Small businesses that embrace AI today will lead tomorrow. Will yours?
AI is no longer a distant prospect. It’s already transforming how businesses work, grow, and compete — and the pace is accelerating.
The AI Upskilling Central Island program helps small businesses, nonprofits, and solopreneurs in the Regional District of Nanaimo & Cowichan Region apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) in ways that deliver real results. You’ll boost your resilience, productivity, and competitiveness across Central Vancouver Island.
Why This Matters to Your Business
Many small businesses in our region are already feeling the pressure:
- Staffing shortages that leave you scrambling to keep up
- Overwhelming workloads with no time for strategic growth
- Vendors and suppliers closing their doors, forcing you to adapt overnight
- Outdated tools and processes that can’t keep pace with customer expectations
These aren’t just operational headaches. They’re signs your business is at risk of falling behind. The truth? Your biggest competitor may already be using AI effectively.
What You’ll Gain
This program is your roadmap to resilience. You’ll:
- Upskill your team or yourself to meet today’s digital demands
- Automate repetitive tasks and reclaim hours each week
- Streamline workflows so you can focus on growth and creativity
- Overcome fear and uncertainty about new technologies
- Join a supportive AI Community of local business leaders sharing insights, challenges, and wins
At the core of the program are three hands-on, beginner-friendly workshops. No tech expertise? No problem. Our accessible online format and ongoing support mean you can move at your own pace while maintaining your advantage.
Spots are limited. Secure your place now and start working smarter, not harder.
Only 20 Seats Available: Open to Central Island Employers & Staff
$2,999 Value – Yours for as low as $199
What’s included:
- Three AI Workshops: Three 2-hour cohort sessions delivered over 3 months
- Workshop 1: AI Awareness – Foundations for Small Business Success
- Workshop 2: AI Awareness & Business Efficiency – Exploring Generative AI
- Workshop 3: AI Readiness – Laying the Groundwork for Implementation
- Office Hours: Four 1-hour drop-in sessions for additional support
- AI Community of Practice: Full access until the end of the program
Together, these three workshops guide you from initial curiosity to practical readiness. They offer a clear, supportive path toward AI adoption. By combining foundational knowledge, peer learning, and hands-on practice, we’ll help you build your AI intuition and start unlocking the benefits of AI in ways that align with your unique goals and capacity.
Our format and content stay flexible and responsive to the evolving AI and digital landscape to ensure you get continued relevance and impact.
Program Cost :
- First 10 seats: $199
- Next 5 seats: $249
- Final 5 seats: $299
Complete all 3 sessions and receive a $100 credit toward the advanced program launching in January 2026.
Why the Fee? This program is fully funded, but we know people show up when they’ve got skin in the game. Your registration helps us ensure serious, committed participants.
Program Dates:
- Group 1: Tuesdays – 5:30-7:30p.m. * March 3rd, April 7th & May 5th
- Group 2: Wednesdays – 8:30-10:30a.m. * March 4th, April 8th & April 29th
Click to view full program description
Led by Community Futures Central Island in partnership with Hufnagel Consulting and Jennifer Hufnagel, AI Educator, this program is designed for people just like you — small business owners and leaders juggling limited resources, tight margins, and relentless demands. Through tailored support and practical learning, we’ll help you cut through the noise and start using AI tools that make an immediate impact.
Consider this: Netflix took 3.5 years to reach 1 million subscribers. ChatGPT did it in just 5 days. The pace of change is staggering. Learning AI isn’t optional anymore. It’s your step toward building a stronger, more resilient business.
Be Part of Vancouver Island’s Future
By embracing AI today, you’re not only preparing your business for what’s next — you’re helping spark a wave of innovation and resilience across our region. As more local organizations adopt AI and digital strategies, everyone benefits from a network effect of shared success and collective learning.
This is your moment for action. Don’t wait for the competition to figure it out first.
