40 copy-paste ChatGPT prompts for small business owners

AI chat tools are good at first drafts: a caption, a polite reply to an angry review, a job ad, a price list explanation. They are bad at knowing your business. The prompts below fix that by asking you to fill in the details that matter, written in [square brackets].

They work in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. Copy one, replace the brackets, paste it in.

Three rules that make every prompt better

Give it your context. "Write an Instagram post" gets a generic post. "Write an Instagram post for a barbershop in a student town whose clients are 18 to 30" gets a usable one. Most prompts below start with a line about your business for this reason. You can save that line and reuse it.

Ask for options, then pick. Ask for five versions instead of one. The second or fourth is usually better than the first, and seeing several helps you notice what you actually want.

Edit the result. Treat the answer as a draft from a fast assistant who has never met your clients. Change anything that does not sound like you, and check every fact, price and date before it goes out.

One more rule: do not paste in clients' personal data, such as full names with phone numbers or health details. You rarely need it for a good answer, and it keeps you on the right side of privacy laws.

Your reusable business profile

Start a new chat with this, then use any prompt below in the same chat.

I run [type of business] in [city/area]. My clients are mostly [who they are]. We are known for [what you do well]. Prices range from [price range]. Our tone is [friendly and casual / calm and professional / playful]. Keep this in mind for everything I ask in this chat.

Marketing

1. Write 5 short descriptions of my business for my Google Business Profile, each under 750 characters. Mention [3 services] and [area]. No exaggerated claims.

2. Suggest 10 names for a [seasonal / loyalty / referral] promotion for my clients. Make them short and easy to say out loud.

3. Write a flyer text for [promotion] that runs from [date] to [date]. Include a headline, two sentences of explanation and a clear call to action. Keep it under 60 words.

4. Rewrite this service description so a new client understands what they get and why it costs [price]: [paste your text].

5. I want more clients on [quiet days, e.g. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings]. Give me 8 promotion ideas that do not just cut my prices, with one sentence each on why it might work.

6. Write a short "About us" text for my website in [tone]. Include: [founding year, founder, what makes us different]. Under 150 words.

7. Turn these notes into a referral program clients can understand in 10 seconds: [notes about the reward].

8. Write 3 versions of a message I can send to clients who have not visited in [3 months], inviting them back without sounding desperate.

Social media

9. Plan 12 Instagram posts for next month. Mix: before/after, behind the scenes, client tips, a team member introduction, and one promotion. Give each a one-line idea and a caption.

10. Write 5 Instagram captions for this photo: [describe the photo]. Each under 150 characters, with 3 relevant hashtags.

11. Give me 10 ideas for short vertical videos (under 30 seconds) I can film with my phone during a normal working day.

12. Write a script for a 20-second video explaining how to book an appointment with us online. Speak directly to the viewer.

13. Turn this client review into 3 social media posts that thank the client without sounding fake: [paste the review].

14. Suggest 10 questions I can post in Instagram Stories to get followers to respond.

Customer service

15. A client left this negative review: [paste]. Write a calm, professional reply that acknowledges the problem, does not argue, and invites them to contact us directly at [phone/email]. Under 80 words.

16. Write a friendly reply to this positive review that mentions the specific service they had: [paste].

17. A client wants a refund because [reason]. Our policy is [policy]. Write a reply that explains the policy kindly and offers [what you can offer].

18. Write a short message for clients who did not show up for their appointment. Remind them of our cancellation policy ([policy]) without being rude.

19. Write answers to the 10 questions clients ask us most: [list them]. Each answer under 40 words, ready to paste on our website.

20. Write a polite message telling clients our prices change on [date], explaining why in one honest sentence: [reason].

Operations

21. Turn these notes into a clear step-by-step checklist for opening the shop in the morning: [notes].

22. Create a weekly cleaning checklist for a [type of business] with [number] stations. Separate daily, weekly and monthly tasks.

23. Write a short guide for a new employee's first day. Include where things are, who to ask, and the 5 rules that matter most here: [details].

24. I have this list of tasks for the week: [list]. Sort them by urgency and importance, and tell me which ones I could delegate.

25. Write an email to my supplier [name] asking to change our delivery day from [day] to [day], politely and briefly.

26. Make a template for tracking daily sales by service type in a spreadsheet. List the columns and explain any formulas.

Hiring

27. Write a job ad for a [position] at my [business]. Include the schedule [details], pay [range or "competitive"], what we expect and what we offer. Under 200 words, no clichés like "fast-paced environment".

28. Give me 10 interview questions for a [position] that reveal how someone treats clients, not just their skills.

29. Write a short message telling a candidate they did not get the job, kindly and without false promises.

30. Create a 30-day onboarding plan for a new [position], week by week.

Pricing and money

31. Here are my services and current prices: [list]. Here is what nearby competitors charge: [list]. Point out where I might be underpricing or overpricing, and what I should check before changing anything.

32. Explain in simple words how to calculate my real cost per [service], including rent, products and my time. Use these numbers: [numbers].

33. Suggest 3 service bundles from this list that increase the average spend per visit without feeling pushy: [services and prices].

34. I want to offer a membership or package for regular clients. Suggest 3 models with pros and cons for a business like mine.

Planning

35. Act as an experienced small-business advisor. Ask me 10 questions, one at a time, to understand my business, then give me the 3 most important things to focus on in the next 90 days.

36. Write a one-page plan for [goal, e.g. 20% more bookings by summer] with weekly actions I can actually do alone.

37. List the risks of [decision, e.g. hiring a second employee / opening on Sundays] and what I should measure in the first month to know if it works.

38. I have [amount] per month for marketing. Suggest how to split it between channels for a local [type of business], and how to measure each one.

39. Summarise this long text in 5 bullet points and tell me what I need to do: [paste a contract clause, supplier terms or regulation].

40. Create a simple monthly review I can do in 30 minutes: what numbers to look at, what questions to ask myself, and what to write down.

What AI should not decide for you

AI chat tools can sound confident while being wrong. Treat these areas with extra care:

• Legal and tax questions. Use AI to understand the terms, then confirm with an accountant or lawyer. Rules differ by country and change often.
• Exact facts and figures. Prices, opening hours of other businesses, statistics and dates can be invented. Check them.
• Anything sent in your name without reading. A reply to a client should always pass through your own eyes first.

If prompts like these help, our guide on using AI to save hours every week turns them into daily workflows. And if your business runs on appointments, we wrote a separate guide on reducing no-shows.