How to write better GenAI prompts that get useful, business-ready results
Getting Real Results With AI
In our last post (Why Generative AI Matters for Small Business (opens in a new tab)) we talked about why artificial intelligence deserves your attention as a small business owner. Tools that used to require enterprise budgets are now available in your browser. The potential is huge, but most owners don’t need more potential — they need results.
Here’s where things usually break down. Someone tries an AI tool, types a vague question, gets a vague answer, and moves on. The problem isn’t the tool. It’s the prompt.
This guide shows you how to write prompts that actually work. You’ll learn a simple structure, see what clear prompting looks like, and walk away with copy-ready examples you can try today.
Why Prompting Matters for Small Business Owners
Generative AI is like a new team member: capable, adaptable, and fast, but only as effective as the instructions it receives.
A good prompt works like a smart brief. It tells the AI who it’s helping, what’s happening, what task to complete, and what kind of result you expect.
Think of AI like a new employee. You get better results when you give clear instructions.
You don’t need to be technical to do this well. The same communication skills you use to guide your staff or vendors apply here too.
The Simple Prompt Formula
Here’s the structure we use across En Dash when teaching effective prompting:
ROLE + AUDIENCE + CONTEXT + TASK + FORMAT
Each part answers a practical question.
| Element | Ask Yourself | Example |
| ROLE | Who am I — and if useful, who do I want the AI to act as? | “I run a neighborhood bakery. Act as my marketing strategist.” |
| AUDIENCE | Who’s this for or who will use it? | “My regular customers and local followers.” |
| CONTEXT | What’s happening or what background does it need? | “We’re launching new fall pastries.” |
| TASK | What do I want the AI to do? | “Write a short promo post.” |
| FORMAT | How should the output look? | “A two-sentence Instagram caption.” |
A Note on Roles
When we say “Role,” we’re talking first about your perspective — who you are when you make the request. Sometimes you’ll also include an AI role to shape how it should respond, such as “Act as my marketing strategist” or “Act as a customer support assistant.”
Both are valid. The first helps the AI understand your context. The second helps it adopt the right voice or expertise. Use either, or both, depending on what you’re asking for.
Two Prompting Styles: Structured and Natural
When you’re learning, structure helps. Once you’ve practiced a few times, you can blend everything into a natural sentence.
Structured Template
Use this when you’re building a new prompt or teaching others.
You are:
[Your role, e.g. “coffee shop owner / marketing manager”]
Audience / User:
[Who will read or use the output]
Task / Goal:
[What you want AI to do]
Tone and Style:
[Friendly, professional, casual, etc.]
Output Format:
[Checklist, social post, email, table, etc.]
Context / Extra Info:
[Tools you use, constraints, target audience, dates, etc.]Filled Example — Florist Social Post
You are: A local florist with 4 employees
Audience / User: Instagram followers in your city
Task / Goal: Write a cheerful caption for a fall bouquet launch
Tone and Style: Warm, friendly, and seasonal
Output Format: 1–2 sentence post + 3 hashtags
Context / Extra Info:
Followers are often gift buyers in their 20s–40
limit to 150 charactersNatural Version
I’m a local florist with four employees writing for our Instagram followers, mostly gift buyers in their 20s–40s. Write a cheerful, warm, seasonal caption for our fall bouquet launch. Keep it under 150 characters and include three hashtags.
Tip: Start structured. Once you see the pattern, move toward natural phrasing for speed.
Example Prompt: Grocery Store Accounting SOP
Routine accounting is one of the easiest ways to see real returns from Gen AI. This kind of detailed prompt turns vague answers into usable documentation.
You are:
A small business accountant and financial advisor who supports independent retail clients such as local grocery stores.
Audience / User:
The grocery store’s owner and internal bookkeeper (non-specialists handling day-to-day accounting).
Task / Goal:
Create a clear Standard Operating Procedure and step-by-step monthly accounting checklist for a single-location grocery store with 6–10 employees.