Workshop Descriptions
Workshop 1 – AI Awareness: Learn the essentials of AI and its impact on workplace productivity
This workshop is designed for professionals, nonprofits, solopreneurs, business owners, and their teams who want to understand how AI and digital tools can help transform their business. Whether you’re completely new to AI or have a basic understanding, this introductory session will help you get comfortable with the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, explore practical use cases, and understand its impact across industries.
We’ll focus on how AI and digital adoption can support, not replace, human decision-making. Through real-world examples, hands-on demonstrations, and guided reflection, you’ll start identifying where AI could add value within your roles, workflows, and organization. We’ll also share basic digital safety tips to support secure exploration.
This session is about sparking curiosity and building your “AI intuition.” It lays the groundwork for confident, informed use in future workshops.
Learning Outcomes:
- Explain foundational concepts of AI
- Explore different AI tools available to small businesses
- Identify opportunities to use AI for efficiency and productivity
- Build your AI intuition
- Initiate your AI Community of Practice (AI CoP)
Workshop 2 – AI Awareness & Business Efficiency: Exploring the Possibilities of Generative AI
Prerequisite: Workshop #1
Building on the foundation from Workshop 1, this session dives deeper into the practical applications of Generative AI tools like ChatGPT. You’ll explore how to use AI in low-risk, high-value areas to test its potential and build confidence.
We’ll show you how AI can enhance customer support, marketing, knowledge sharing, content creation, and overall workplace efficiency. With real-world business examples, you’ll see how these tools can streamline operations and free up time for growth.
You’ll also learn best practices for crafting effective prompts to get accurate, relevant results and maximize AI’s value in your daily operations.
Finally, you’ll be invited to join a supportive AI learning community where you can share insights, ask questions, and collaborate with other local business leaders.
Learning Outcomes:
- Develop skills for effective AI prompting
- Practice using Generative AI to solve specific business challenges
- Implement 1–2 AI “quick wins” in your operations
- Identify areas where AI can save time and improve workflows
Workshop 3 – AI Readiness: Laying the Groundwork for Implementation
Prerequisites: Workshop #1 and #2
This final session marks the shift from awareness to action Exploring strategically how to plan AIintegration into your business. You’ll take a close look at your business operations, software, workflows, systems, tasks, data, and online presence, to understand your starting point for AI adoption. By identifying inefficiencies and gaps, you’ll begin to see where digital tools and AI can deliver the most value.
This final workshop helps you shift from learning about AI tools to thinking strategically about how AI can fit into your business. You’ll be introduced to key concepts and planning frameworks that set the stage for successful AI adoption.
What We’ll Cover:
- Operational Readiness: Learn how to evaluate your current business systems, workflows, and capacity to understand where AI could deliver value.
- AI Disruption Awareness: Explore how AI is reshaping industries and consider what it means for your business, risks, opportunities, and areas for innovation.
- Current Workflow mapping: See how mapping workflows can reveal opportunities for AI to enhance customer experience and streamline processes.
Laying the Groundwork: Discover practical steps to prepare your business for AI, including digital hygiene and change readiness.
Learning Outcomes:
- Assess your current state of operations for AI Readiness
- Explore potential AI disruptions in your industry
- Develop a customized AI Readiness Plan to guide implementation
AI Upskilling Office Hours – 4 Hours
Prerequisites: Workshop #1, #2 and #3
Flexible support and live updates as you learn
Starting in October, after the first set of workshops, participants will gain access to AI Upskilling Office Hours. These drop-in sessions create a supportive environment to:
- Bring your questions and challenges from applying AI tools in your business
- Practice with guidance and build confidence in real-world use cases
- Explore new AI updates, features, and emerging trends
- Connect with peers and share insights in a collaborative learning space
Each facilitated session is designed to give participants time, space, and expert support to integrate AI into your workflows at your own pace. Whether you need help refining prompts, exploring advanced features, or brainstorming use cases, these office hours are your dedicated learning and practice zone.
