Part 1: What Agents Are and How to Use Them
SAFETY NOTICE
AI Agent safety and privacy are essential issues now that these tools can access your files and perform real tasks. This new capability is exciting — especially ChatGPT agents for business users — but it also raises questions about where the boundaries are.
That’s why I’ve written a follow-up post to explain what happens behind the scenes and how to stay in control.
What Are ChatGPT Agents?
If you think ChatGPT is just for chat, think again. OpenAI’s newest breakthrough — ChatGPT Agents — can now do things on your behalf. Not just answer your questions, but perform actual digital tasks, like sorting your spreadsheets, editing documents, or fetching files. Think of it as giving your AI assistant a pair of virtual hands.
For now, only users on paid ChatGPT plans have access, and it’s rolling out gradually across supported countries (including the UK). But it’s a clear signal of what’s coming next in AI: tools that don’t just talk — they act.
This post gives you three real-life examples of what ChatGPT Agents can do for small businesses — from analysing and building spreadsheets to multitasking admin work.
Worried about privacy?
If you’re wondering, “What’s it doing with my files?” or “Can I trust it with confidential info?”, you’re not alone. That’s why I’ve written a separate post all about safety, data access, and what’s really happening behind the scenes. Read Part 2: Are AI Agents Safe?
Examples Using ChatGPT Agents for Small Business
The prompts below are written as if you’re talking directly to ChatGPT. You don’t need to access a separate app or install anything new. Once the Agent feature is available on your account, ChatGPT will automatically handle the Agent actions when you ask.
You’ll know it’s working when you’re prompted to grant access to a file or folder.
Example 1: ChatGPT Agent as a Spreadsheet Assistant (Google Sheets)
What You Want to Achieve
“Open my weekly sales sheet, calculate totals for each client, highlight top performers, and create a chart.”
✅ What the Agent Can Do
- Open the file you specify (after you grant access)
- Read and understand the data
- Add formulae to calculate totals by client or category
- Highlight top-selling items or highest-paying clients
- Insert a summary chart (bar, pie, line – your choice)
- Save the updated version with a new name and location
💬 Sample Prompt to Use
“I’d like you to work on my Google Sheet called ‘WeeklySales2025’. Please: – Calculate total sales per client – Highlight the top 3 in green – Create a bar chart showing sales per client – Save the file as ‘WeeklySummary_July2025’”
Example 2: ChatGPT Agent as an Admin Assistant for the Busy Micro‑Manager
🎯 What You Want to Achieve
“Check my sales log, flag low-stock bestsellers, and draft a checklist for the team meeting.”
✅ What the Agent Can Do
- Open your latest sales data file
- Identify your best-selling products
- Cross-check stock levels in your inventory spreadsheet
- List anything that’s both popular and low on stock
- Create a tidy summary (e.g. “Reorder item X from Supplier Y”)
- Draft a short checklist for your team meeting
- Save the whole thing in a new file ready for sharing
💬 Sample Prompt to Use
“Can you open my ‘SalesLog_July’ sheet, find the top 5 selling products, check if any are low in stock (in ‘Inventory2025’), and create a short list of recommended actions? Save it as ‘TeamPrepChecklist’ and let me review it.”
Example 3: Using a ChatGPT Agent to Create a Spreadsheet from Scratch
This example shows how a ChatGPT Agent can help you build a spreadsheet from the ground up — ideal for managing invoices, customer orders, or tracking project work.
🎯 What You Want to Achieve
“Create a new spreadsheet for tracking client invoices, with headers, example data, a total, and a pie chart.”
✅ What the Agent Can Do
- Create a new file in Google Sheets (or Excel)
- Add headers: Date, Client, Service, Amount (£), Status
- Fill in 5 sample rows of realistic data
- Insert a total formula at the bottom of the Amount column
- Create a pie chart showing Paid vs Unpaid invoices
- Save the sheet under a clear filename, ready to use or customise
💬 Sample Prompt to Use
“Create a new Google Sheet called ‘ClientInvoices2025’ with the following columns: Date, Client, Service, Amount, Status. Add 5 sample entries with realistic data. Include a formula that totals the Amount column. Then add a pie chart showing Paid vs Unpaid. Save the file as ‘InvoiceTemplate2025’.”
Other AI Agents Are Coming Too
| Company / Tool | What it Offers |
|---|---|
| Google’s Gemini / Perplexity Comet | Research and task automation in your browser |
| Anthropic’s Claude Artifacts | In-development tool for interactive multi-step tasks |
| Microsoft Copilot (and GitHub) | Integrated productivity agents for Word, Excel, and code |
| Amazon Alexa+ | New “proactive” assistant expected later this year |
| Zoho & Salesforce | Workflow automation tools using their own in-house AIs |
👀 Want me to cover any of these in a future post? Drop a comment or send me a message — I’m always happy to explore what readers are curious about.
Sources and Further Reading
Check out our GLOSSARY for any terms you don’t understand. Let me know in the Comments if you don’t find what you want. The glossary is updated quite regularly as new terms crop up in our posts
