If you run a small business in Australia, you're writing something almost every day. A quote follow-up. A response to a dodgy review. A Facebook post that actually sounds like a human wrote it. A job ad that doesn't put people to sleep.
Most business owners spend 30 minutes to two hours on this stuff daily. That's 10–14 hours a week of admin writing that could be done in under five minutes with the right ChatGPT prompts.
The key word is right. Most people's first attempts at ChatGPT go something like: "write me an email to a customer." The output is generic rubbish that sounds like a robot from 2009. Then they give up.
The fix is specificity. The more context you give ChatGPT, the more useful the output. That's what these prompts are built around — they're pre-loaded with the context Australian business owners need, so you get something actually usable on the first go.
Here are five prompts you can use today. No setup required. No tech degree. Just copy, paste, and tweak the bits in [brackets].
You've sent a quote. Days go by. Silence. You don't want to come across as desperate, but you do need the work. Writing this email is surprisingly hard — too pushy, and you look needy. Too casual, and they think you don't care.
This prompt handles the tone for you:
Write a short, professional follow-up email for an Australian [trade/service] business. I sent a quote to [client name or "a potential client"] [X days] ago for [brief description of job, e.g. "a full bathroom renovation"]. I haven't heard back. The email should: - Be friendly but professional, not pushy - Briefly remind them of the quote - Make it easy for them to ask questions or request changes - End with a clear but soft call to action - Sound like a real Australian business owner wrote it — no corporate fluff Keep it under 120 words.
Subject: Following up on your bathroom renovation quote Hi Sarah, Just wanted to check in on the quote I sent through last Tuesday for the bathroom reno. No pressure at all — just wanted to make sure it landed okay and give you the chance to ask any questions or flag if you'd like to adjust the scope. Happy to chat through any part of it if that helps. Let me know how you'd like to proceed whenever suits. Cheers, Mark Riverside Bathrooms
Someone left a 2-star review. Or sent an aggressive email. You're annoyed. You want to fire back. But you also know that responding badly in public will cost you more than the bad review itself.
This prompt helps you respond with professionalism even when you don't feel like it:
I run a small Australian [type of business]. I received this [review/complaint email] from a customer: "[paste the customer's exact words here]" Write a professional, calm response that: - Acknowledges their concern without admitting fault where it isn't warranted - Shows I take feedback seriously - Offers a reasonable next step (e.g. a call, a resolution, or an explanation) - Does NOT sound defensive, dismissive, or aggressive - Sounds like a real owner wrote it — warm but firm Keep it under 100 words if it's a review reply. Up to 150 words if it's an email.
Hi [Name], thank you for taking the time to share your experience — we're genuinely sorry it didn't meet expectations. We take all feedback seriously and would love the chance to make this right. Could you reach out to us directly at hello@[business].com.au so we can understand what happened and find a resolution? We stand behind our work and want every customer to walk away happy. — The Team at [Business Name]
Facebook and Instagram posts are easy to let slide because they don't feel urgent. Then three weeks go by and your page looks abandoned, which signals to potential customers that you're either slow or closed.
This prompt gives you a week's worth of posts in one go:
I run a [type of business] in [city/region], Australia. Write 4 social media posts for Facebook and Instagram that I can post across the next week. My business: [2-3 sentences about what you do and who you serve] Mix the post types: 1. A helpful tip related to my industry 2. A behind-the-scenes or "day in the life" post 3. A soft promotional post about my main service or product 4. A question or poll to encourage engagement Keep each post under 150 words. Write in a friendly, casual Australian voice — like a real person, not a corporate brand. Include a simple call to action on the promotional post. Do NOT include hashtags (I'll add my own).
Did you know most water damage isn't from big storms or burst pipes? It's the slow stuff. A small drip under the kitchen sink. A toilet that runs for two extra seconds after flushing. A showerhead that never quite stops. Left alone, these small issues can quietly cause thousands of dollars of damage over 6–12 months. Rule of thumb: if you hear it, feel it, or notice a stain — get it looked at sooner rather than later. It's almost always cheaper to fix early. Any questions about what you should be checking at home? Drop them in the comments 👇
Most small business job ads are dull, vague, and sound like they were copied from a 2015 HR template. "Seeking a motivated self-starter to join our dynamic team." Nobody reads past the first line.
This prompt writes a real job ad that speaks to the people you actually want to hire:
Write a job advertisement for a small Australian business. Role: [job title] Business type: [what your business does] Location: [suburb/city] Full-time / Part-time / Casual: [specify] Experience required: [none / 1-2 years / trade qualified / etc.] Pay: [hourly rate or salary range, or "competitive"] What the job actually involves day-to-day: [3-4 sentences] What kind of person you're looking for: [3-4 sentences — be specific and honest] Make the ad: - Honest and specific — no clichés like "fast-paced environment" or "team player" - Conversational but professional — sound like a real owner, not HR - Between 200–300 words - Include a short, clear description of how to apply
Chasing money is awkward. You don't want to damage the relationship, but you also need to get paid. The right tone here is firm but not aggressive — and it needs to escalate clearly if ignored.
This prompt gives you three versions: a gentle nudge, a firm reminder, and a final notice:
Write 3 overdue invoice follow-up emails for an Australian small business. The invoice is for [amount] for [brief description of work/service]. Email 1 (7 days overdue): Gentle reminder. Assume it's an oversight. Friendly tone. Email 2 (14 days overdue): Firmer. Politely note this is the second reminder. Request response by [date]. Email 3 (21+ days overdue): Final notice before formal action. Professional but serious. Mention that further steps may be necessary if not resolved within [X] business days. All three should: - Be short and direct - Sound like a real Australian business owner — no legalese - Include clear details: invoice number [XXXX], amount [$$], due date [date] - End with a clear next step
Subject: Invoice #1042 — Just a Friendly Reminder Hi [Client Name], Hope you're well! Just a quick note that Invoice #1042 for $1,850 (bathroom tiling, completed 14 March) was due on 21 March. It may have slipped through the cracks — no worries at all. If you've already processed it, please disregard this message. If not, bank details are on the original invoice. Happy to resend if needed. Thanks heaps, [Your name]
The difference between a prompt that works and one that doesn't usually comes down to three things:
Every prompt above is structured this way deliberately. They're not generic — they're written for the specific situations Australian business owners face every week.
25 done-for-you ChatGPT prompt templates covering marketing, operations, customer service, hiring, and finance — all written for Australian small businesses.
Every prompt includes a worked example so you can see the output before you run it. One purchase, yours forever.
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