How AI can create your training content

Language-learning app Duolingo is reportedly working on a music app. Great, so now Duo the owl can bully us into learning about music theory. At least we’ll have something to do at parties.

Hot off the SMB press this week: 

• Introducing Trainual AI — meet the latest AI tool that documents your business for you.
• Working weekends isn’t hustle culture — it’s a new work-life balance.
• A policy template that gives employees the best of both worlds: remote and in-office.

But first, here are some headlines that caught our attention this week.

TL; DR

This week's highlight reel

• Rich better have my money. American Express and Main Street America are partnering for the second year to offer over 300 SMB owners $5K in grants. But wait, there’s more: 25 of the winners will get an extra $25K for revitalization projects. Yowza. Applications are open now through April 7.
• Let’s put a smile on that face. How? School might seem like the last way to do that, but hear us out. Finland, AKA the #1 happiest country in the world, is hosting a four-day MasterClass in June, where participants will learn how to master the art of happiness. Can't afford it? Cheer up because they’ll comp your costs if you win their social media challenge. 
• Not-so-undercover boss. After graduating with a barista certification, Starbucks’ new CEO says he plans to work on the floor with employees once a month to stay close to the culture and customers. Plus, it’ll put him right in the middle of the chaos — helping him identify any challenges and opportunities. We wouldn’t even care if he spelled our name wrong. We’d keep that cup forever.
• TikTok. Time could be running out for everyone’s favorite social media platform due to national security concerns. What the ban would look like in the U.S. is still unclear, but many brands are preparing for the worst. This we know for sure: SMBs everywhere are seeing organic marketing success on the platform, so TikTok’s CEO better *influence* Congress to keep it running.

TRAINUAL COMPOSE

AI can document employee training for you! Here’s how.

Think of a process or policy you’ve been meaning to document but just haven’t had the time for. Now picture your first draft generated for you — almost instantly.

That’s the power of Trainual Compose, the first of Trainual’s new AI capabilities — getting you one step closer to a playbook that writes itself.

Do I really need AI?
Short answer: No. But will AI allow you to document and update important business information and processes much faster? Absolutely.

Guess what that means: You get time back to do what you want (and need) to do. AKA, strategizing and operationalizing your business. Can’t say no to that.

How does it work?
Trainual Compose does all the heavy lifting for you by transforming short bullet points of information into fully-baked employee handbooks and SOPs.  

You just sit back, relax, and watch Trainual *compose* your entire first draft for you. All you have to do is read it, make edits as needed, and send it out to your team.  

Log in to your account, start a new policy or process, and look for the “Compose” button to give it a try! 

👉 Need an account? Try Trainual for free.

OUTSIDE THE BOX

How working weekends can help you achieve work-life balance

We’re not talking about 80-hour workweeks.
This is not an endorsement for hustle culture — working those ridiculously long hours won’t just lead to burnout, but also put you in a state of constant busyness where focused, intentional work gets lost.

When we say “working weekends,” we’re talking about making up some hours that you might have taken off during the week. Like taking a couple of hours on a Friday morning to take a hike — and making up for it with some work on a Sunday evening.

The 9-to-5 isn’t for everyone.
Hey, if the traditional 9 a.m. start and 5 p.m. finish works for you, go and conquer the world with our blessing. But that work schedule isn’t necessarily the best for everyone.

Ever heard people describe themselves as “early birds” or “night owls?” You and your employees have different times when you “hit the zone” — so why wouldn’t you work during the hours when inspiration hits more frequently?

Plus, working outside of traditional hours also frees you from the influx of emails, meetings, and calls that would typically ruin your workflow. Instead, you get some heads-down time to tackle your work more efficiently.

Match your schedule to your life.
Taking time out of the middle of your week can also make your life so much more efficient — and fulfilling. No more fighting crowds to pick up prescriptions or make a Costco run. More time to pick the kids up from school or have a long lunch with an old friend.

Again, this is not some humble brag about hustle culture. You’re not overworking just because you’ve got your laptop open on a weekend or before sunrise. It’s about finding a work schedule that provides opportunities to live a fulfilling life — AKA, a comfortable, if atypical, work-life balance.

STARTER PACK

Template of the week: Hybrid Remote Work Policy

Imagine this: Yesterday, you had a company-wide lunch. Today, half of the team has called out with food poisoning. Now, as you feel bad for your employees (and relieved that you escaped the same fate), are you confident that business can go on as usual? Or… not? 

What we’re really asking is this: Do you have all your important processes, policies, and procedures documented? If not, no one is going to be able to fill in for your sick employees — leaving you ill-equipped and underprepared.

Here at Trainual, we’re in the business of making documentation as easy as possible. So, every week, we’re showcasing a template — for a policy, process, or role (with responsibilities) — that you can take and use in your own business playbook. All it needs is your personal touch, and then it’s ready to share with the rest of your team.

👉 Want to help your employees explore their own unique work-life balances? Then you’ll appreciate this week’s template: Remote Work Policy (Hybrid Model). Take this template to outline a work-from-home policy that allows your team to build productive schedules that work for them — while setting up office requirements to facilitate in-person collaboration and bonding.

Can’t wait a whole week for your next template? Check out our entire template archive of free, multimedia-enhanced, and customizable policy, process, and role starters. New to Trainual? Try for free.