For years, “Hard work” for small business owners meant doing everything yourself: the inbox, the receipts, the social posts, the proposals, the late-night “just one more thing.” When AI arrived, many hoped it would finally lighten the load.
But that’s not exactly what’s happening. Founders aren’t replacing work; they’re redefining it.
Those who achieve meaningful traction with AI use it as a lever. Rather than eliminating their efforts, it amplifies their talent, taste, and experience, and it helps them redirect their energies.
While 91% of small businesses say AI has reduced the time they spend on administrative tasks, 73% use AI to execute core operations. From marketing (51%) and design (49%) to staffing (24%) and security (23%), AI touches nearly every area of the business. This leverage extends to cutting production costs in new ways, for example, by utilizing custom AI-generated video avatars instead of having to spend time creating video content themselves.
Marketing
Design and content creation
Strategy and planning
General productivity and assistance
Customer service and retention
Customer acquisition / sales
Customer insights
Operations
Technology infrastructure
Finance / accounting
HR and staffing
Product engineering / code development
Security
Other
For many professionals, AI has become that trusted partner who doesn’t mind rewriting the fourth version of an email, drafting the weekly product update, or quickly turning a rough concept into a polished content plan.
AI gives small business leaders the space to think. More room to experiment. More bandwidth to follow the good ideas instead of constantly reacting to the urgent ones. The challenge now is deciding what you want it to help with.
When everyone is using AI for busywork, you’ll stand out by using it to help you think bigger.
Those who treat AI like a strategic advisor are getting the most out of it. They’re using AI to weigh assumptions, pressure-test ideas, and bring clarity to the parts of the business that typically get pushed to “When I finally have time”.
“[AI] feels like a thought partner. I can come to it with anything. A messy brainstorm, a really tough decision, a technical blocker. It doesn't feel like it's just transactional. In fact, it kind of sometimes feels relational, like a colleague.”
Solopreneur, Georgia