Clock Is Running: Your Business Can't Afford to Ignore AI

Martha had run her hardware store for twenty-two years. She knew customers by name, kept meticulous handwritten inventory logs, and prided herself on ordering the right stock before anyone else in town knew it was needed. She was good at her job. She was a success. One spring, a regional chain opened down the highway. They offered same-day inventory searches, automated restock alerts, and personalized promotions sent directly to customers’ phones. They weren’t smarter than Martha. They weren’t better at the hardware business. They just had tools she didn’t. In eighteen months, Martha’s foot traffic had dropped by a third.

Martha’s story is not unique. It is happening right now, in every industry, in every small town and mid-sized city across America. And the tool changing the game is artificial intelligence—AI. If that phrase still sounds like something from a science fiction movie to you, this column is exactly for you.

Here is the reality: according to a 2025 survey of more than 500 small business, AI usage among companies with 10 to 100 employees jumped from 47% to 68% in one year. Overall, small business AI adoption surged 41% between 2024 and 2025, with 55% of small businesses now actively using AI tools. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that 96% of small businesses plan to adopt AI in the near future.

These are shops, service businesses, restaurants, and farms. And those using AI are reporting staggering results: 87% say it has increased their productivity, and small business AI users are saving more than 20 hours per month—the equivalent of nearly three full workdays—along with between $500 and $2,000 every single month in operational costs. Meanwhile, 66% of small business owners believe adopting AI is now essential for staying competitive. The businesses not yet using it are increasingly the minority—and a shrinking one.

Here is the most common thing said by people who haven’t started yet: “I’m not a tech person.” The research tells a different story. The number one barrier to AI adoption among the smallest businesses isn’t cost, and it isn’t complexity—it is the belief that AI simply doesn’t apply to their business. That is wrong 100% of the time.

AI isn’t about programming or code; it is about conversation. Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini allow you to type a plain English question and get a useful, intelligent answer in seconds. You can ask it to draft a marketing email. You can ask it to summarize a long contract. You can ask it to create a week’s worth of social media posts for your business, or brainstorm ideas for your next sale, or explain a complicated tax form in plain language.  It is like having a tireless, knowledgeable assistant around the clock who never needs a lunch break or charge overtime. The learning curve is gentle. If you can send a text message, you can begin using AI.

First, start with writing tasks. AI is extraordinary at helping draft, edit, and improve written content. Customer emails, website copy, job postings, newsletters, and thank-you notes are all fair game. Open a free account at ChatGPT.com or Claude.ai and simply describe what you need. The result won’t be perfect, but it will be a strong draft that saves you an hour.

Second, use it for answers and research. Instead of spending twenty minutes searching the internet for information, ask an AI directly. Need to know the best way to handle a customer complaint? Curious about local permit requirements? Want a quick breakdown of your industry’s trends? Ask. AI can synthesize information and give you a clear starting point in under a minute.

Third, explore automation for repetitive tasks. Many small business tools—scheduling software, email platforms, point-of-sale systems—now include built-in AI features. Turn them on. Let the software do the routine work while you focus on what only a human can do: building relationships, making judgment calls, and serving your community.

Here is the hard truth no one wants to hear: the businesses that are learning AI right now are accumulating a significant competitive advantage every single week. They are getting faster. They are lowering costs. They are reaching more customers with less effort. That gap widens with every month of delay. Technology historically favors early movers. Those who learned to build websites in the late 1990s when everyone else laughed at the idea now run thriving online businesses. Those who adopted social media marketing before their competitors captured audiences that proved nearly impossible to win back. AI is that same inflection point—except it is moving faster than either of those shifts did.

You need not hire a consultant or take a class. Spend one Saturday afternoon experimenting and two weeks of small daily practice. It will be the best business decision you ever make. The clock is running. The question is not whether AI will change your industry. It already is. The only question left is whether you will be the one who gets ahead of it, or the one who spends years catching up. Start this week. Start today. Start with one question typed into a free tool. The first step is always the hardest—and it has never been easier to take.

John Newby, Pineville, MO., is a nationally recognized publisher, community, business and media consultant, & speaker. His columns appear in communities nationwide. He is currently the CEO of the McDonald County Chamber and the founder of Truly-Local, dedicated to helping communities create excitement, energy, and capture the synergies needed to thrive in an ever increasingly complicated environment. He can be reached at John@Truly-Local.org.