Stuart Miller
Director of Public Policy and Tech Research, Xero
Leonie Briggs
Founder and Company Director, Amazelab
A small business owner reveals how she used AI to develop her operations, become more efficient and build financial confidence — but always with oversight from human experts.
If you’re a small business owner who has never used AI before, there are some myths and misconceptions to be aware of. For example, while it’s true that non-technical skills are crucial — such as understanding AI risk and questioning its outputs — you don’t have to be an AI expert to feel the benefits.
Only using the right tools at the right time
You may also think that AI can unfailingly optimise every area of your business. That’s not just wrong, warns Stuart Miller, Director of Public Policy and Tech Research at Xero. It can be risky. “We see in the media all the time that AI is going to be able to do X, Y and Z, and that any business that isn’t using it is some kind of outlier,” he says. “Actually, business owners should only be using AI for the right job at the right time.”
That’s the approach adopted by Leonie Briggs, owner of Barnsley-based Amazelab and Xero user, which creates and runs STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths) educational programmes and workshops for schools, museums and charities.
After Briggs co-founded the business with her husband, David, in 2020, she experienced a key operational challenge: navigating cash flow and chasing late payments. Then, as Amazelab grew, VAT submissions became so time-consuming that she had to block full calendar days for manual invoice reviews.
Utilising the knowledge and experience of accountants and bookkeepers
After recommendations from enterprise support programme Launchpad Barnsley, Briggs decided to hire an accountant to ensure financial accuracy. She also integrated Xero via her accountant to help streamline the process. The results were remarkable: data processing and bookkeeping workflows created behind-the-scenes efficiency gains, and VAT submissions have been made much easier. “The time that it used to take compared to now is unbelievable,” reveals Briggs.
However, she stresses that the company’s financial data and AI-processed submissions always go through her qualified accountant for thorough review, and they work in partnership on the process. After all, the knowledge and experience of professional accountants and bookkeepers act as a firewall in case there are any errors.
You always need to work with an expert on areas like tax and finances
to look over everything and provide overall strategy and advice based on your individual business.
Miller agrees with Briggs that human oversight is not optional and remembers a recent conversation he had with a small business owner. “She asked me: ‘If I use an AI assistant to complete my tax and it gets it wrong, who is liable for that error?’,” he says. “My answer was: ‘Unfortunately, you are. Because you are the person signing and completing your tax return and therefore responsible for making sure all AI outputs are accurate.’ You always need to work with an expert on areas like tax and finances to look over everything and provide overall strategy and advice based on your individual business.”
Honest learnings for businesses about taking the first steps
At Amazelab, Briggs has other uses for AI, including tender writing and bid applications, reducing a two-week process to half a day. Nevertheless, she admits there are areas of the business that are — and will remain — untouched by the technology.
For instance, Briggs deliberately avoids AI when curriculum mapping and workshop design. “I love the challenge of doing that (myself),” she notes. “I love looking at the national curriculum and hearing about the young people and seeing how we can make that fun, engaging; it’s a very human side to it.”
Briggs’ experiences with AI could inform other small business owners exploring the technology. To begin with, she advises prioritising AI education and suggests firms seek out accessible, flexible and funded AI training courses, such as those run by Small Business Britain. “Don’t assume you need to adopt everything immediately,” she says. She also advocates building a culture where continuous learning is expected and valued. Talk to local business support organisations to see if they can provide mentorship, funding programmes and guidance on pricing, policies and regulations.
Keep humans in the loop at all times
Plus, remember that AI is only as good as the information it uses, so data accuracy is vital. Get a handle on where the technology can be trusted and where outputs need to be questioned. Always use tools such as chatbots and AI translations carefully — and only after verification from customers.
Of course, make accountability and privacy your watchwords. At Amazelab, all digital systems require multi-factor authentication using facial or fingerprint recognition, while data protection training takes place annually.
Briggs’ main advice is: always make sure a human is in control. “As long as you have everything checked, AI is a really good start to build people’s confidence in growing their business,” she says. “Moving on to the experts and actually utilising them as you’re scaling and starting to grow is really important. Always seek that professional opinion.