Tone and Style:
Clear, instructional, and professional — easy enough for an owner to follow yet precise enough for audit readiness.
Output Format:
1. Overview (Purpose and Frequency)
2. Step-by-Step Checklist (with specific tools like POS reports, invoices, and bank feeds)
3. Common Pitfalls and Recommended Controls
4. Review Summary Template (for notes and sign-off)
Context / Extra Info:
Assume you’re preparing this SOP for an accounting support guide. Reference documents as “[Attach: filename.pdf]” instead of external links.Result: a neatly structured SOP that you can drop into Word or share with your bookkeeping team. It keeps your records consistent and saves hours each month.
You will see detailed results, similar to this real-world screen capture below:
Example Prompt: Client Onboarding Templates
Templates are another high-impact way to use AI. They make your communication consistent and professional with very little effort.
You are:
A certified accountant working with a single-location gas station owner who operates as an LLC.
Audience / User:
The owner and their part-time assistant who handle clerical tasks.
Task / Goal:
Create three professional templates:
1. Client Onboarding Questionnaire
2. Monthly Expense Summary Form
3. Quarterly Financial Review Sheet
Tone and Style:
Formal but friendly. Professional in structure, clear for non-financial users.
Output Format:
Each template titled and formatted with headings, labeled fields (e.g., “Vendor Name,” “Invoice Date,” “Approved By”), and short italicized instructions beneath each field.
Context / Extra Info:
Templates should be easy to copy into Word or PDF, with short placeholder examples. Avoid any sensitive data.Result: three polished templates ready for everyday use. A few minutes of prompting can standardize processes that usually take hours to rebuild each quarter.
You can also export the results for templates or other generated content into many common formats for use in your daily work. Traditional Office productivity applications like Word and Excel and PowerPoint are supported, as are PDFs and virtually all others. Below is an example exported from GenAI tool Claude (by Anthropic), into a PDF for immediate use.
Quick Prompts You Can Try Today
Once you understand the five-part logic, you can write shorter prompts that still include every element.
Retail Product Description
I own a boutique candle shop writing for eco-conscious online shoppers. Describe our new soy-wax candle line using my notes on scent and price, in 120 words. Include a short headline, three bullet points, and a closing line that says “Available while supplies last.”
Accounting Reminder Email
I’m an accountant sending a reminder to clients who haven’t submitted their monthly documents. Draft a clear, supportive email under 200 words asking them to upload files before Friday and include our firm’s contact link.
Restaurant Specials Menu
I run a neighborhood restaurant preparing a weekend specials board for our regular guests. Write three short dish descriptions under 40 words each, emphasizing flavor and freshness, and include dietary notes.
Consulting Proposal Outline
I’m the owner of a small consulting firm preparing a proposal for a client in the marketing industry. Outline a concise, client-ready proposal including objectives, deliverables, timeline, and pricing section headings.
Order Status Reply
I manage a retail shop responding to a customer asking about an order. Write a friendly, 50-word message that includes the order number, status, estimated delivery date, and tracking link.
Three Keys to Better Prompting
- Feed It Real Data
Paste real text, numbers, or examples from your business. The more context you give, the more accurate and useful the response.
- Be Specific with Formats
Always define the output: list, table, paragraph, checklist, or template. Format clarity means cleaner results.
- Review and Refine
Treat the result as a first draft. Adjust tone, fix details, and make it yours.
Start Small and Iterate
Prompting isn’t about learning AI. It’s about learning how to communicate clearly with it.
Start with one recurring task — a weekly post, a checklist, or a form — and reframe it as a prompt. Adjust, refine, and keep notes on what works.
AI becomes a real co-pilot when it’s working with your context.
That’s how small business owners turn curiosity into capability and, ultimately, make work feel better.
Want more prompts? Check out our Prompting Essentials for Agile Professionals (opens in a new tab) field guide and explore our growing Toolkit at endash.us/toolkit (opens in a new tab).