Olney Chamber’s AI Lunch Draws Interest From Local Businesses
From writing emails and social media posts to analyzing sales data and translating documents into Spanish, artificial intelligence is no longer just for technology companies.
That was the message Monday, July 27, as about a dozen business owners and community leaders gathered at Hudson’s On Main for the Olney Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Academy luncheon, where presenters Bill and Doc Pounds of Wichi- ta Falls-based Aurim AI demonstrated practical ways local businesses can put AI to work immediately. The program was offered in partnership with the Midwestern State University Small Business Development Center.
Rather than focusing on futuristic robots or complicated computer programming, Bill Pounds encouraged attendees to think of AI as “the world’s fastest intern” — a tool that can handle repetitive work but still needs human direction and oversight.
“It still needs direction,” Mr. Pounds told the group. “You wouldn’t hire a new employee and just tell them to figure everything out. You train them, monitor them and guide them. AI works the same way.”
Throughout the hourlong presentation, Mr. Pounds repeatedly emphasized that small businesses should start by solving one problem rather than chasing the latest technology.
“The tools aren’t really what changes,” he said. “It’s your strategy behind identifying a problem first.”
Instead of trying to automate an entire business overnight, he recommended choosing one repetitive task — such as answering the same customer questions, creating estimates or writing social media posts — and testing AI on that single project before expanding its use.
The presenters showcased 10 practical business uses for AI, including drafting professional emails, creating Facebook posts, turning one announcement into content for multiple social media platforms, preparing customer estimates, translating documents, organizing employee handbooks and analyzing sales reports. They also introduced attendees to several free or low-cost AI tools, including Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini Notebook, Canva and DeepL.
Mr. Pounds estimated that nearly 88 percent of small businesses are already using AI in some form, often without realizing it, and said the technology’s greatest value lies in eliminating busy work so owners can spend more time serving customers.
“Half of the average workday goes to busy work,” he said, pointing to tasks such as emails, data entry and searching for files. AI, he said, can often complete those chores in minutes instead of hours.
The presentation quickly turned into a conversation as attendees shared how they already use AI.
Chamber Executive Director Kimberly Smith said she relies on it to create recipes from ingredients she already has at home and to generate workout plans and nutritional information.
Others described using AI to write company policies, automate Excel spreadsheets and plan travel itineraries.
Mr. Pounds responded that those types of multistep workflows represent the next stage of AI adoption.
“That’s exactly where you want to get to,” he said. “You log in, open your command center with your coffee, and it gives you everything you’ve programmed it to do. Then you make decisions.”
The seminar was the first in what Chamber officials hope will become an ongoing Small Business Academy series covering practical technology and business topics for local entrepreneurs. Ms. Smith said she hopes future sessions will continue exploring AI and other tools that can help small businesses compete and grow.