How Small And Medium-Sized Businesses Can Leverage AI

Lisa Snyder is vice president, strategic partnerships for Abby Connect.

Big businesses aren’t the only ones benefiting from AI anymore. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) now have AI-powered tools at their disposal that can help make operations and customer interactions smoother and more seamless. While cost concerns remain, AI is becoming far more affordable and accessible. Companies that introduce AI in small steps—offering optional features at first—help businesses ease into the technology without disrupting vital daily operations. Many AI tools are also cloud-based, which eliminates the need for expensive hardware and makes implementation even easier.

Businesses that ignore AI risk falling behind. With automation handling routine and repetitive tasks, employees can turn their focus toward higher-level strategies and more personal customer interactions. Faster workflows mean better customer service, saving clients money and setting businesses apart from competitors. Beyond efficiency, AI can improve decision-making with real-time data analysis, helping SMBs refine marketing strategies and predict customer needs.

Getting Started With AI

The trick to using AI successfully? Start small. Businesses don’t need to overhaul their entire operation overnight. Instead, they should start with optional AI features that provide clear benefits without forcing major change from the start. This way they can test the waters without disrupting their workflow. When a tool proves useful, it quickly becomes part of the routine.

For example, in the virtual receptionist industry, AI sentiment analysis is a tool that listens to customer interactions, picking up on tone and word choice to determine satisfaction levels. When a customer service rep takes a call, AI can assign a sentiment score, showing businesses whether customers are happy or frustrated. Armed with these insights, companies can refine their customer service approach without playing a guessing game.

Documentation is critical in industries like law and government, but transcribing long conversations takes time. Instead of wading through pages of text, customers can get concise, AI-generated transcription summaries to find key points quickly. AI can also be used to detect errors and inconsistencies in legal documents, which reduces the need for human oversight. Companies offering AI-driven solutions like these can track adoption rates to know when clients are ready for more advanced features, ensuring a smooth rollout.

Knowing how much change customers can handle is just as important as the technology itself. Companies can run focus groups and track trends to gauge AI readiness. Talking to a mix of clients—not just VIPs—offers a clearer picture of what people need. External trends also signal when businesses should move forward; when schools like Harvard and MIT start offering AI business courses, it’s a sign the market is ready for the next step.

AI Adoption Concerns

For all its benefits, AI still comes with price tags and uncertainties. There can also be ethical and security issues—just look at data privacy concerns around apps like TikTok. A key question is whether to build AI in-house or buy existing tools like customized GPTs. Tech leaders need to weigh this trade-off carefully.

AI development is becoming more affordable—witness the excitement around the introduction of the Deepseek AI model in January 2025—but cheaper doesn’t always mean better. AI is also becoming easier to use, opening doors for businesses of all sizes. As costs drop and interfaces improve, SMBs can explore AI in ways that make sense for them. However, companies must also ensure they are compliant with data protection regulations.

For SMBs, AI has gone from being optional to essential. Companies that embrace the technology will see real gains in efficiency and customer experience, and those that don’t will struggle to keep up. By starting small and tracking industry trends, businesses can ensure AI becomes a long-term asset.

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