AI Isn’t Optional Anymore—It’s a Strategic Imperative for Local Businesses
In Broxbourne, a quiet yet powerful shift is underway. AI and emerging technologies are no longer viewed as distant, futuristic tools for tech giants, they’re becoming practical, everyday necessities for SMEs who want to stay competitive, profitable, and resilient.
Broxbourne Enterprise have been at the forefront of this, engaging with local partners such as Google, and training provider ESTU, and also running their own series of AI and Emerging tech workshop laps, offering practical sessions to try new tools and work on real use cases.
To showcase what this looks like in real life, Innovation Director Julie Creffield has interviewing some of our early adopters.
One of those is Neil from My Elements, a small family-run business based at Theobalds who offer branded workwear and printed goods for the film and TV industries. His story captures both the mindset shift and the practical gains that come when you stop waiting—and start exploring.
How a Small Business Got Smart: My Elements’ Journey into AI Adoption
When I first sat down with Neil, I didn’t expect to hear phrases like “job management system” and “private server infrastructure” roll off his tongue. But that’s the thing about AI—it doesn’t just change how businesses run. It changes how business owners think.
Neil didn’t join the ESTU Operationalising AI programme out of hype. He joined because he saw what was coming.
“We wanted to stay ahead of the curve. AI is transforming industries…ours included, and we didn’t want to be left behind.”
Like many SMEs, they’d already been tinkering with ChatGPT. Initially it was just for SEO and social media captions. But soon, Neil realised he could train it to speak in My Elements’ voice, pull product descriptions, and generate content faster than he ever could manually.
“It knows who we are. I don’t have to explain every time. It speeds things up massively.”
Building In-House Tools—Without a Tech Background
Originally, Neil wanted to develop an email management system to claw back hours lost each morning. But midway through the course, a bigger idea sparked.
“In 30 minutes, I built a job management system. Then in five minutes, a lead generation tool.”
No coding required. Just Google AI Studio, ChatGPT, and the confidence to try. The tools aren’t fully deployed yet—there’s server setup and privacy concerns to handle—but the groundwork has been laid.
More importantly, Neil sees what’s coming next.
“We’re looking at saving one to two hours a day. That’s huge. And AI can help prevent mistakes—like over-ordering or missing key stock. That’s money saved straight away.”
More Clarity, More Confidence, More Capacity to Grow
Beyond the operational gains, AI is giving Neil more clarity as a business leader.
“Right now, everything’s manual. If we hired someone tomorrow, they’d be lost. With an AI-powered system, it’s simple—it’s all there.”
That level of structure and foresight isn’t just useful—it’s essential for businesses aiming to scale without burning out.
He also noted how AI has unlocked new creative avenues:
“Before, it was just ChatGPT. Now I’m using Gemini to generate images. I’ve built software—me! That was never on the cards before.”
And when asked how this has impacted his role as CEO?
“It’s changed the way I think. As a CEO, you’ve got to stay open. These tools are free. Why wouldn’t you test them? If they work, brilliant—you get more time, more profit, and more control.”
AI as a Catalyst for Regional Business Growth
Neil’s story is not an outlier. It’s the start of a wave.
In Broxbourne, our innovation centres are becoming testbeds for what happens when real businesses get to grips with real tools—not theory, not consultancy fluff, but live experimentation in safe, supportive environments.
We’re not teaching people how to become tech companies. We’re helping them become smarter at what they already do—whether that’s managing workflow, boosting sales, or unlocking creativity.
And the ripple effect is powerful. Founders leave our sessions not only with new tools, but with new thinking. New confidence. New ambition.
If you’re a small business leader in Broxbourne or the surrounding areas and you’re still wondering whether AI is for you—let Neil’s story be your proof.
AI isn’t just for “the techie ones.” It’s for you. Your team. Your legacy.
You don’t need to be ready. You just need to be curious.
If reading this has sparked something in you and you’d like to explore basing yourself here in 2026, now is the perfect moment.
Why not register for one of our Lab Series workshops and get a feel for the place, led by our Innovation Director Julie Creffield who delivers all of the inhouse business support to our customers.
Book a tour, come and see the spaces, meet the team and get a feel for what could be your new home for growth.
Find out more about My Elements here
