Leadership
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16 min
AI governance for a small business — one page, not a policy manual
The problem
You have no AI policy. Someone pastes a customer list into a free tool. Someone else sends a customer an AI-drafted commitment you cannot honour.
The workflow
1List what has gone wrong
2Write the four rules
3Build the matrix
4Set the disclosure position
5Name the owner
6Circulate
7Test with real cases
★Update on incidents only
What you need
Business: kitchenware D2C, ₹1.4 crore, 8 people. Data: customer names, addresses, phones, order history; employee records; bank and GST data.
The tool
One page, in your team's shared space
The prompt
Subscribers. The full prompt is part of the SMEMinds AI Playbook. See plans.
What comes back
AI POLICY — [Company]. One page.
Verify before you use it
Human review required. Check every line below before this leaves your screen.
- Both past incidents are addressed explicitly, with the alternative stated. That is what makes a rule followed rather than worked around.
- The approval matrix uses your existing authority structure. Do not invent a new one — it will not be followed.
- Get the data protection question confirmed by a lawyer rather than assuming. The framework is developing.
- Test the policy on three real cases from last week before circulating it. Ambiguity shows up immediately.