What Is ChatGPT — And Should Your Business Be Using It?

You have probably heard the name by now. ChatGPT is everywhere — in the news, in LinkedIn posts, in conversations at the chamber of commerce breakfast. But if you have never actually used it, you might be wondering: is this just tech hype, or is there something genuinely useful here for my business?

This article gives you a straight answer.

What ChatGPT Actually Is

ChatGPT is a text-based AI tool made by an American company called OpenAI. You type something in — a question, an instruction, a draft — and it writes back. It is like having a very knowledgeable assistant who can write clearly, answer questions, summarise documents, and help you think through problems.

It does not browse the internet (unless you use the paid version and turn that feature on). It does not manage your calendar or send emails on your behalf. It is, at its core, a writing and thinking tool.

What It Can Do For You Right Now

Here are the kinds of tasks Irish business owners are already using ChatGPT for every day:

Writing emails and messages. Whether it is a professional reply to a client complaint, a follow-up to a supplier, or a welcome email to a new customer — ChatGPT can write a solid first draft in seconds. You read it, tweak it, and send it.

Creating social media content. Facebook posts, Instagram captions, LinkedIn updates. You tell it who your business is, what you want to say, and the tone you are going for. It writes several options and you pick the best one.

Answering customer FAQs. You can tell ChatGPT everything about your business and ask it to write up answers to your most common questions. Use those for your website, for staff training, or as the basis of a FAQ page.

Writing product or service descriptions. Especially useful if you have many products and writing them all yourself would take weeks.

Drafting a complaint or professional letter. When you need to write something important but are not sure how to phrase it, ChatGPT gives you a professional starting point.

What It Cannot Do

It is important to be honest about the limits:

• It can make mistakes, especially on facts, numbers, or specific legal or tax matters. Always review what it writes.
• It does not know your business unless you tell it. The more context you give, the better the output.
• It is not a replacement for a solicitor, accountant, or specialist. Use it for drafts and ideas, not for final legal or financial advice.
• It does not take actions for you — it only writes text.

What Does It Cost?

There is a free version that most people start with. It is genuinely useful and enough for many small businesses.

The paid version, ChatGPT Plus, costs €20 per month. It is faster, gives you access to more advanced features, and is worth it if you are using it daily.

There is no contract — you can cancel any time.

Should You Be Using It?

If you are spending time writing emails, posts, or documents that follow similar patterns — yes, you should at least try it.

The easiest way to start is to pick one task you do regularly — like writing a follow-up email after a quote — and ask ChatGPT to do it for you. See how it does. It will not be perfect first time, but you will quickly learn how to give it better instructions (this is called prompting, and it is simpler than it sounds).

Most business owners who try it once find at least two or three things they want to use it for regularly.

A Quick Example

Here is a real example of the kind of prompt a tradesperson might use:

"Write a short, friendly follow-up email to a customer who asked for a quote two weeks ago and hasn't responded. I'm a plumber in Limerick. Keep it brief and professional. Offer to answer any questions they have."

ChatGPT will produce a polished email in about three seconds. You read it, change the details, and send it. What would have taken you 10 minutes takes 30 seconds.

That is the point of it.

Not sure which AI tools make sense for your type of business? Take the free 5-minute AI Readiness Assessment and get a personalised plan based on how you run things.