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How Growing Businesses Like Yours Are Using AI

By Brittany Fugate, Founder

We don’t have to tell you that AI is a useful tool for your business — you’ve likely already been experimenting to some degree.

According to a new survey, you’re not the only SMB checking things out. Fifty-three percent (53%) of SMBs are already using AI in their businesses and 29% plan to in the next year. Just 18% don’t have any plans to use it at all.

Companies with fewer than 20 employees are the most hesitant, and the detractors point to a lack of relevance, a shortage of internal skills, and security concerns as their reasons for staying away, according to the survey.

If you’re in that 18%, we get it. As useful as they are, AI tools can also pose some challenges. By making yourself aware of the potential dangers and setting (and enforcing) a thorough AI policy in your business, you can enjoy the benefits while mitigating the risks.

AI is providing real value for SMBs

Even if you’re hesitant, you can’t overlook the pros of AI. Two-thirds of the businesses in the survey are seeing benefits to their AI implementation, and about half say AI is creating high or even transformational value across different areas of their businesses. They’re using AI to automate repetitive workflows and surface data-driven insights — which are both a big help to resource-strapped growing businesses. 

The survey showed sales/marketing and customer service functions are seeing the biggest jumps in adoption, while areas like HR and finance aren’t quite as quick to jump in. If you’re looking for a way to ease into using AI, starting with marketing is a good jumping-off point. Try creating graphics for an internal presentation first or let AI refine a (non-confidential) customer email. You can get used to how prompting works and how you have to talk to the AI tool to get the results you want. 

A customer service chatbot is another great way to start to find efficiencies, relieving your team from simple or off-hours customer service questions. With a chatbot answering questions about your shipping policy or handling an issue at 2 a.m., your team is freed to work on bigger customer issues (or sleep). 

As always, consider your SMB’s security

While consumer AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude are easy to get started with, make sure you and your team are using those tools appropriately. You should NEVER put protected or sensitive data into them, and you’ll also want to make sure employees aren’t sharing valuable intellectual property in them either.

One 2025 study uncovered that 26% of sensitive information it detected being shared by employees was shared in the free version of ChatGPT. Your employees might be more comfortable using AI tools than you think, meaning that setting a clear AI use policy is a must. Without one, you run the risk of a costly, reputation-damaging data breach.

You should also consider the enterprise or team versions of these tools, as they generally offer more security. (Check to make sure you’re making secure, compliant choices!) You can also simply use the AI functions built into the tools you’ve already implemented — software and SaaS providers are increasingly adding AI functionality.

Still curious about AI and SMBs? Don’t miss these other posts for key insights about AI and SMBs:

• 4 Things Your Small Business Can Do With AI—And 2 You Shouldn’t
• AI for SMBs: What to Know about Copyright

Cenetric is here to guide you on AI

If you’re hesitant about AI or just not sure where you want to start, the experts at Cenetric are ready to help. We’re using AI in our own work, and we can help you figure out what solutions will work best for you and help you find the most efficiency while still staying secure. 

Looking for IT support right here in Kansas City? Cenetric has the experience and availability you need to keep running smoothly 24/7. Tell us about your organization and we’ll be in touch to get started right away.