When you run the whole show, every hour counts.
The good news: a handful of well-written AI prompts can take the most repetitive parts of your week and cut them from hours to minutes.
Below are five prompts you can copy, paste and use today in ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
Each one targets a task that quietly eats solopreneurs’ time. Fill in the parts in [brackets], and save the ones you love somewhere you can grab them fast.
Before you start: the 30-second setup that makes every prompt better
AI does its best work when it knows who you are. Write a short “about my business” note once and paste it in above any prompt (or save it in your assistant’s custom instructions):
About me: I run [business name], a [what you do] for [who you serve]. My tone is [e.g., warm, direct, no jargon]. My main offers are [offer 1, offer 2]. My goal this quarter is [goal].
1. The inbox triage prompt
Saves: 30–60 minutes a week. Paste in a batch of emails (remove anything sensitive) and let AI sort and draft.
Here are [number] emails I need to deal with. Sort them into: (1) needs my reply today, (2) can wait, (3) no reply needed. For every email in group 1, draft a short reply in my voice: friendly, clear and under 100 words. Flag anything that sounds urgent or like a sales opportunity. [paste emails]
2. The “one idea, five posts” content prompt
Saves: 1–2 hours a week. Turn one thing you already know into a week of content.
Here's an idea, lesson or client win from my week: [describe it in a few sentences]. Turn it into: 1 LinkedIn post (under 200 words, with a strong first line), 3 short social posts with different angles, and 1 email newsletter intro paragraph. Keep my voice, avoid buzzwords, and end each piece with a simple question or call to action.
Tip: always add a real detail or story before you post. AI gives you the structure; your experience makes it worth reading.
3. The proposal first-draft prompt
Saves: 1–3 hours per proposal. Go from discovery call to a solid draft while the conversation is still fresh.
Write a first draft of a proposal using my notes from a discovery call below. Structure it as: the client's situation in their words, what they want to achieve, my recommended approach (in 3 phases), timeline, what's included and not included, and investment options at [price range]. Keep it to one page and focus on outcomes, not tasks. Ask me about anything that's missing. [paste call notes or transcript]
4. The Monday planning prompt
Saves: 30+ minutes of “where do I start?” every week, and a lot of stress.
Here's everything on my plate this week: [brain-dump every task, deadline and meeting]. My most important goal right now is [goal]. I have about [number] hours of focused work time. Help me: (1) pick the 3 tasks that matter most, (2) spot anything I can delegate, automate or drop, and (3) lay out a realistic day-by-day plan with buffer time. Be honest if I've overloaded the week.
5. The client follow-up prompt
Saves: 30 minutes a week, and brings back revenue that’s been slipping through the cracks.
Write a short, friendly follow-up email to [name], who [situation: e.g., received my proposal 10 days ago / finished a project with me last month / went quiet after our intro call]. Goal: [e.g., get a yes or no / ask for a referral or review / book a check-in]. Keep it under 80 words, make it easy to reply to, and don't sound pushy. Give me 2 versions: one warm and one more direct.
How to make these prompts even better
- Keep the conversation going. The first answer is a draft. Reply with “shorter,” “warmer,” or “more like this example” and it gets better fast.
- Show, don’t just tell. Paste an email or post you’ve written that you love and say “match this style.”
- Build a prompt library. Save your best prompts in a notes app so they’re one copy-paste away.
- Always review before sending. Check facts, names and numbers. You’re the editor; AI is the fast first draft.
Use all five and you can realistically win back three to six hours a week. That’s time for the work only you can do: serving clients, building relationships, and growing the business.
Not sure which AI tool to use? Start with AI Tools Actually Worth Paying For at a Small Company.
FAQ
Do these prompts work in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini?
Yes. They’re written in plain language and work in any major AI assistant, including the free versions.
Is it safe to paste client emails into AI?
Remove sensitive details like account numbers or health information, and check your AI tool’s data settings. Paid business plans generally offer stronger data protections than free ones.
What makes a good AI prompt?
Context (who you are and who it’s for), a clear task, the format you want, and any limits like length or tone. The prompts above follow that pattern, so you can use them as templates for your own.