{"id":519222,"date":"2025-08-31T07:57:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T14:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/?p=519222"},"modified":"2025-09-15T15:03:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T22:03:36","slug":"ai-is-changing-the-game-for-smbs-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/ai-is-changing-the-game-for-smbs-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Is Changing the Game for SMBs in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Part of: <strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/series-ai-learnings\/\">AI Learning Series Here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column395113_43ef2d-d5\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\"]{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\">Quick Links:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/resources-for-learning-ai\/\">Resources for Learning AI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/keeping-up-with-ai\/\">Keep up with AI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/list-of-ai-tools\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"402818\">List of AI Tools<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-template-part\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\"]{text-align:center;font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-md, 1.25rem);line-height:60px;font-style:normal;background-color:#f5a511;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading395113_c650df-47 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_c650df-47\">Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/go.35s.be\/jtb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>JorgeTechBits  newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\"]{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_6813a5-28\">Quick Links:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/resources-for-learning-ai\/\">Resources for Learning AI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/keeping-up-with-ai\/\">Keep up with AI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/list-of-ai-tools\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"402818\">List of AI Tools<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;\"><b>Disclaimer<\/b>: \u00a0I work for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dell.com\/en-us\/work\/learn\/by-service-type-deployment\">Dell Technology Services<\/a> as a Workforce Transformation Solutions Principal.\u00a0 \u00a0 It is my passion to help guide organizations\u00a0through the current technology transition specifically as it relates to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delltechnologies.com\/en-us\/what-we-do\/workforce-transformation.htm\">Workforce Transformation<\/a>.\u00a0 Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delltechnologies.com\/en-us\/index.htm\">Dell Technologies<\/a>\u00a0site for more information.\u00a0 Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.<\/div>\n<div><\/div><br>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84\"]{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_4a1b6f-84\">AI Disclaimer I love exploring new technology, and that includes using AI to help with research and editing! My digital &#8220;team&#8221; includes tools like Google Gemini, Notebook LM, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity.ai, Claude.ai, and others as needed. They help me gather insights and polish content\u2014so you get the best, most up-to-date information possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword for small and medium businesses (SMBs)\u2014it\u2019s rapidly becoming central to how they operate, compete, and grow. The past two weeks have brought a surge of news and studies highlighting AI\u2019s transformative effects. Here\u2019s what\u2019s most important for SMBs right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out my &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/resources-for-learning-ai\/\">Resources for Learning AI<\/a> and also my entire <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/series-ai-learnings\/\">Series: AI Learnings<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Rapid Surge in Adoption<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent studies show SMBs are embracing AI at an unprecedented rate. A Goldman Sachs survey found that 68% of small business owners already use AI, with another 9% planning to start within the next year. That\u2019s a huge jump compared to prior years, and the momentum is only increasing. SMBs use AI for everything from marketing to customer service and inventory management, proving this technology is much more than an experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cost Savings and Efficiency Wins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the biggest AI advantages for SMBs is savings\u2014time and money. AI-powered automation is freeing up staff time (marketers report saving 13 hours per employee each week) and reducing monthly costs by thousands of dollars. Smaller teams are now able to carry out sophisticated marketing campaigns and streamline operations in ways that were once limited to big enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service Are Evolving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SMBs use AI to optimize campaigns, generate content, automate product recommendations, and speed up customer support. Chatbots handle routine inquiries, while analytics platforms give actionable insights for targeted outreach. Companies report higher conversion rates, improved lead qualification, and more personalized customer experiences<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI Is Powering Growth (Not Just Efficiency)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Contrary to popular anxieties, most SMBs say AI helps expand their workforces and create new jobs, not eliminate them. Almost 74% of small businesses with AI plan to grow in 2025, and 40% believe