Businesses across Stratford-on-Avon District have been advised how they can incorporate AI into their daily work to boost the bottom line - but not at the expense of human interaction.

Business Stratford-on-Avon - Stratford-on-Avon District Council's economic development arm, in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, held an event at Wootton Park to inform local companies on what help is available to support their growth and how to better engage with local providers and other businesses

After hearing from Councillor Susan Juned, Leader at Stratford-on-Avon District Council, the audience of more than 100 businesses were offered valuable insights on using AI by Caroline Broadway of Dandelion Applied AI, and Rachael Chadwick-Harrison of Chadwick Accountants and Bookkeepers.

Caroline said: "One of the biggest risks for businesses is thinking AI can do everything. It is a tool and it works best when it is used in the right place, for the right job, at the right time. A business's own expertise is still what customers value and what makes them buy.

"AI should complement your expertise, not replace it. We should use it for work we can confidently check ourselves. Beyond that, businesses enter a world of risk.

"Businesses should not start by asking which AI tool to buy. They should start by identifying the tasks where AI can save time or add value, and where human expertise remains more important.

"I would like to see AI champions embedded across business teams. They can build capability internally, make the technology relevant to each function and help the value stay within the business."

Rachael founded her business in 2021 in Bidford-on-Avon and has built it into a successful, award-winning accountancy practice in just five years.

She said AI was increasingly contributing to the growth and efficiency of the company.

Rachael said: "AI has enabled me to increase my own output significantly and has improved efficiency across the firm.

"We have seen a seven per cent improvement in net profit linked to our tools and a 43 per cent average increase in revenue per team member, alongside wider management and structural changes.

"The biggest opportunity is to keep analysing where teams spend their time and use AI to remove repetitive work. That creates more time for face-to-face contact and higher-value support for clients."

There were representatives on hand from Business Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire Business Growth Service, Warwickshire Skills Hub, Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, Warwickshire CAVA and Stratford Social Inclusion Partnership to offer advice on where to go for support in the region.

The team at Wootton Park also offered a tour of the venue and its grounds, including a live demonstration of its wake-boarding lakes.

Councillor Juned said: "The feedback on the event has been great and we were delighted to bring businesses, local government and other organisations together in this way.

"Supporting businesses is not only about understanding local needs and infrastructure. It is also about connecting businesses with support organisations, planners, councils, skills providers and local colleges, and linking national policy to what is needed locally."

The next event in the series is on Thursday, December 17, at British Motor Museum.

For more information email economy@stratford-dc.gov.uk