mean for your business, and where will your judgment and review matter?
This is a short overview of the direction these tools are taking. Our hands-on practice will focus on Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work. Team collaboration with ChatGPT Space will be a topic for a more advanced workshop.
What you’ll leave with
- A first AI-assisted result you’ve reviewed
- Reusable instructions for that task
- A clearer sense of where AI could help in your business
- Practice materials to help you keep going afterward
What to bring
- Your laptop and charger
- A paid Claude (Anthropic) or ChatGPT (OpenAI) account, about $20 per month; you only need one
- One manageable task you’d like help with
- Sample or redacted files suitable for sharing with your AI tool
The AI subscription is separate from your workshop ticket. We’ll send setup instructions before the event and have practice files available if you don’t bring your own.
Your instructor
Julio Barros runs E-String, an Asheville-based consultancy that helps small businesses integrate AI into their daily operations. He has spent more than 30 years turning complex technology into practical tools for business owners.
From previous workshops
Julio’s presentation was very helpful and well structured. I appreciated the step by step approach and the time to apply each part in real time. It made the material easy to follow and immediately useful.
Thank you so much for such an engaging workshop! I appreciated your practical approach and clear examples. It was energizing to be in a room with other local business owners exploring AI, and I now feel more hopeful than overwhelmed.
Common questions
Is this only for manufacturers?
No. The examples include manufacturing and product businesses, but the workshop is for small-business owners and operators in any industry.
Do I need AI experience or coding skills?
No. We’ll start with the basics and work through examples together. Bring a laptop and make sure you can sign in to your paid account before the session.
Do I need both Claude and ChatGPT?
No. We’ll demonstrate both Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work. You can practice in the tool you prefer with one paid account.
What if I don’t have a task or files ready?
We’ll provide a practice pack built around a fictional small manufacturer, so you can follow along and try the same approach in your own business afterward.
What if I need to cancel or I’m not satisfied?
Cancel at least seven days before the workshop for a full refund. If you attend and aren’t satisfied afterward, let me know and I’ll refund your ticket in full.
Want help with a recurring bottleneck?
After the workshop, you can try the workflow on your own or talk with me about an AI Workflow Assessment or scoped implementation. The workshop stands on its own.
Book an intro callWednesday, October 7 · 6–8 p.m. Eastern
Bring one task. Learn a useful way to tackle it.
7 Acres, Asheville · $47 including all ticketing fees · Limited to 15 participants
Reserve your seat · $47Registration and payment through Ticket Tailor.