AI TRAINING
Google Sheets and Gemini for Small Business
Use Gemini AI inside Google Sheets to automate categorisation, summarisation, and outreach without coding.
What it covers
A hands-on workshop teaching small-business operators to use Google Sheets' built-in Gemini features: the =AI() formula family, the Gemini sidebar, and practical automations for real tasks like categorising transactions, summarising survey responses, drafting personalised emails from row data, and building a lightweight CRM tracker. Participants work on their own spreadsheets throughout, leaving with templates they can use the following day. No coding experience required.
What you'll be able to do
- Write =AI() formulas that categorise transaction rows automatically without manual tagging.
- Use the Gemini sidebar to summarise a column of free-text survey responses in under two minutes.
- Generate a personalised draft email for each row of a contact list using a single formula.
- Build a functional lead-tracking CRM in Sheets using AI columns for status summaries and follow-up suggestions.
- Design clear, reusable prompts suited to spreadsheet cell contexts.
Topics covered
- Using =AI() and related Gemini formulas in Sheets
- Navigating the Gemini sidebar for contextual analysis
- Categorising financial transactions with AI formulas
- Summarising open-ended survey results at scale
- Drafting personalised emails directly from row data
- Building a lightweight AI-assisted CRM in Sheets
- Prompt crafting for spreadsheet tasks
- Data hygiene basics before applying AI functions
Delivery
Delivered in person or via live virtual session (Zoom/Meet). Participants must bring a laptop with their own Google Workspace account. Hands-on exercises account for roughly 70% of session time. Trainer shares a starter workbook in advance; participants are encouraged to bring one real spreadsheet from their business. Materials include a formula cheat sheet and three reusable template files.
What makes it work
- Participants bring a real spreadsheet problem from their own business to work on during the session.
- The team agrees on shared prompt templates so AI outputs stay consistent across team members.
- A short weekly review habit is set up to spot-check AI-categorised or AI-drafted outputs before they are acted on.
- Google Workspace Gemini licences are activated and tested before the workshop day.
Common mistakes
- Applying AI formulas to messy, inconsistently formatted data and then blaming the AI for poor results.
- Using overly vague prompts in =AI() cells, producing inconsistent or hallucinated outputs.
- Skipping data hygiene steps and sending AI-drafted emails with wrong names or figures.
- Assuming Gemini in Sheets replaces a proper CRM for businesses growing beyond ~200 contacts.
When NOT to take this
A team already using dedicated accounting software (e.g. QuickBooks, Pennylane) and a proper CRM (e.g. HubSpot) — they would get more value from AI integrations inside those tools than from replicating their workflows in Sheets.
Providers to consider
Sources
This training is part of a Data & AI catalog built for leaders serious about execution. Take the free diagnostic to see which trainings your team needs.