Webgility’s CEO Paves the Way for SMB Retailers To Get More Value Out of AI

Parag Mamnani never planned on being an entrepreneur, but after graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in engineering in 2001, he found himself right in the midst of the dot.com bust, with no engineering job prospects on the horizon.  

While he was in college, Parag had tinkered with web design, so he decided to open up the yellow pages and start making cold calls to sell websites. In the beginning, he was handling everything from sales to support. It was a trial by fire situation, but it led him to build a successful digital agency called GateSix. 

After selling GateSix, Parag joined Amazon, where he ran a product called Webstore, which was dedicated to helping small businesses build a presence online. At Amazon, he learned that almost all small businesses selling through multiple channels were struggling to manage their financials and other data. That’s how he began to formulate the idea for Webgility, which is trusted by 20,000 brands and approved by accountants.  

Throughout his career, Parag has experienced first-hand many of the pain points associated with building a small business, including managing costs and having to constantly update the books manually. He has also continually embraced new technologies to optimize his operations, and has devoted his career to helping other entrepreneurs do the same.

Parag’s latest quest is to help SMB retailers understand how they can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to grow and stay competitive in a market dominated by massive global platforms like Amazon and Shopify. In his recent article on Forbes.com, “Get Your Edge With AI,” Parag outlines three tips for Ecommerce SMBs who want to learn how to utilize AI-powered tools to transform the way they operate, rather than struggling with operational details.

Check out Parag’s article and watch the recorded webinar, “Practical AI Tips to Grow Your Ecommerce Business.” Parag is joined by Danny Maloney, CEO and Co-founder of Tailwind, and Ann Smarty, CEO and Founder of Smarty Marketing. The expert panel discuss some of the fears and misconceptions around AI, how SMBs can start using AI to optimize their internal and external operations, and handy AI tools you can start using right away.

Ultimately, embracing AI now will ultimately help ecommerce businesses grow faster and in a more efficient way. The biggest hurdle to the adoption of new technologies is often changing human behaviors and habits, so it’s critical to assess and evaluate what’s out there, engage in experimentation, establish a timeline, and find sensible ways to enforce it.