I’ve worked with businesses as they’ve grown from small operations into companies with hundreds of employees. I’ve seen businesses succeed, businesses fail, and plenty just trying to keep everything moving.
And I’ve seen the same problems come up again and again.
Spreadsheets everywhere. Processes that take far too long. Software that doesn’t talk to other software. Too many apps. Too much manual work.
But AI has changed the conversation.
Small businesses now have access to tools and capabilities that once would have required developers, consultants, expensive software or entire teams.
That’s what got me thinking about After Five.
I wanted somewhere to explore what all of this actually means for small business.
Not AI for the sake of AI. Not another subscription because somebody on the internet says you need it. And definitely not pretending every new tool is going to revolutionize your business.
Sometimes the answer is AI. Sometimes it’s automation. Sometimes it’s simply getting more out of something you’re already paying for.
And sometimes the spreadsheet is perfectly fine.
After Five is where I’m giving things a go, figuring out what works, learning from what doesn’t, and sharing it all along the way.
Because this isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to figure them out.