they will create new jobs as a direct result of adopting AI. Adoption is linked to increased revenue, improved margins, and a brighter business outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trust, Integration, and Leadership Matter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As AI spreads, SMB leaders are urged to close the AI skills gap and reinvest savings into growth and innovation. Trust and transparency around AI use are critical for maintaining customer and employee confidence. Security and ethical use remain high priorities, especially as SMBs manage more sensitive data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AI is now essential for SMBs seeking efficiency, growth, and a competitive edge. Leaders who act decisively have the opportunity to redefine their businesses and set a strong foundation for future innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/use-case-student-lab-for-ai-learning\/\">Use Case: Student Lab for AI Learning<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rapidarchitect.com\/ai-state-of-the-union\">AI Trends for Small to Medium Businesses: What August 2025 Tells Us<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/ronschmelzer\/2025\/07\/20\/new-study-ai-cuts-costs-adds-13-hours-for-smb-marketers\/\">New Study: AI Cuts Costs, Adds 13 Hours For SMB Marketers &#8211; Forbes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nexia-sabt.co.za\/ai-revolutionizes-operations-in-smes-a-game-changer-for-growth-and-efficiency\/\">AI Revolutionizes Operations in SMEs: A Game-Changer for Growth<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.finextra.com\/blogposting\/28927\/the-ai-adoption-tipping-point-why-smb-leaders-must-act-now\">The AI Adoption Tipping Point: Why SMB Leaders Must Act Now<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.emarketer.com\/content\/smb-marketers-rely-on-ai-reach-new-customers-fast-save-operational-costs\">SMB marketers rely on AI to reach new customers fast, save\u2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/economy\/small-business-ai-adoption-jumps-68-owners-plan-significant-workforce-growth-2025\">Small business AI adoption jumps to 68% as owners plan significant workforce growth in 2025<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/technology\/artificial-intelligence\/u-s-chambers-latest-empowering-small-business-report-shows-majority-of-businesses-in-all-50-states-are-embracing-ai\">U.S. Chamber&#8217;s Latest \u201cEmpowering Small Business\u201d Report Shows Majority of Businesses in All 50 States Are Embracing AI<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20250717239434\/en\/AI-Adoption-Among-Small-Businesses-Surges-41-in-2025-According-to-New-Survey-from-Thryv\">AI Adoption Among Small Businesses Surges 41% in 2025 According to New Survey from Thryv<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/news\/stories\/smbs-ai-trends-2025\/\">New Research Reveals SMBs with AI Adoption See \u2026 &#8211; Salesforce<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword for small and medium businesses (SMBs)\u2014it\u2019s rapidly becoming central to how they operate, compete, and grow. The past two weeks have brought a surge of news and studies highlighting AI\u2019s transformative effects. Here\u2019s what\u2019s most important for SMBs right now. Check out my &nbsp;Resources for Learning&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":427864,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[471,930,842,871,876],"class_list":["post-519222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-talk","tag-ai","tag-ai-series","tag-chatgpt","tag-genai","tag-llm"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":441,"label":"Tech Talk"}],"post_tag":[{"value":471,"label":"AI"},{"value":930,"label":"AI Series"},{"value":842,"label":"ChatGPT"},{"value":871,"label":"GenAi"},{"value":876,"label":"LLM"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Topic-ArtificialIntelligenceBanner-900x200-1.png",900,200,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Jorge Pereira","author_link":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/author\/jorge\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":441,"name":"Tech Talk","slug":"tech-talk","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":451,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":670,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":441,"category_count":670,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Tech Talk","category_nicename":"tech-talk","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":471,"name":"AI","slug":"ai","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":481,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":141,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":930,"name":"AI Series","slug":"ai-series","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":940,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":144,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":842,"name":"ChatGPT","slug":"chatgpt","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":852,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":18,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":871,"name":"GenAi","slug":"genai","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":881,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":78,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":876,"name":"LLM","slug":"llm","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":886,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":14,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=519222"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":519307,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519222\/revisions\/519307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=519222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=519222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=519222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}