SBE Council, April 25, 2026, 10:24 p.m.
Written by Karen Kerrigan –
Artificial intelligence is no longer an experiment for small businesses. According to the SBE Council 2026 Small Business Technology Utilization Survey82% of small and medium-sized employers have invested in AI tools, and AI tools are rapidly becoming embedded throughout daily operations and workflows. In fact, AI has become essential to competitiveness and growth, as small business owners indicate they intend to continue investing in tools over the next 12 months.
Across markets, a consistent set of AI tools is emerging as the category leader for small and medium-sized businesses. These include tools used for business research, content creation, automation, customer engagement, and financial management. Of course, a variety of other tools are being tested and used to support important functions such as pricing, cybersecurity, and human resources management. The typical small business currently uses a median of five tools. This reflects a growing “stack” approach, where tools serve a variety of functions across the enterprise.
Getting your AI stack up and running: What small businesses are doing
Research by SBE Council found that most small and medium-sized businesses have built an AI “stack” that combines key tools to meet specific needs. Top areas include:
● General business research
● Marketing and content creation (most common use cases)
● Customer service and communications (chatbots, email responses)
● Sales support and potential customer discovery
● Administration automation (scheduling, data entry, workflow management)
● Financial management and forecasting
The most successful small businesses don’t rely on one tool. They are building an AI ecosystem that prioritizes solving pain points and automation needs, supports the core goal of driving and sustaining revenue, and then adds or tests new tools in a thoughtful way that builds initial success and comfort with AI.
1.) Core AI Assistant: “Hub” of the Stack
Chat GPT
Why small businesses use it:
● Draft marketing copy, proposals, and emails.
● Brainstorming and business planning.
● Customer support response.
AI assistants are often the gateway to adoption and serve as connective tissue across multiple business functions. While ChatGPT dominates the market, similar tools include: Claude and gemini is also widely used. AI assistants are flexible and low-cost “AI employees” that support a wide range of tasks.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Why small businesses use it:
● Automate workflows in Word, Excel, and Outlook.
● Summarize data and generate reports.
● This tool embeds AI into everyday tools to drive increased productivity.
2.) Marketing and Content Creation: Affordable Creativity and Expertise
Kamba
Why small businesses use it:
● Social media content, advertising, and presentations.
●No design expertise required.
According to , the biggest use case for AI in small businesses is marketing. SBE Council Technology Utilization Survey. Small business owners report increased customer reach, engagement, and revenue generation.
jasper
copy.ai
Why small businesses use these:
● Blog posts, product descriptions, and advertising copy.
● A consistent brand voice at scale.
AI dramatically reduces customer acquisition costs. In addition to the tools mentioned above, small businesses using e-commerce and social media platforms (top names include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Amazon, X, and Shopify, according to SBE Council research) also have access to a variety of AI solutions provided by these platforms. Support includes writing assistance, ad creation (including video generation), and a wide range of other features to help with customer acquisition and insight. Enhancing AI through technology platforms is improving presence, outreach, and professionalism for small and medium-sized businesses. This means more opportunities and growth for small businesses.
3.) Automation and Workflow: Productivity Engine
Zapier
Why small businesses use it:
● Connect your apps (CRM, e-commerce, email).
● Automate repetitive processes.
concept
Why small businesses use it:
● Knowledge management.
● Project planning using AI.
According to the SBE Council Technology usage surveyManagement automation is one of the fastest growing uses of AI, and for good reason. Saving time and money for both owners and employees means lower costs, increased productivity, and frees up teams to focus on “high-value” work that increases growth, competitiveness, and profitability.
4.) Customer Service and Sales: Revenue and Retention
hubspot
Why small businesses use it:
● AI-powered CRM and marketing automation.
● Lead scoring and sales insights.
Tidio
Why small businesses use it:
● 24/7 customer support via chatbot.
● Response time is reduced.
