Do you have the feeling that AI is everywhere right now? You are not alone. But I'm not writing to you today to repeat the hype.

I am writing to you because we are working on a Turning point stand.

The question is no longer, whether AI will change the rules of the game for SMEs. The question is which side of the change you want to be on.

🎙️ You prefer to listen? Here's a short, AI-generated audio summary of this issue:

What's happening right now: The facts.

Quite simply: AI has broken out of the lab and creates facts in practice - also and especially for SMEs.

Researchers at the University of Rome promise 20-30% efficiency gains through AI. My own experience from projects with mmind.ai shows: Often it is even more.

We have implemented simple AI agents that perform tasks such as the Taking minutes of meetings or replying to customer e-mails automate. The result? A reduction in manual effort of up to 80%.

These are not complex, expensive large-scale projects. They are Targeted, cost-effective automationwhich often pay for themselves after just a few months. Your team will thank you for it, because nobody likes taking meeting minutes.

At the same time, we developed an AI consultant for a customer's web store. A proactive chatbotthat not only answers customers' questions, but actively guides them to the right product. The result is not only a higher conversion rate, but also a lot of real-time customer feedback that flows directly into the marketing and product strategy.

The technology is there. It is accessible. And it works.

Why this is crucial for you.

This is not just another tech trend. It's a fundamental Shift in the way we work. And this shift harbors two major dangers for those who act incorrectly.

Danger 1: Do nothing. Wait and see is the riskiest strategy of all. While you are still analyzing, agile competitors are already building up a head start. They are automating their processes, making their marketing departments smarter and their customer service teams more powerful. They are becoming faster, more efficient and more customer-oriented. Every day you procrastinate, the gap widens.

Danger 2: Investing only in technology. This is the more subtle, but perhaps even greater danger. You buy the software, implement the tools - and wonder why the big revolution doesn't happen. Instead, there is fear and confusion among your employees.

I have experienced it myself: A customer service team whose daily flood of emails has been reduced from 200 to 10 thanks to AI. Her first reaction was not joy, but shock. Suddenly their work was gone. If you don't involve your employees right from the start, you create a "Shadow organization". The AI works in the background, but your human organization is disconnected, demotivated and no longer knows what its job is. This is the sure way to failure.

True success lies in the middle. It lies in the Recognizing that AI is a double investment: in technology AND in people.

Your strategic battle plan.

As a manager, you now have to make a clear decision: Are you in or out?

If so, then here's a simple 3-step plan to do it right:

1. decide on the start, not the finish.

You don't have to turn the entire company upside down immediately. Start with a "sprint", a clear, manageable problem. Automate a frustrating, repetitive task. Prove the value, create a sense of achievement and build momentum.

2. turn your employees into architects, not victims. 

Involve the teams whose work will change from day one. We use "AI Design Sprints" for this. We don't ask: "How do we replace this task?". We ask: "How can we build an AI assistant that helps you do your job better?". Fear becomes ownership. Resistance becomes a flood of ideas.

3. plan the marathon.

After the first sprint comes the endurance race. Your task as a manager is to develop a vision of what collaboration between humans and AI should look like in your company in 2, 3 or 5 years' time. What new skills will your team need? What new roles will emerge? How will you measure success not only in terms of efficiency, but also in terms of innovation and customer benefit?

The time for waiting is over. It is time to act. But not hastily, but strategically. Not as a pure technology project, but as a human-centric organizational update.

Register now: AI Café on September 10 in Schaan!

After the summer break, the KI-Café with specific SME topics! We cordially invite you to an event that will give you practical impetus for digitalization and present exciting examples of digitalization from SMEs in the Liechtenstein and Eastern Switzerland region.

What you can expect:

• Presentation of the new digitization guide: Developed by the KMU-HSG and MMIND.

• Exciting practical application examples: SMEs for SMEs present their digitalization and AI projects, including b_smart, sl.one, CSL Corporate Services, HSW AG Reinigung und Facility Service, and CFP Business Consulting.

• Aperitif and exchange of experiences: Make valuable contacts and exchange ideas with like-minded people and experts.

Why you should be there:

• Gain practical insights and concrete examples of AI and digitalization directly from SMEs.

• Learn how you can use the new digitalization guide for your company.

• Find inspiration and solutions for your own digitalization issues.

When: Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 4:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Where: RUUF, Duxgass 55, 9494 Schaan

Costs: Free of charge

Organizer: MMIND in cooperation with the KMU-HSG

Get in touch right away here free of charge and mark the date in your calendar.

P.S. Would you like to have the most important findings at a glance? In the following PDF you will find a compact summary of the key points of this newsletter: