Session Description

Every week, small business owners are told they’re falling behind on AI — by vendors with something to sell and competitors who look more advanced than they are. This session cuts through that noise and starts somewhere more useful: your clients.

Before deciding which AI tools to adopt, there’s a more fundamental question: what do your clients need that you’re not delivering yet? What would they love to be able to do? The businesses getting real returns from AI aren’t starting with tools — they’re starting with those conversations.

This workshop helps you identify those client gaps, think through whether and how AI can address them, and then apply the RISE framework — Return, Investment, Support, Expectations — to assess whether you’re set up to deliver. You’ll leave with a clearer picture of where to focus, what it will realistically take, and who needs to own it.

What this session covers

• Why most AI decisions are made for the wrong reasons — and how to recognize when you’re doing it
• How to identify unmet client needs that AI could realistically address
• How to evaluate any AI initiative against four practical criteria before you spend another dollar
• How to set up for success the person responsible for making it happen — even if that person is you
• What a realistic path to AI ROI looks like for a small firm

Learning objectives Participants will leave able to:

1. Identify the client needs their AI investments should be addressing
2. Assess their current AI initiatives against four practical criteria (the RISE framework)
3. Pinpoint where their biggest gap is — return, investment, support, or expectations
4. Identify next steps to get started, including who is best positioned to do the (additional) work

Target audience

• Small business owners who are using or considering AI tools but are unsure whether they’re getting a return. Also relevant for service firms and consultants who sell or recommend AI-powered offerings to their clients.
• No technical background required. Attendees should have some familiarity with AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Copilot, or similar) — either currently using them, recently trialed them, or actively evaluating them for their business.

Format & Cost

• Interactive workshop
• Live online webinar (Zoom)
• 60 minutes, including Q&A
• No cost to attend, thanks to support from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and local partners*

Speaker

Floor Blindenbach, PhD is the founder of Organizing4Innovation and author of Rise Above AI Chaos. She has spent 25+ years helping organizations turn good intentions into measurable results — working with professional service firms navigating innovation, change, and now AI adoption.

Sponsor(s) & Partner(s): Prince William County Department of Economic Development and Tourism & Prince William Chamber of Commerce

Cancellation Policy: Kindly email help@masonsbdc.org (preferred) or call 703-261-4105 to notify the team about cancellations.

Funding Disclosure

The Virginia SBDC Network is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Commonwealth of Virginia, George Mason University, and local host institutions. Full disclosures regarding federal funding are available at virginiasbdc.org/funding-sources. The Virginia SBDC is nationally accredited by America’s SBDC.