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Interplay · Copilot Prompt Library
For Small Business
Curated by Interplay · Seattle's Trusted MSP Since 2001

AI Prompts That Actually Work for Your Business

Ready-to-use Microsoft Copilot prompts — tested on real small business workflows. Copy, paste, and save hours every week. No fluff.

60+
Curated Prompts
8
Categories

Copy. Paste. Save Hours.

Each prompt is designed for Microsoft Copilot (chat, Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, or PowerPoint). Click the copy button, paste into Copilot, and watch it work.

Email & Meetings

Monday Meeting Prep Briefing

Copilot ChatCalendar
"List my meetings, tasks, and activities for this coming Monday in a table. In a second column, recommend any specific actions I should take to prepare for the meetings — for example if there are documents supplied for review — and also provide the links."
Email & Meetings

Post-Meeting Action Email

OutlookTeams
"Generate an email summarising the key decisions from our last [meeting name] and outlining next steps for all parties involved. Include a table with owner, action item, and due date."
Email & Meetings

Meeting Transcript Summary

TeamsCopilot Chat
"Summarise this meeting transcript into key decisions, action items, and open questions. Format as a checklist with owner names and due dates where mentioned."
Email & Meetings

Unread Email Catch-Up

Outlook
"Summarise all emails I've received this week from [client/project name] and list any action items I still need to complete. Show them in a priority-ordered table."
Email & Meetings

Professional Decline Reply

Outlook
"Draft a polite, professional reply to decline this meeting request. Thank them for the invitation, briefly explain that I'm unavailable, and offer to review the meeting notes afterward."
Email & Meetings

Client Follow-Up (Personalized)

Outlook
"Draft a personalised follow-up email to a potential client, referencing their specific needs from our last conversation and highlighting how our services can address them. Keep the tone warm and professional."
Email & Meetings

Email Tone Fixer

Outlook
"Rewrite this email draft to sound more diplomatic and collaborative. Keep the key points but soften the tone — I don't want to sound demanding."
Email & Meetings

Teams Channel Catch-Up

Teams
"Summarise the last 7 days of messages in this channel and list any open items, decisions made, or questions that still need answers."
Documents & Content

Executive Summary from Long Report

WordCopilot Chat
"Summarise this document into 5 key bullet points for an executive audience. Focus on financial impact, risks, and recommended next steps."
Documents & Content

Expand Presentation Outline

PowerPoint
"Expand on this outline with 3–5 key points for each section of the presentation. Use language appropriate for a [client/board/stakeholder] audience."
Documents & Content

Plain Language Rewrite

Word
"Rewrite this section in plain language a non-technical reader would understand. Keep the meaning precise but remove jargon and acronyms."
Documents & Content

Product Spec from Brainstorm Notes

WordCopilot Chat
"I have gathered rough ideas from several brainstorming sessions. [Document A] includes background on the target audience and key features, while [Document B] focuses on design elements. Please generate a product specification draft including: product overview, technical specifications, market analysis, feasibility, and timeline."
Documents & Content

Document Version Comparison

Word
"I've got a previous version of a document [FileNameV1] and an updated version [FileNameV2]. Provide a detailed analysis of what changed between versions — highlight wording changes, additions, deletions, and assess the impact on the document's meaning."
Documents & Content

Blog Post from Video or Notes

WordCopilot Chat
"Turn these meeting notes / interview notes into a 600-word blog post. Write it for [target audience — e.g., nonprofit IT directors]. Include a strong headline, three subheadings, and a call to action at the end."
Data & Finance

Quarterly KPI Summary

Excel
"Analyze this dataset and identify the top 3 performance trends over the last quarter. Create a KPI summary table with actual vs. target figures for each metric."
Data & Finance

Revenue Forecast

Excel
"Forecast next quarter's revenue based on the trends in this spreadsheet. Show me the expected range (optimistic, likely, conservative) and highlight any seasonal patterns."
Data & Finance

Trend Analysis with Anomalies

Excel
"Explain trends in columns B–F over the last 6 months. Highlight anomalies, identify top drivers, and suggest three specific next steps based on the data."
Data & Finance

What-If Budget Analysis

ExcelCopilot Chat
"What is the impact of increasing the [department/category] budget by 15% on projected revenue per month? Show the scenario side-by-side with current projections."
Data & Finance

Expense Categorization

Excel
"Categorize all expenses in this sheet into [categories: payroll, software, marketing, rent, utilities, misc]. Then create a pie chart showing percentage breakdown by category and highlight any category that grew more than 10% month-over-month."
Data & Finance

Dashboard Summary

Excel
"Build a dashboard summary highlighting our top 5 KPIs and their current status. Use red/yellow/green indicators and suggest which KPI needs the most urgent attention."
Sales & Marketing

10 Creative Marketing Ideas

Copilot Chat
"Generate a list of 10 creative marketing ideas to target our ideal customer demographic: [describe your customer persona]. Low-cost, high-impact ideas preferred."
Sales & Marketing

Cold Outreach Email

Outlook
"Write a personalized cold outreach email to a [job title] at a [industry] company about [your product/service]. Keep it under 150 words, start with a relevant observation about their business, and end with a low-friction CTA."
Sales & Marketing

Subject Line Variations

OutlookCopilot Chat
"Generate 5 subject line variations for this sales email. Optimize for open rate — use curiosity, personalization, and urgency appropriately for a B2B audience."
Sales & Marketing

30-Day LinkedIn Content Plan

Copilot Chat
"Create a 30-day content calendar for LinkedIn targeting [audience]. Include post ideas, suggested formats (carousel, text, poll, video), and the best days/times to post for engagement."
Sales & Marketing