Customer engagement and management tools are the top three AI use cases, especially for small and medium-sized businesses that sell online or across multiple channels. These tools can help improve the customer experience and better identify customer needs and trends.
5.) Finance and Operations: Make smarter decisions
quickbooks online
zero
Why small businesses use these:
● Automatic bookkeeping and invoicing.
● Real-time financial insights.
Although adoption is still evolving, financial AI tools are among the tools that will have the most impact on long-term business sustainability and growth. AI tools that work to elevate small business finance from a transactional role to a strategic role can help improve margins and make decisions that support growth.
Latest News: AI Pricing Tools – Powering Rapid Growth
One of the most important trends is the rise of AI-supported pricing tools (dynamic and algorithmic pricing tools) being adopted by small and medium-sized businesses. For example, the SBE Council’s Technology Usage Survey found that 65% of small businesses use or plan to implement pricing tools.
example:
presync
Competera
Strong Points
SBE council data Find:
● More small and medium-sized businesses (35%) are already using AI-supported pricing tools.
● 97% of small business users report that improved price optimization has had a positive impact on their bottom line.
● 94% of small business owners report that pricing tools have made their business more competitive.
● 90% of AI support pricing tool users say their usage is likely to increase over the next 12 months.
● A significant pipeline of future adopters shows that pricing tools are one of the fastest growing AI categories.
Pricing is one of the most powerful levers of profitability for small businesses, but it has historically been underutilized. AI simplifies complex, labor-intensive processes and makes them more time-sensitive. (See Small Business Insider’s blog post. “AI-powered pricing is helping small businesses compete, and lawmakers shouldn’t mess with that advantage.”)
AI essentials
1.) Small businesses are building AI “stack”.
Also, SBE Council March 2026 Data Research shows that the average small business uses a median of five AI tools (with more on the way), combining assistants, marketing platforms, and automation tools.
2.) Marketing and automation are leading adoption.
The most common uses (other than general business research) – content creation, marketing and sales support, and workflow automation – offer immediate ROI in time savings and customer reach.
3.) New frontiers such as pricing enable revenue growth.
AI is moving beyond efficiency to proactive revenue optimization, especially through pricing tools.
4.) The effectiveness of AI is proven by the investment behavior of small businesses.
93% of small businesses using AI plan to continue investing in AI over the next year. And 62% report that will increase AI-related expenses. This is one of the clearest indicators of ROI.
Where should small businesses start with AI?
For small business owners who are still considering AI, start simple and focus on the pain points. Start with core AI assistants like ChatGPT for research, writing, brainstorming, and customer communications, then layer on one high-impact tool based on your biggest needs like customer service, marketing, pricing, workflow automation, financial visualization, and more. If you are a small business owner using e-commerce or social media platforms, start testing and using the AI tools the platforms offer.
The goal is not to deploy everything at once, but to gradually build an AI “stack” and test what saves you the most time and impacts your bottom line. According to data from the SBE Council, the companies reaping the most benefits are those that strategically experiment, iterate, and expand their use of AI.
Also, talk to your colleagues at small businesses and ask them what they use and how it works. Our latest research shows that ‘peers’ are the primary source of information that helps business owners decide which tools to try. As the research points out, there are many other sources that business owners turn to for advice and support, including professional and industry associations, online education platforms and magazines, business development and training centres, their own family and mentors.
The most useful AI tools for small businesses are not only powerful, but also practical, affordable, and scalable.
pile up
AI is significantly expanding the capabilities of small and medium-sized businesses. Our research data reveals that small business owners are deploying AI to compete more effectively, reduce costs, innovate faster, reach broader or more sophisticated markets, and drive revenue growth.
The shift to AI is changing the way small and medium-sized businesses operate. This change is currently driving entrepreneurship success and will positively shape it in the future.
Karen Kerrigan is president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. Karen received (partial) support from ChatGPT in drafting this article. Dash has always been her own.
