A Practical Field Manual for Internal AI Governance in Small Business
AI is already inside your business. The problem is that most organizations adopted it without deciding who owns it, how it should be used, or what happens when it goes wrong.
This book is a practical field manual for small businesses that want control, clarity, and accountability around AI use without building enterprise-grade bureaucracy.
It does not offer legal advice, ethical theory, or technical deep dives. Instead, it focuses on simple, workable governance structures that real teams can actually maintain.
Updates, clarifications, and errata are maintained here as the ideas evolve.
Inside, you’ll find clear guidance on:
• What counts as AI for governance purposes and what does not
• How to classify AI use by risk using only two inputs: data sensitivity and impact
• How to set proportional approval workflows that do not slow the business down
• Practical rules for data handling, vendor evaluation, and acceptable use
• Lightweight logging and record-keeping that supports accountability
• AI-specific incident response that integrates with existing processes
• Clear ownership models that work with minimal staff and limited time
Every chapter is designed for a small business environment: one owner, one backup, simple decisions, and minimal overhead. No committees. No compliance theater. No assumptions about dedicated governance teams.
The book also includes ready-to-use artifacts such as templates, forms, checklists, and internal guidance that can be deployed immediately.
This is not a book about the future of AI.
It is a book about running a business today without letting AI introduce hidden risk, confusion, or operational chaos.
If your organization wants AI to be useful, controlled, and boring in the best possible way, this manual shows you how.