The Ultimate ChatGPT Prompt Library for Business Owners

How to Use This Guide

Each prompt follows a simple formula:

• Category: What type of business task this solves

• The Prompt: Copy and paste exactly

• Why It Works: The psychology behind it

• Customize It: How to make it fit your business

• Next Steps: What to do with the results

1. STRATEGIC BUSINESS PROMPTS

Market Research & Opportunity Finding

Prompt:

What are 8 under-the-radar business opportunities in [YOUR INDUSTRY] that people are discussing in online forums and subreddits? Focus on problems that are getting worse, trends that are accelerating, and gaps that big companies are ignoring. For each opportunity, tell me why it's poised to explode in the next 2-3 years.

Why it works: Gets you ahead of trends instead of following them.

Customize it: Replace [YOUR INDUSTRY] with your field (e.g., "local service businesses," "e-commerce," "B2B software").

Next steps: Research the top 3 opportunities. Look for early signs in your market.

Prompt:

I want to find businesses struggling with bad reviews that I can help. What industries are notorious for having terrible customer experiences and lots of 1-star reviews? Give me specific business types where owners would pay good money to fix their reputation problems.

Why it works: Finds businesses that desperately need your help.

Next steps: Use Google Maps to find local businesses in these categories with bad reviews.

Personal Business Planning

Prompt:

Here's my situation: [DESCRIBE YOUR RESOURCES, SKILLS, TIME, MONEY]. Here's what I'm good at: [YOUR STRENGTHS]. Here's what I hate doing: [YOUR WEAKNESSES]. Give me 15 business ideas that match my situation perfectly. Focus on ideas that play to my strengths and avoid my weaknesses.

Example:

Here's my situation: I have $5,000 to invest, 20 hours per week, and a pickup truck. Here's what I'm good at: talking to people, solving problems, and working with my hands. Here's what I hate doing: paperwork, managing employees, and sitting at a computer all day. Give me 15 business ideas that match my situation perfectly.

Why it works: Gets personalized advice instead of generic business ideas.

Next steps: Pick your top 3 ideas and ask for detailed launch plans for each.

2. MARKETING & COPYWRITING PROMPTS

Content Creation

Prompt:

Give me 8 unique marketing angles for this [CONTENT TYPE]: [PASTE YOUR CONTENT]. Make each angle focus on a different emotional trigger - curiosity, fear, desire, urgency, social proof, etc. Write them as attention-grabbing headlines that would make someone stop scrolling.

Why it works: Gives you multiple ways to market the same content.

Next steps: Test the angles with your audience through polls or A/B testing.

Prompt:

Take this piece of writing and rewrite it at a 5th grade reading level. Keep all the important information but make it flow better and easier to understand: [PASTE YOUR CONTENT]

Why it works: Makes your content accessible to everyone, increasing engagement.

Next steps: Use this for all your website copy, emails, and marketing materials.

Hook & Storytelling

Prompt:

Take this topic: [YOUR TOPIC] and write an attractive hook that asks an open-ended question. Then create an outline that delays the payoff by not answering the question until the very end. Make sure the payoff is worth the wait and includes a specific, surprising fact or insight.

Example:

Take this topic: "How to increase customer retention" and write an attractive hook that asks an open-ended question. Then create an outline that delays the payoff by not answering the question until the very end. Make sure the payoff is worth the wait and includes a specific, surprising fact or insight.

Why it works: Keeps people reading/watching until the end.

Next steps: Use this structure for emails, social posts, blog articles, and presentations.

Social Media Testing

Prompt:

I want to test different marketing messages with my audience. Create 4 different ways to present this idea: [YOUR IDEA]. Make each version appeal to a different motivation - saving money, saving time, looking good, or avoiding problems. Format them as poll options that ask "Which would make you most likely to [DESIRED ACTION]?"

Why it works: Lets your audience tell you what messaging works before you commit.

Next steps: Post as Instagram/LinkedIn polls, run for 30 minutes each.

3. CUSTOMER RESEARCH & SALES PROMPTS

Review Analysis

Prompt:

Analyze these customer reviews and tell me: 1) What specific problems do customers mention most? 2) What words and phrases do they use to describe their pain points? 3) What benefits do they value most? 4) What objections come up repeatedly? Here are the reviews: [PASTE REVIEWS]

Why it works: Learns your customers' language so you can speak it back to them.

Next steps: Use their exact words in your marketing and sales conversations.

Prompt:

Turn these customer testimonials into SEO-optimized blog post outlines. Use these keywords: [YOUR KEYWORDS]. Make each post answer a specific question that potential customers are searching for: [PASTE TESTIMONIALS]

Why it works: Creates content that ranks in search and builds trust.

Next steps: Write the full blog posts and publish them on your website.

Cold Email & Outreach

Prompt:

I found a business with these negative reviews: [PASTE BAD REVIEWS]. Help me write a cold email that: 1) Shows I understand their specific problems, 2) Offers a clear solution, 3) Doesn't sound salesy, 4) Includes a specific next step. Make it feel helpful, not pushy.

Why it works: Gives you a legitimate reason to reach out with a solution.

Next steps: Send to 5-10 similar businesses and track response rates.

