For solo entrepreneurs, leveraging AI and developing digital skills can create more time for what matters most: growing their business. Anastasia Volynsky, owner of the custom charm jewelry company Lucky Goldie, used Verizon’s free training to learn about AI tools that helped her automate tasks, sharpen her social media strategy and make more informed business decisions. In one year, her social media following grew by 80%, while sales during the holiday season, her busiest time of year, more than doubled over the previous year. How Anastasia is using AI in her small business: Automating processes: Volynsky uses AI to automatically send invoices, giving her more time to do what she loves best. Selling online: She tested a chatbot on her website, to answer customer questions and help make sales even when she was offline. Writing contracts: She learned about writing contracts in a Verizon course, then put her AI skills to work drafting one. The final contract is one she now regularly uses. Planning her time and inventory: Volynsky enters information about her schedule and her upcoming sales, and AI tools can help estimate how she should budget her time and order her inventory. She also values Verizon as a learning platform she can return to again and again, thanks to its regularly refreshed offerings. “One thing that they are really good at is keeping up with their courses and adding new things depending on what’s going on and what’s trending,” Volynsky says. “They’re really good at adding new things like that.” Volynsky’s experience shows how accessible training can help small business owners turn AI from an abstract idea into useful, everyday tools Ready to build your AI skills? Verizon AI Skills for America offers free access to AI training, certifications and resources designed to help workers prepare for the evolving AI economy: https://www.verizon.com/about/responsibility/human-prosperity/workforce-development/ai-skills An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed. #Verizon

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