AI Playbook for Small Businesses (HVAC & Home Services focus)

Over the past four months, I’ve been helping owners (and learning a lot) develop and implement AI roadmaps, mainly for HVAC and home services. Sharing what’s actually worked (and what hasn’t) in the real world. QUICK REALITY CHECK If your processes aren’t mapped, AI won’t save you. I still meet owners who want “AI agents” but don’t have a basic SOP for key processes. Document first, then automate. QUICK WINS I AM SEEING SO FAR I am biased toward revenue/margin-driving agents to prove value early: - AI Voice Qualifier for inbound leads: filters tire-kickers, boosts conversion. - Pricing & Proposal Assistant: faster, more consistent SLAs/estimates. - LinkedIn Lead Gen Agent (semi-auto): increases top-of-funnel volume. - Booking & Confirmation Agent: reduces no-shows with smart reminders. - Crew Route Optimization: fewer miles, tighter schedules. HARD TRUTH Hand-off isn’t “set-up and forget.” Even with productivity gains, I saw a gap in tech capability (or even interest). Someone (me or a part-time tech hire) still needs to tune the Agents, maintain workflows, and even fix edge-case bugs. WHAT HASN'T WORKED (for me) Chasing the 100% automated company sounds like a super fun idea, but not very practical (yet). I’ve avoided sinking time into out-of-core areas like SEO content blog, vanity social posting, or fancy internal chatbots that don’t move the needle. PRINCIPLES THAT HELPED ME - Augment humans > replace humans. Use AI to boost the owner and key employees. - Human-in-the-Process by design. Keep HIP for QA and risk control.- Tight feedback loops. Track outcomes, retrain prompts, iterate weekly. - Sequence matters. Map → measure → prototype → pilot → standardize. AI is wild...some days I’m fascinated, other days a bit spooked. But the pattern is clear: almost any business can use it as leverage… at least until it becomes a standard for those who keep playing the game (Don’t chase a silver bullet! Stay pragmatic). What are your thoughts?