# AI for Small Business: Lessons in Entrepreneurship & Innovation with Manikandan Chandran

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/phoenix-prosperity-podcast-6976965/ai-for-small-business-lessons-in-entrepreneurship-innovation-with-manikandan-chandran.md
Podcast: [Phoenix Prosperity Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/phoenix-prosperity-podcast-6976965)
Published: 2026-06-05T12:21:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.phoenixprosperitypodcast.com/e/ai-for-small-business-lessons-in-entrepreneurship-innovation-with-manikandan-chandran/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/uxe8enghe6p4uxug/Manikandan_Chandranbnt3g.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1865

## Resource

In this episode of the Phoenix Prosperity Podcast with Tim Fergestad, Tim sits down with technologist, entrepreneur, AI innovator, and author Manikandan Chandran to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming opportunities for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Manikandan shares his inspiring journey from struggling to pay college tuition to building successful technology ventures and AI-driven products. He discusses how freelancing during his college years became the foundation for a career spanning software engineering, startups, cloud technologies, machine learning, and AI innovation. The conversation explores the creation of BookMyIyer, a unique platform that modernized the process of connecting families with priests for traditional ceremonies in India. Manikandan explains how identifying a real-world problem and leveraging technology helped create a scalable business that continues to generate revenue today. Listeners will also learn why Manikandan believes AI is no longer optional for business owners. He outlines practical ways small businesses can use AI for content creation, marketing, lead generation, customer engagement, automation, pricing strategies, and operational efficiency. --------------------------------------- Interested in being part of this? Please visit our guest invitation page where you can learn more and fill out a brief questionnaire to get started: https://phoenixprosperitypodcast.com/guest It’s going to be enlightening and, most importantly, a lot of fun. I’d love for you to be a part of it!

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