Competitive Positioning

WordCopilot Chat
"Create a competitive positioning summary comparing our product/service to [competitor]. Use a table format covering: features, pricing, target audience, strengths, and weaknesses."
Sales & Marketing

Customer Persona Builder

Copilot Chat
"Based on our current customer data and industry trends, build 3 detailed customer personas for [product/service]. Include demographics, pain points, buying triggers, and the best channels to reach them."
HR & Operations

Job Description Generator

Word
"Write a detailed job description for a [role] position at a [company type] in [industry]. Include responsibilities, qualifications, preferred skills, and a paragraph about company culture and benefits."
HR & Operations

30-60-90 Day Onboarding Plan

Word
"Create a 30-60-90 day onboarding plan for a new [role] joining our team. Include training milestones, key meetings, first deliverables, and checkpoints with their manager."
HR & Operations

SOP Documentation

Word
"Generate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document for [process name] in step-by-step format. Include purpose, scope, responsibilities, materials needed, and numbered procedure steps."
HR & Operations

Performance Review Template

Word
"Create a performance review template for a [role] covering: goals achieved, strengths, areas for development, key projects, and a section for manager and employee comments."
HR & Operations

Internal Policy Draft

Word
"Draft an internal company policy on [topic — e.g., remote work, expense reimbursement, data handling]. Use professional language, include purpose, scope, policy details, and consequences for non-compliance. Make it suitable for a company of [size] employees."
HR & Operations

Employee Handbook Outline

Word
"Create a table of contents and outline for an employee handbook for a [industry] company with [size] employees. Include sections on company values, code of conduct, benefits overview, leave policies, IT usage, and performance expectations. Flag any sections that need legal review."
Project Management

Weekly Status Report

Copilot Chat
"Create a weekly business status report based on the updates in this thread. Format as: ✅ Done this week, 🔄 In progress, ⏳ Up next, 🚧 Blockers. Keep it to one page."
Project Management

Risk & Mitigation Analysis

Copilot ChatWord
"Identify the top 5 risks in this project document and suggest mitigation steps for each. Rate each risk as High/Medium/Low for both likelihood and impact."
Project Management

Project Kickoff Message

Teams
"Draft a project kickoff message I can post in Teams to align the whole team. Include: project name, goal, timeline, key milestones, who's responsible for what, and our first deliverable."
Project Management

Decision Log Generator

ExcelWord
"Extract all decisions made in these meeting notes and create a decision log table: decision made, date, who made it, rationale, and any action items resulting from it."
Project Management

Status from Project Data

Excel
"Generate charts showing project status and insights from this data, then draft an email summary to share with key project staff highlighting the key findings."
IT & Security

Security Policy Draft

Word
"Draft an IT security policy for a small business (25 employees) covering: password requirements, multi-factor authentication, device encryption, remote access rules, data backup schedule, and incident response steps. Write in clear, actionable language."
IT & Security

Phishing Simulation Email

Copilot ChatOutlook
"Draft a realistic phishing simulation email that I can use for security awareness training with our staff. Make it look like a routine IT notification — include a sense of urgency and a call to action to click a link. After the email, list the red flags employees should have spotted."
IT & Security

Ransomware Response Checklist

WordCopilot Chat
"Create a ransomware incident response checklist for a small business. Structure it in phases: Detection, Containment, Eradication, Recovery, and Post-Incident. Include specific actions IT staff should take in the first 15 minutes, first hour, and first 24 hours."
IT & Security

Backup Strategy Assessment

Copilot Chat
"Based on our company size ([number] employees, [industry]), what should our backup strategy look like? Recommend: what to back up, frequency (real-time/daily/weekly), retention period, 3-2-1 rule compliance, and how often we should test restores."
IT & Security

MFA Rollout Communication

OutlookTeams
"Write an email to all staff announcing that we're enabling Multi-Factor Authentication across the company. Explain why it matters (security, client data protection), what they need to do, step-by-step setup instructions, and an IT support contact for help. Keep the tone supportive, not threatening."
IT & Security

Compliance Readiness Self-Assessment

ExcelCopilot Chat
"Create a compliance readiness checklist for a small business aiming for SOC 2 Type II or similar security certification. Include categories: access control, data encryption, incident response, vendor management, physical security, employee training. For each item, note what evidence/documentation would be required."
Strategy & Planning

Business Plan Outline

Word
"Draft a business plan outline for [product/service] targeting [audience]. Include: executive summary, problem statement, solution, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, marketing plan, operations plan, financial projections, and milestones."
Strategy & Planning

Quarterly Business Review

PowerPointCopilot Chat
"Create a quarterly business review presentation outline. Include: financial performance vs targets, key wins, lessons learned, priorities for next quarter, and a dashboard with our top 5 metrics. Target audience: leadership team."
Strategy & Planning

SWOT Analysis

Copilot Chat
"Perform a SWOT analysis for [company/product] in the [industry] market. For each quadrant (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), provide 4-5 specific, actionable items based on current market conditions."
Strategy & Planning

Communication Plan

Copilot ChatWord
"Create a communication plan for rolling out [project/change] to the team over 4 weeks. Include: key messages, audience segments, channels (email, Teams, all-hands), timing, and success metrics."
Strategy & Planning

OKR Drafting Session

Copilot Chat
"Help me draft OKRs for the upcoming quarter for [department/company]. I want 3-4 objectives, each with 3 measurable key results. Objectives should be ambitious but achievable. Key results should include a numerical target."
Strategy & Planning

Meeting Agenda Planning

Copilot ChatOutlook
"Draft an agenda for a [length]-minute [topic] meeting with [number] attendees. Include a clear goal for the meeting, timed agenda items with owners, and pre-reading that should be completed before the meeting."
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