Two-Thirds of Small Businesses Now Use AI, But Most Owners Say They Need More Training

Two-thirds of small businesses are now using AI tools, but the bigger challenge isn't getting started. It's getting good.

A 2026 survey report compiled by SelfEmployed shows AI adoption among small businesses has climbed to 66%, up 11 percentage points from a year earlier. Yet 70% of owners say they still need more training to use the tools effectively.

The Numbers Behind the Gap

Workers at AI-using small businesses save an average of 5.6 hours per week. Managers gain even more, roughly 7.2 hours, compared to 3.4 hours for individual contributors. About a third of small and midsize owners are spending more on AI than they did 12 months ago. And according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 82% of AI-using small businesses grew their workforce rather than cut it.

Key Takeaways

• The training gap is the real story. Adoption is rising fast, but without knowing where AI delivers value, owners risk paying for tools that never change how work actually gets done.
• Targeted automation beats broad adoption. The article recommends picking one repetitive task first, whether drafting proposals, sorting receipts, or scheduling social posts, and mastering that before adding more tools.
• Track time saved. If a tool doesn't demonstrably reduce time on a task, it probably isn't worth the subscription cost.

As AI tools grow simpler and more guided, the training gap should narrow. But for now, a focused approach beats signing up for five platforms at once.

Read the full article on Self Employed