AI readiness checklist for small business
Tick off the jobs, records, data rules, people and trial plan you need before trying an AI tool, and give every gap an owner. Print or save it, without signing up.
AI readiness checklist
Edit the checklist title and sections
- This section is already first.
- This section is already last.
Checked by: ________________ · Location: ________________
Date: ________________
The job to improve
Name one task that takes time every week, such as supplier emails or the weekly sales summary.
Owner: ________________This task is already first.Time that task for one week, so you know how long it takes now.
Owner: ________________Decide what a better result looks like, such as fewer hours or fewer mistakes.
Owner: ________________
Your records
Each product has one name and one SKU, with no duplicates.
Owner: ________________Stock is counted by location, and the latest count is recent.
Owner: ________________Sales are recorded in one place you can export as a file.
Owner: ________________Routines are written down as checklists or procedures, not only remembered.
Owner: ________________
Rules and data
A written AI use policy lists the approved tools and what never goes into them.
Owner: ________________Customer, payment and staff details stay out of AI tools unless the policy allows them.
Owner: ________________You know where each tool keeps what you enter and whether it is used to train the tool.
Owner: ________________One named person approves new tools, including AI features in software you already use.
Owner: ________________
People
The people who will use the tool have tried it on a low-risk task.
Owner: ________________Someone checks AI output before it reaches a customer or supplier.
Owner: ________________Everyone knows who to ask and how to report a mistake.
Owner: ________________
Trial and decision
The trial has one task, a start date and an end date.
Owner: ________________You will compare how long the task takes before and during the trial.
Owner: ________________You have compared the tool's cost with the value of the time it saves.
Owner: ________________You know how to stop using the tool and take your information with you.
Owner: ________________This task is already last.
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Standalone checklist · headoffis.com/tools/ai-readiness-checklist
Check whether your business is ready to try an AI tool before you pay for one. This free AI readiness checklist covers the five things that decide whether a trial is worth running: one clear job to improve, records the tool can work from, written rules on data, people who will check the output, and a trial with an end date. Tick each item that is already true; anything left unticked is a step to finish first.
Use the AI readiness checklist
- Enter who is checking, the store or location and the date.
- Read each item and tick it only if it is true today. If you are unsure, leave it unticked.
- Add an owner to each unticked item, the person who will sort it out.
- Add, edit or remove items for your business. Open "Edit the checklist title and sections" to rename or reorder the sections.
- Print the checklist, download it as text, or save a file to tick more items later.
The count at the top shows how many items are ticked. There is no pass mark: a business with most items ticked in Rules and data and People can usually run a low-risk trial, even if its records still need work.
What the AI readiness assessment covers
- The job to improve. AI helps most with a task you repeat every week, such as writing supplier emails or summarizing sales. Time it for a week first, so you can tell whether the tool saved anything.
- Your records. Tools that suggest orders or report on sales are only as good as the product, stock and sales records they read. Duplicate SKUs and old counts lead to wrong suggestions.
- Rules and data. Decide what staff may enter before anyone starts. The AI policy template turns these items into a policy to print and sign.
- People. Someone reads every draft before it reaches a customer or supplier, and the team knows how to report a mistake.
- Trial and decision. One task, a start and end date, and a before-and-after time count make the decision simple. The AI ROI calculator compares the tool's cost with the value of the time saved.
According to the US Census Bureau, business use of AI stood between 17% and 20% from December 2025 to May 2026, so most small businesses are still at the start. The NIST AI Risk Management Framework is a voluntary guide if you want to plan for risks in more depth.
After the checklist
Write the routine you want to improve as numbered steps with the SOP generator, so the trial starts from a clear process. If your stock records need work, count them first with the stocktake tool. For a step-by-step plan, read how to start using AI in a small business.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the AI readiness checklist without an account?
Yes. The checklist works without a login or email address, and nothing you tick is uploaded. The page does not use AI.
How many items should be ticked before a trial?
There is no fixed number. Finish the Rules and data items first, because they protect customer and staff information, then start with a low-risk task such as drafting.
How often should I go through the checklist?
Before each new tool or new use of a tool. Save the file and open it again next time to see what has changed.
Keep the day moving
Browse all free tools and calculators, or see how the full headoffis workspace brings stores, stock and team tasks together.