By Phil Gee · AI Academy
There is a certain kind of person who, when AI comes up in conversation, cannot help themselves. They know which tools do what. They have tried most of them. They get genuinely excited about what is possible. And they find themselves endlessly frustrated that the people around them are not using any of it.
If that sounds like you, keep reading.
The gap is enormous
Here is the reality of where we are right now. AI tools are developing faster than most small business owners can keep up with. The majority of them know they should be doing something with AI. Very few of them know what that something is, or how to get started without wasting hours going round in circles.
That gap — between the tools that exist and the people who know how to use them — is where the opportunity lives. And right now, that gap is at its widest point.
What it actually looks like
Imagine spending your working day doing this. You sit down with a local business owner — a personal trainer, a solicitor, a florist, a consultant — who has heard about AI but has no idea where to start. Over a few hours, you show them exactly which tools to use, how to set them up for their specific business, and how to start saving time from this week onwards.
By the end of the session, they look different. The overwhelm has gone. They have got something working. They are already thinking about what they are going to try next. And they are going to tell everyone they know about you.
That is what an AI Academy franchise looks like in practice. Not a call centre. Not a desk job. Real conversations with real people, helping them do something genuinely useful.
You do not need to be a developer
This is worth saying clearly. The people who are best at teaching AI to small business owners are almost never the most technically advanced users. They are the people who can translate — who can take something that feels intimidating and make it feel accessible. Who can meet someone where they are, not where they think they should be.
If you can explain how to use a tool in plain English, without making someone feel stupid for not already knowing — you have the most important skill in this space.
Turning interest into income
Most people who love AI are doing one of two things with it. They are either using it quietly in their own work, getting the benefits but not sharing them — or they are posting about it online and hoping that counts as a business.
An AI Academy franchise turns your interest into a structured, sustainable income. Workshops, 1:1 sessions, ongoing programmes. Multiple ways to work with clients. A proven model, a full toolkit, and a brand behind you.
You were going to spend time on AI anyway. This way, you get paid properly for it.