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Thinking about Microsoft 365 Copilot for your small or medium business?
Here’s what you should know.
Running a small business means juggling a lot of tasks — emails, meetings, documents, admin, customer communications, bookkeeping.
What if there was a smart assistant to help do a lot of the heavy lifting? That’s where Microsoft 365 Copilot comes in.
But before you hit “go,” it pays to understand what you get — and what you should prepare for — to make it truly worthwhile.
What is Copilot (and Why It Matters for SMBs)
Copilot brings artificial-intelligence powered “assistant” features into the Microsoft 365 tools you already use: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more.
For small and medium-sized businesses (under 300 users), there’s now a version designed just for you — with pricing and licensing tailored to be more accessible.
With Copilot, everyday tasks get easier: drafting emails or documents, summarising long threads or meeting notes, pulling key data from spreadsheets, generating creative drafts - freeing up time for more valuable work.
In short: Copilot can act like a “super-assistant” for your team - helping you work smarter without big workflow changes.
What Copilot Helps With — And What It Doesn’t
Good for:
Drafting emails, letters, proposals or reports more quickly.
Summarising long documents, meeting minutes, chat threads.
Generating first drafts of documents or presentations (great starting point, then you refine).
Helping with data-heavy tasks: summarising spreadsheets, finding insights, pulling together data into readable summaries.
Saving time on admin-heavy work, leaving more room for strategic tasks.
Not a magic wand:
It won’t replace human decision-making or expert judgment - Copilot misses nuance and context, and can make mistakes.
It doesn’t fix poor data organisation or sloppy permission settings - in fact, it might expose those problems and "blab" confidential information where you don't want it.
It doesn’t relieve you of responsibility for data security, access control, or compliance.
What You Should Check Before Switching on Copilot
It’s tempting to think “let’s just add it and go,” but a little prep makes a big difference. Here’s what to think through first...
| Area | What to check/plan |
|---|---|
| Licence & Eligibility | You need to be on Microsoft 365 Basic, Standard or Premium. Copilot is available from GTB as an add-on licence. |
| Who gets it | Think strategically, about who will benefit most, and start there: owners, managers, admin, sales, finance. |
| Data and permissions hygiene | Copilot works with your existing emails, files, chats, documents. If permissions, folders or access controls are messy, the AI may bring up the wrong info to the wrong person. Make sure file sharing and access are tidy and appropriate. |
| Security and control | Confirm you have basic security best-practices in place — MFA, strong password policies, and controlled access rights — to guard against misuse. |
| Adoption & Training | Copilot delivers value when people know how to use it — prompt smartly, review what it generates, and use it as a “first draft” or “draft helper,” not a final authority |
| Start Small → Scale Smart | A phased rollout (e.g., a few key users first) helps you learn, manage control, and see real benefit before committing across the board. |
How GTB Helps You Get Copilot Right
Copilot works best when your Microsoft 365 setup is tidy, secure, and well-organised. GTB works alongside you to help you get there with a simple, practical process.
1. Copilot Readiness Check
GTB does a fast assessment to determine whether you are prepared for Copilot and what pre-work (if any) is required. We discuss with you your goals and review your licensing, security basics (like MFA), how your files are shared, and other aspects of your current setup. You get a short report that highlights what’s ready, what might need attention, and clear, practical recommendations.
2. Prepare & Enable
If any preparation is recommended, it can be completed either by you or GTB depending on what it is. Whatever else is done, you need to own the 'change management' and make sure your team is onboard and prepared for the Copilot journey.
3. Implementation
GTB will supply and configure any licences you need. We can also support you in rolling Copilot out to your team and provide short, effective training to help everyone become productive and confident more quickly.
4. Follow-Up & Next Steps
After a couple of weeks, we check in, answer questions, and help you decide what next.
The goal: a smooth, safe Copilot rollout that fits your business — with GTB guiding you at every step, and with flexibility in who does the preparation work.
Next Steps
If you’re considering Microsoft 365 Copilot, the smartest next step is to check that your business is set up to get the benefits safely and with minimal risk. GTB can guide you through this in a simple, structured way.
Book a Copilot Readiness Check (Fast & Practical).
We’ll quickly review your Microsoft 365 environment to confirm:
Whether your licences qualify
Whether your file permissions and data access are safe
Any security updates needed
The likely effort involved to get Copilot ready for your chosen users
You’ll receive clear recommendations and an easy go/no-go assessment in plain English.
From there, any preparation work can be done by you or by GTB. Once you’re ready, we supply the licences you need and help you roll out Copilot successfully.
Ready to Explore Copilot for Your Business?
