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Self-employed people in low paid, routine jobs face the greatest risk of being overtaken by artificial intelligence. This finding comes from new research carried out by the School of Management at the University of Buffalo.

Self-Employed Jobs Threatened by AI

The study found popular, low skilled, regular jobs face the greatest risk of being replaced. For example, these include drivers, independent sales reps and construction and agricultural workers.

The researchers  reviewed every study to date. They focused on self-employment. And they focused on AI. Then they compared the findings to their own research on teams. As a result, research comes from more than 20 published studies. And they stretch across a diverse range of work settings.

Researchers analyzed different sectors. They then concluded some jobs are at risk from AI. But not every occupation faces the threat of an artificial intelligence takeover.

Small Businesses Employing Teams May be at Risk

Small business owners should take interest in the researchers’ conclusions. So should the self-employed and those thinking about starting their own business. What businesses face greater risk of being superseded by AI? Consider occupations which require employees to work in teams. Think about those that require employees to make decisions and negotiate.  Compare these to jobs that require little in terms of decision making and interaction.

The study also highlights the need for the self-employed and small businesses to gain access to AI resources. This keeps up with businesses with greater tech assets. And helps them remain competitive in an increasingly tech-driven climate.

The research also found that jobs that required technical expertise and knowledge, such as the maintenance of robotics and AI hardware distribution, could see a significant rise in demand.

Self-Employed Have Less Access to AI

Kate Bezrukova, associate professor at the Department of Organization and Human Resources at the University of Buffalo, commented:

“Those who are self-employed just don’t have the same access to AI resources that corporate employees do, which makes it difficult for them to keep up with these technical advancements.

Bezrukova refers to the growing demand for IT skills this way:

“It’s like when the computer revolution hit decades ago – there was great fear that computers would replace people. But work just shifted and IT positions grew because we needed more support for our computers and networking.”

Ways exist to help overcome the potential pitfalls of AI. Those pitfalls include overriding many low-skilled routine jobs. The authors of the study recommend creating public awareness programs. Design these to increase understanding of the opportunities and risks of AI.

The researchers also recommend updating the school curriculum. Integrate evolving tools and skills. And research integration of AI in the workplace. Particularly for the self-employed.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, “Low-Tech Self-Employed Most at Risk of Being Overtaken by Bots” was first published on Small Business Trends

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Yahoo Small Business has unveiled its Website Design Service catering to small businesses. The service provides the design, build, and management of professional websites for small business owners.

Yahoo Small Business Website Design Service

It is expected to lessen the burden on small businesses from learning how to build and manage websites on their own to using the WordPress platform. The new service will provide the design, engineering, copywriting and support services required to create, build, launch and manage a website.

Includes All the Bells and Whistles of a Professional Website

The tools offered by Yahoo Small Business include drag-and-drop website building tools where you can choose from 150+ themes to customize and publish your site. In addition to these capabilities, Yahoo is also providing hosting services. This is a sticking point for many DIYers who have to find their own hosting company.

As part of the package, clients can regularly request content updates and additions to their site including updating security plug-ins. The content is also reviewed for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) before and after launch, which can help the site get higher page rankings and increase organic traffic.

Kush Shrivastava, managing director of Yahoo Small Business, highlights why this service is so important in the emailed press release. Shrivastava goes on to say, “With Website Design Service, small business owners don’t need to spend extensive time or money learning how to code or optimize for search rankings. Yahoo Small Business will handle the heavy-lifting to deliver the world-class website they need to effectively connect with their customers.”

Yahoo Small Business offers an easy step-by-step process that includes consultations with an expert designer. The consultation includes brand goals along with website production, content assets, regular monitoring and maintenance.

Site Tools

One of the challenges in creating your own site is the technical aspect. And if you are not tech-savvy, it can be a problem. Yahoo has overcome this challenge by making tools small businesses can readily use.

It all starts with a large selection of domain extensions so you can customize your name with industry-specific URLs.

After you create and publish your site, you can start selling your products and services online. The eCommerce feature lets you create stores with shipping integration, inventory management, credit card processing and live insights. Additionally, you will get apps to help your business grow.

As a small local business getting discovered by customers is a challenge, both in the real and digital world. Yahoo will solve this problem by listing your business on 70+ local directories from a single dashboard. This is going to allow your customers to find your site easily.

Last but not least, you can create a business email to match your domain name for added credibility and professionalism.

Cost

The Website Design Service includes two offerings. There is a standard package that provides a professional site with basic functionality and light content updates. The premium package offers advance features and capabilities, including accepting reservations or appointments, issuing quotes, customer login and more. Both offerings come with SEO reporting and regular content updates along with mobile optimization.

Yahoo has three pricing options. The Starter package comes with free tools to get business and personal websites up and running. The Basic package starts at $4.99 and includes YSB Insights as well as domain and email for small businesses.

The Professional package is available for $9.49 and includes e-mails for your employees and extra storage space for your data.

Image: Yahoo Small Business

This article, “Yahoo Small Business Introduces Website Design Service” was first published on Small Business Trends

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