I'm tired of "100 ChatGPT Prompts!" articles where 90 of them are useless fluff. So here are 15 that I've actually used - or watched business owners use - with real results.
Copy them. Paste them. Change the brackets. Get back to work.
Customer Communication (4 prompts)
1. The Follow-Up Email You Keep Putting Off
"I own a [business type] called [name]. Write a follow-up email to a customer I quoted 2 weeks ago who hasn't responded. Keep it short (under 100 words), friendly but not pushy. Include a clear call to action."
Why it works: It doesn't beg. It doesn't guilt-trip. It just re-opens the conversation.
2. Responding to a Negative Review
"I own a [business type] in [city]. Write a response to this negative review: [paste review]. Acknowledge the issue, don't make excuses, and invite them to give us another chance. Keep it under 75 words and sound like a real person."
Why it works: The "sound like a real person" instruction prevents the corporate-speak that makes things worse.
3. The Apology Email
"Write a short, honest apology email to a customer. Here's what happened: [describe the situation]. Take responsibility, explain what we're doing to fix it, and offer [specific compensation if applicable]. Don't over-apologize. Keep it under 150 words."
Why it works: "Don't over-apologize" is the key. Excessive apologizing makes you look incompetent. One clear "we're sorry, here's the fix" is stronger.
4. The Price Increase Notice
"I need to inform my customers about a [X]% price increase starting [date]. My business is [type]. The increase is due to [rising supply costs / increased operational expenses / etc.]. Write an email that's honest about the reason, emphasizes the value they still get, and doesn't sound defensive. Keep it under 200 words."
Why it works: Nobody likes raising prices. This prompt handles the awkwardness so you don't have to.
Marketing & Social Media (4 prompts)
5. A Week of Social Media Posts
"I own a [business type] called [name] in [city]. Create 5 social media posts for [platform] this week. Include: 1 behind-the-scenes, 1 customer-focused, 1 educational/tip, 1 promotional, 1 fun/personal. Make them sound like a friend talking, not a brand. Include hashtag suggestions."
6. A Month of Email Newsletter Ideas
"I run a [business type]. Give me 4 email newsletter topics for this month. Each should include: a subject line that gets opened, 3-4 bullet points of what to include, and a call-to-action. My audience is [describe customers]. They care about [what matters to them]."
7. An Ad That Doesn't Sound Like an Ad
"Write a Facebook ad for my [business type]. We're promoting [specific offer]. My target customer is [description]. Make it conversational, not salesy. Start with a hook that makes them stop scrolling. Keep it under 90 words."
8. An About Page That Actually Sounds Like You
"Help me write the 'About' page for my business website. My business is [name], a [type] in [city]. Here's my story in rough notes: [dump your story in messy bullet points]. Make it sound warm, authentic, and human - like I'm telling a friend about how I started this. About 300 words."
Pro tip: Give it your messy notes, not polished copy. It works better with raw material.
Operations & Strategy (4 prompts)
9. The Job Posting That Attracts Good People
"Write a job listing for a [position] at my [business type]. We're a small team of [number]. The right person is [describe ideal qualities]. Include: what they'll do day-to-day, what makes us different from working somewhere else, and basic requirements. Make it sound like a real place to work, not a corporate HR department."
10. The SOPs You've Been Meaning to Write
"I run a [business type]. Help me create a standard operating procedure for [specific task - e.g., opening the store, handling returns, onboarding a new client]. Write it as a numbered step-by-step list that a new employee could follow on their first day. Be specific."
11. The Business Plan Section You're Stuck On
"I'm writing a business plan for my [business type]. Help me with the [section - e.g., market analysis, financial projections, competitive advantage]. Here's what I know: [dump your rough notes]. Organize this into a professional section, about 500 words."
12. The Meeting Agenda That Keeps Things on Track
"Create a 30-minute team meeting agenda for my [business type]. Topics to cover: [list 3-4 topics]. Include time allocations, who should talk about what, and end with clear next steps. Keep it tight - we're all busy."
The "Second Brain" Prompts (3 prompts)
13. Make Sense of This Contract
"I'm a small business owner, not a lawyer. Explain the key points of this contract in plain English. Highlight anything I should be concerned about and any terms that are unusually favorable or unfavorable. Here's the contract: [paste it]."
Disclaimer: This isn't legal advice. Use it to understand the basics, then talk to a real lawyer for anything significant.
14. Help Me Think Through a Decision
"I'm trying to decide whether to [describe decision - e.g., hire my first employee, lease a bigger space, raise prices, add a new service]. Here's my situation: [give context - revenue, costs, capacity, concerns]. Give me the pros and cons, and tell me what questions I should be asking that I might not have thought of."
15. Explain This Like I'm a Business Owner, Not a Tech Person
"Explain [complex topic - e.g., SEO, email marketing funnels, LLC vs S-Corp, the new AI regulations] in simple language. Assume I'm smart but not an expert. Use analogies from running a physical business. Keep it under 300 words."
This is the most versatile prompt on this list. Use it for anything that makes your eyes glaze over.
How to Use These
- Copy the prompt (highlight → Ctrl+C)
- Open ChatGPT (chat.openai.com, free version works)
- Replace the [brackets] with your actual info
- Read the output and edit 10-20% to sound like you
- Use it. Send the email. Post the content. Implement the SOP.
Don't save these "for later." Later is code for never. Pick one and use it right now.
Danny Kowalski doesn't do theory. He does tools that work. These prompts were tested on real businesses with real results.