AI-Powered Operations Management for Small Business
Certificate of Completion · 30 hours · 6 weeks
Practical AI skills for your own business
A practical, 30-hour course that teaches small business owners, managers and staff in British Columbia how to use AI tools safely to run daily operations: analysing sales, managing inventory, planning staff schedules, writing procedures and responding to customers. Every assignment uses the participant's own business data, so each participant finishes the course with tools and documents they can use in their own workplace.
- Total hours
- 30 hours
- Length
- 6 weeks, fixed intake
- Format
- Recorded lessons + live instructor sessions
- Next intake
- Contact us for upcoming intake dates
- Fee
- Contact us for a quote (per participant, plus applicable taxes)
- Language
- Mandarin Chinese (contact us about other languages)
- Credential
- Certificate of Completion
Funding: this course may be eligible for funding through the B.C. Employer Training Grant (ETG). Each application is assessed individually by the Province. Employers apply on their own behalf before training starts; BEUR does not submit applications for employers. What employers need for the application
Course Details
Everything an employer needs to describe this training
| Course name | AI-Powered Operations Management for Small Business |
|---|---|
| Total hours | 30 hours: 18 h recorded lessons + 8 h live instructor-led sessions + 4 h assignments and assessment |
| Delivery | Recorded lessons plus live instructor-led sessions (online or in person). Fixed intake over 6 weeks. |
| Next intake | Contact us for upcoming intake dates |
| Fee | Contact us for a quote (per participant, plus applicable taxes). Includes course materials and the Certificate of Completion. |
| Language of instruction | Mandarin Chinese (contact us about other languages) |
| Assessment | A practical assignment in every module plus a final capstone project, graded by the instructor. Participants who meet the requirements receive a Certificate of Completion. |
| Who it is for | Owners, managers, supervisors and employees of small businesses in British Columbia, such as restaurants, cafés, bakeries, retail stores and other service businesses. No technical background or prior AI experience is required. |
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Write, test and refine prompts for common business tasks, and verify AI output for accuracy before using it.
- Apply privacy and data-security practices when using AI with business, employee and customer information.
- Analyse point-of-sale reports with AI to identify best-selling items, slow movers and peak hours, and recommend actions.
- Build an inventory alert sheet with reorder levels and calculate waste for key items.
- Create a staff schedule based on customer traffic and calculate labour cost as a percentage of sales.
- Produce standard operating procedures (SOPs), staff training materials and quiz questions with AI.
- Develop and present an operations improvement plan for their own business with measurable targets.
Modules and Assignments
Every assignment uses your own business data.
Module 1: AI Fundamentals and Safe Use
- What generative AI can and cannot do in a small business
- Writing clear prompts: role, task, context and output format; refining results
- Privacy and data security: what not to share, removing personal information, B.C. privacy obligations
- Checking AI output for errors and invented facts
- Setting simple AI-use rules for your staff
Assignment: Prompt practice for your own business: write and refine 10 prompts for real tasks in your workplace, noting what you changed and how you checked each result.
Module 2: Sales Data Analysis
- Exporting sales reports from your point-of-sale system (CSV or Excel)
- Cleaning data and removing customer information before analysis
- Using AI to find best-selling and slow-moving items, peak days and hours, and average sale
- Turning findings into a one-page summary with charts
Assignment: Monthly sales analysis of your own business: a one-page report with your top 10 items, peak hours and three recommended actions.
Module 3: Inventory and Purchasing
- Reorder points and par levels
- Forecasting demand from past sales and seasonal patterns
- Waste and shrinkage analysis
- Supplier order checklists
Assignment: Inventory alert sheet: a spreadsheet that flags items below their reorder level, with a waste log for your top 20 items.
Module 4: Staff Scheduling and Labour Cost
- Matching staffing levels to customer traffic
- Calculating labour cost as a percentage of sales and setting a target
- Drafting schedules with AI around staff availability, with reference to B.C. Employment Standards requirements
- Communicating schedules and changes to staff
Assignment: Next month's staff schedule: a draft schedule with a labour-cost target and a short explanation of your choices.
Module 5: Standard Operating Procedures and Staff Training
- Writing step-by-step SOPs with AI (opening, closing, cash handling, service routines)
- Building a staff handbook section
- Creating training checklists and quiz questions
- Keeping documents accurate and up to date
Assignment: Three SOPs for your own business, each with a five-question staff quiz.
Module 6: Customer Service and Review Management
- Responding to positive and negative online reviews
- Keeping a consistent, professional tone
- Summarising customer feedback into themes and action items
- Handling complaints step by step
Assignment: Review response templates: five templates for common review situations, plus a summary of your real customer feedback with names removed.
Module 7: Capstone Project and Assessment
- Combining the course tools into one plan for your business
- Setting measurable targets and a timeline
- Presenting your plan to the instructor and class
- Instructor grading with a written rubric
Assignment: Submit an operations improvement plan for your business (current situation, three to five actions, targets, timeline and how AI output will be checked) and present it in the final live session.
Hours by Module
30 hours of instruction and assessment over 6 weeks
| Module | Week | Recorded | Live | Assignment / assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. AI Fundamentals and Safe Use | 1 | 2.5 h | 1.5 h | 0.5 h |
| 2. Sales Data Analysis | 2 | 3 h | 1 h | 0.5 h |
| 3. Inventory and Purchasing | 3 | 3 h | 1 h | 0.5 h |
| 4. Staff Scheduling and Labour Cost | 4 | 3 h | 1 h | 0.5 h |
| 5. Standard Operating Procedures and Staff Training | 5 | 3 h | 1 h | 0.5 h |
| 6. Customer Service and Review Management | 6 | 3.5 h | 0.5 h | 0.5 h |
| 7. Capstone Project and Assessment | 6 | 0 h | 2 h | 1 h |
| Total | 6 weeks | 18 h | 8 h | 4 h |
Assessment and certificate
- Module assignments 1 to 6: 60% of the final grade (10% each), graded by the instructor with written feedback
- Capstone project and presentation: 40% of the final grade
- To receive the Certificate of Completion, participants must complete all recorded lessons, take part in the live sessions, submit all seven assignments and achieve an overall grade of 70% or higher
What the fee includes
- 18 hours of recorded lessons, available throughout the course
- 8 hours of live instructor-led sessions
- Course workbook, templates and examples
- Instructor grading and written feedback on every assignment
- Certificate of Completion for participants who meet the requirements
The fee covers training only. BEUR does not sell or bundle software subscriptions or equipment with this course.
What you need
- A laptop or desktop computer with a reliable internet connection
- Basic computer skills (email, web browser, simple spreadsheets)
- Access to your business's sales and inventory reports (any point-of-sale system)
- No paid software subscription is required; we show you how to set up a general-purpose AI assistant in Module 1
Request the Course Outline or a Quote
Tell us about your business and how many people you would like to train. We will send the outline and a written quote you can use for your ETG application.
Call us at 604-636-6006. Tell us about your business, how many people you would like to train and when.