4. OPERATIONAL & PRODUCTIVITY PROMPTS

Process Building

Prompt:

I need a step-by-step system for [SPECIFIC TASK]. Create a checklist that someone with no experience could follow. Include what to do, what to avoid, and how to know if each step was done correctly. Make it foolproof.

Example:

I need a step-by-step system for following up with leads who don't respond to my first email. Create a checklist that someone with no experience could follow.

Why it works: Turns your expertise into systems others can follow.

Next steps: Test the system with a team member or VA.

Financial Analysis

Prompt:

Look at these recurring expenses from my bank statement: [LIST YOUR MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BILLS]. Tell me: 1) Where I can save money immediately, 2) Which services have cheaper alternatives, 3) What I'm paying for that I probably don't need, 4) How much I could save per month total.

Why it works: Finds money you're already spending but don't need to.

Next steps: Cancel or downgrade the services it recommends.

5. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS PROMPTS

Competitor Research

Prompt:

My main competitors are: [LIST COMPETITORS]. Analyze what makes each one successful and what weaknesses I could exploit. Then tell me: 1) What are they doing that I should copy? 2) What are they missing that I could provide? 3) How can I position myself as clearly different and better?

Why it works: Finds gaps in the market you can fill.

Next steps: Build your differentiation strategy around the gaps you find.

Industry Analysis

Prompt:

What are the biggest complaints customers have about [YOUR INDUSTRY]? Look for patterns in reviews, forum discussions, and social media. Give me the top 10 problems that keep coming up, and tell me which ones are the easiest for a small business to solve better than big companies.

Why it works: Shows you exactly where to focus your improvement efforts.

Next steps: Pick 2-3 problems and build solutions around them.

6. CREATIVE & CONTENT PROMPTS

Unique Angles

Prompt:

Give me quotes and insights about [YOUR TOPIC] that are absolutely brilliant but don't appear very often online. I want fresh perspectives that will make people stop and think, not the same recycled advice everyone shares.

Why it works: Helps you stand out in a crowded market.

Next steps: Use these insights in your content to position yourself as a thought leader.

Content Repurposing

Prompt:

Take this [BLOG POST/VIDEO/PODCAST] and break it down into: 1) 5 social media posts, 2) 3 email subject lines, 3) 1 compelling headline, 4) 10 key takeaways that could each become their own post. Here's the content: [PASTE CONTENT]

Why it works: Gets maximum value from every piece of content you create.

Next steps: Schedule the social posts and use the emails in your sequence.

7. ADVANCED PROMPTING TECHNIQUES

The Layering Method

Start with:

Write a marketing email for my [TYPE OF BUSINESS] that [MAIN GOAL].

Then refine:

Make it more conversational, like I'm talking to a friend who needs this service.

Then specify:

Add more urgency but don't be pushy. Focus on the cost of waiting.

Then optimize:

Write 5 different subject lines that would make someone curious enough to open this.

Why it works: Each layer improves the result and teaches you what works.

The Competition Method

Step 1: Ask the same question to ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Grok.

Step 2: Pick your favorite answer.

Step 3: Go to a different AI and say:

[OTHER AI] gave me this answer about [YOUR QUESTION]: [PASTE ANSWER]. I really liked it because [SPECIFIC REASONS]. I thought you were better than [OTHER AI]. Prove me right - give me an even better answer.

Why it works: Makes AIs compete to give you better results.

8. INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC PROMPT TEMPLATES

For Service Businesses

Prompt:

I run a [TYPE OF SERVICE] business. My biggest challenge is [SPECIFIC PROBLEM]. My ideal customer is [CUSTOMER DESCRIPTION]. Create a 90-day marketing plan that focuses on [MAIN GOAL]. Include specific tactics for getting more leads, converting them to customers, and getting referrals.

For E-commerce

Prompt:

I sell [PRODUCTS] to [TARGET MARKET]. My conversion rate is [CURRENT RATE] and I want to improve it. Analyze my product descriptions, pricing strategy, and checkout process. Tell me the top 5 changes that would have the biggest impact on sales.

For Consultants/Coaches

Prompt:

I help [TARGET AUDIENCE] with [MAIN PROBLEM]. Create a content calendar for the next month that positions me as the go-to expert. Include blog topics, social media posts, and email subjects that will attract my ideal clients and demonstrate my expertise.

9. PROMPT TROUBLESHOOTING

If Your Results Suck

Add more context:

Here's more background: [ADD SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT YOUR SITUATION, GOALS, CONSTRAINTS]

Be more specific:

Instead of "good" use "increases click-through rates by at least 25%"
Instead of "professional" use "sounds like a trusted advisor, not a salesperson"

Give examples:

Here's an example of what I like: [PASTE EXAMPLE]
Here's an example of what I don't want: [PASTE COUNTER-EXAMPLE]

10. READY-TO-USE PROMPT COLLECTION

Quick Daily Prompts

For brainstorming:

Give me 10 creative solutions to this problem: [YOUR PROBLEM]

For improving writing:

Make this punchier and more engaging: [YOUR TEXT]

For research:

What are 3 things I should know about [TOPIC] that most people don't?

For planning:

Break this big goal into smaller, actionable steps