How Owner-Operator SMBs Are Tackling The Challenges And Opportunities AI Presents.

The Emotional Landscape of the Owner-Operator

For many of these owners, AI is both a source of hope and anxiety. According to Salesforce’s Small & Medium Business Trends Report, “91% of SMBs with AI say it boosts their revenue, and 90% say it makes operations more efficient”[1]. Yet, only around a third have fully implemented AI—which reveals a mixture of optimism and hesitation.

Joseph Black, Director of Product Management at Intuit QuickBooks, observed:  

“We’re seeing small businesses increasingly turn to automation and AI tools to delegate daily administrative tasks…This frees up their time to focus on other growth-driving tasks, like acquiring new customers, expanding their inventory, or building relationships with clients face-to-face”[1].

Yet, hesitance remains. As Naomi Lariviere of ADP warns, “Some small businesses remain unsure about deploying AI and how to approach it… Technology will come to them, but they still need to know how to use it well.” Owners, in particular, worry about their teams’ readiness, security and privacy risks, and about losing the “human touch” their business was built on.

High-Impact Industries—and Why They’re Ripe for Change

Industries most poised to benefit from (and be challenged by) AI include manufacturing, retail, logistics, healthcare, financial services, and professional services[2][3]. These sectors process vast data, rely on workflow automation, and face intense staffing and efficiency pressures.

Kris Billmaier, EVP and GM at Salesforce, notes:  

“AI could be used to execute many of the mundane tasks that SMB operators currently handle themselves… People will get to spend more time actually running their businesses rather than doing the kinds of menial tasks that an agent or some assistive AI could do for them”[1].

What Keeps These Leaders Up at Night?

1. Data Security & Governance: The speed of AI adoption is outpacing many SMBs’ ability to establish clear data usage and privacy policies. As Lariviere puts it:  “Businesses need to be very clear and transparent around their policies and procedures for using AI… You don’t want someone just going off willy-nilly and uploading your whole dataset into ChatGPT.”

2. Team Readiness & Change Management: Owners worry as much about talent as tech: how to upskill staff, manage morale, and address automation fears, without stalling progress.

3. Choosing the Right Solutions: Many are wary of tools that overpromise and underdeliver. Black highlights the need for “AI tools that will make a meaningful impact on their daily operations,” cautioning against complexity and hype[1].

What Do These Owners Need Most?

- Practical Guidance and Roadmaps: Leaders want real use cases mapped to their pain points—not generic AI trends.

- A Bridge, Not a Threat, to Their Legacy: AI needs to fit into their story, amplifying the culture and strengths that got them to mid-tier scale.

- A Reliable Partner, Not a Vendor: True partnership means hands-on support, ROI-first thinking, and a commitment to ongoing adaptation as AI evolves.

Where the Future Is Headed

The momentum is building. Salesforce’s research finds “75% of SMBs are experimenting with or using AI, and 71% are increasing their investment over the next year”[1]. Those who move intentionally are already seeing real-world benefits: Intuit reports that, through automation, their clients get paid significantly faster—on average, five days sooner—thanks to AI-generated reminders.

As platforms integrate AI more naturally into routine operations, the opportunity grows for owner-operated SMBs to compete on far more equal ground with larger enterprises. As Billmaier concludes, “We’re super supercharging SMBs to do more with less, which enables them to better compete with larger enterprises.”

Conclusion: Tailwinds and a Call to Leadership

Owner-operators now face a critical inflection point. AI is no longer a distant trend—it is practical, accessible, and commercially proven. The businesses that thrive will be those led by owners willing to lean into partnership, build not just technology but trust, and treat AI as a new chapter—not a rewrite—of their story[1].

Sources

[1] How AI-Powered Solutions Can Help Fuel SMB Growth in 2025 | CO https://www.uschamber.com/co/good-company/launch-pad/execs-on-ai-solutions

[2] 14 Industries AI Will Impact in the Next 10 Years - Howdy https://www.howdy.com/blog/14-industries-ai-will-impact-in-the-next-10-years

[3] 5 Industries Where AI Is Having an Impact Today | Workday US https://www.workday.com/en-us/perspectives/artificial-intelligence/2025/08/5-industries-where-ai-is-having-an-impact-today.html