Artificial intelligence has infiltrated nearly every aspect of daily life, especially in the business world. AI can be an invaluable tool for solopreneurs and small business owners looking to scale, but it can’t replace human talent completely. As AI technology advances and capabilities grow, expectations for human talent are rising too. Success today isn’t about replacing people with machines; it’s about redefining roles and building smarter, more strategic teams. Reexamining the role of AI and freelance talent in your workforce strategy is an essential part of this.
In this blog, we will discuss a few ways small business owners are leveraging AI, the benefits of a hybrid approach using AI and human virtual assistants, and steps to implement a modern, cost-effective workforce strategy that fuels business growth and positions your business for long-term success.
What’s the best way to leverage AI in your small business?
If you’re a solopreneur or small business owner doing it all – sales, marketing, operations, client services work – you’re likely burning the candle at both ends. This is where AI can step in to streamline aspects of your business, giving you back the time and energy you need to grow.
Here are just a few high-impact ways you can start using AI now:
- Chatbots to help with content and communication needs. Not only are tools like ChatGPT free, this kind of software can write content (emails, social media posts, blogs, newsletters, etc.) and help with research, brainstorming, strategizing, customer service, and more.
- Workflow tools to manage data and automate repetitive admin tasks. Workflow AI tools like Zapier can link apps together (think CRMs, email, Slack, etc.), automate workflows and lead capture, send out alerts, create invoices, and more. AI workflow tools can take a multitude of repetitive tasks off your desk.
- Note taking and project management tools to keep you organized. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had an agile assistant that could digest and analyze all the research, notes, data, and documents related to your business? Project Management AI tools like Notion AI can handle these time-intensive tasks for you—and in a matter of seconds.
What’s the best way to optimize AI in your small business?
The human touch. While AI is cost-effective, highly efficient and on the job 24/7, it lacks human judgement and has limitations depending on the tools you choose. A freelance human virtual assistant can help you streamline your business, take advantage of what AI is good at and fill in the gaps.
Say, your business will benefit from AI-enabled CRM workflows and automations. Well, the CRM doesn’t set up itself and work ‘right out of the box.’ An AI-skilled VA can help you define the parameters, the templates, set up the tools and make sure they work together with your other systems. Or, maybe you want to create content using AI. Well, you don’t want it to be the same content as everyone else who asked ChatGPT the same question. A creative VA can prompt questions unique to you, question the data, iterate, tailor it to your specific need and polish and publish a final version that sounds like you.
If you’re ready to scale, hire an AI-savvy virtual assistant to help you optimize AI in your business, so you have time to focus on the strategic, high-impact work you enjoy most.
Why a hybrid AI-human VA approach is best
In Scaling You: Human + Digital – A Winning Formula for Small Business Success, Results Resourcing founder Elizabeth Eiss discusses how small business owners can amplify their impact by blending digital tools with human talent. Rather than building large teams, Eiss believes the smartest path to scale is to leverage technology to automate low-value or repetitive tasks, augmented by highly-skilled and agile freelance professionals.
As Eiss states in her article, the reason this model works so well is because:
“AI handles the repetition. Think scheduling, templated communications, and first drafts of content. Humans provide the judgment. A skilled virtual admin assistant brings creativity, relationship-building, and critical thinking that no algorithm can replicate. Together, they scale you. By automating routine tasks and delegating higher-value work to freelance talent, you free up your time for what matters most: delivering your core value, growing your business, and – yes – taking a day off once in a while.”
This hybrid model doesn’t just change what gets done, it transforms how you think about who gets it done. Instead of hiring help based on cost or singular tasks alone, you’re now building a team based on capability, complexity, and strategic value.
Rethinking Your Workforce Strategy in the AI Era: Value and Volume
AI is transforming more than just workflows; it’s transforming how you think about hiring altogether. In the past, many small business owners outsourced routine tasks to people to free up time. But now, AI can handle much of that rote, repetitive work faster and more reliably than ever before.
As a result, your freelance needs are evolving and the bar for human talent is rising, too. You’re no longer looking for someone to simply “do the busy work.” You’re looking for talent who can think critically, collaborate effectively, and contribute strategically to your business.
AI is setting a new baseline for efficiency, which means the value humans bring must be in areas where automation falls short such as creativity, decision-making, nuanced communication, and deep understanding of your brand and goals.
This shift encourages a more thoughtful approach to hiring: evaluating roles by complexity, expertise, and potential for AI use. Rather than outsourcing tasks in bulk, you’re outsourcing impactful responsibilities to people who complement what AI can’t do.
4 Steps to modernize freelance talent planning in the age of AI
Business owners should think about the overall value freelancers can provide based on the range and complexity of their business needs and type of expertise required, including AI. With the new hybrid hiring model, consider what tasks AI can handle and where a human VA can uplift your strategic efforts.
Step 1: Audit your current work activities
The goal here is to determine which roles are suitable for AI and which require human input. For example, rote activities that are predictable and repetitive can be assigned to AI, while activities that require creativity, strategic input, and brand awareness would be best suited for a human virtual admin assistant.
Step 2: Identify which AI tools best align with your needs
Do you need help with note taking, getting organized, triaging your inbox, scheduling meetings, analyzing data, writing content, and so on? Start by evaluating the AI capabilities of tools you currently use. Next, prioritize areas where you could benefit from new AI tools (preferably ones that integrate well with existing technology), and add them over time.
Not sure you’re fully leveraging your AI technology – or just need to get started? An AI-savvy virtual assistant can help analyze your needs, suggest useful tools, support implementing tools, defining parameters, and documenting processes to ensure you’re getting the most out of your tools.
Step 3: Redefine what you need from freelancers, keeping the hybrid human + AI model in mind
With AI automating predictable and repetitive tasks, it’s prime time for the role of human VA to evolve. What new duties and expectations do you have for your freelance VA now? With that in mind, take time to list out work that prioritizes collaboration, strategic input, and tasks requiring human judgment. Be sure to organize this list into core vs. non-core work for more streamlined outsourcing.
Unsure what’s considered core vs. non-core work? Grab our free core vs. non-core download infographic for a snapshot of common roles.
Step 4: Use strategic small business outsourcing platforms to find high-quality freelance talent
Small business outsourcing platforms like ResultsResourcing match you with value-add freelance talent that has been pre-vetted based on the soft skills, industry knowledge, and specific areas of expertise you desire, including AI.
Scale smarter, not harder with ResultsResourcing
AI isn’t about eliminating jobs. It’s about freeing you up to focus on the work that matters most, while leveraging smarter, more flexible resources and teams. When you pair AI with on-demand freelance talent that complements your strategy, you gain the flexibility, creativity, and bandwidth to grow.
As Elizabeth Eiss says, “In the age of AI, your most valuable asset is strategic human talent. The future isn’t man or machine – it’s man with machine.”
ResultsResourcing can help. We make it easy for busy entrepreneurs to outsource strategically through agile, tech-savvy virtual assistant teams that support their unique visions and goals.
Are you ready to kickstart your plans to scale and embrace an AI-powered team? Schedule a jumpstart session to get started.
