Research Reveals AI Adoption to Boost SMB Revenue Growth

A recent Salesforce survey reveals that 91% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) using artificial intelligence (AI) report a boost in revenue. This study, conducted among 3,350 SMB leaders worldwide, underscores how forward-thinking businesses are leveraging AI to fuel growth amid the rapid emergence of autonomous AI agents.

Why AI Adoption Matters

This research builds on an earlier August 2024 Slack study that highlighted significant time losses due to technology inefficiencies among SMBs. The findings emphasize a growing need for AI solutions to enhance productivity and efficiency.

One notable example is reMarkable, a Norwegian premium paper tablet company. By adopting Salesforce’s Agentforce, reMarkable has revolutionized its customer service operations. The platform enables the company to manage a surge in customer inquiries, offering proactive solutions to common issues while seamlessly escalating complex cases to human agents. This hybrid approach allows reMarkable to scale efficiently without sacrificing service quality.

AI Investments Signal Growth

The data shows that 75% of SMBs are experimenting with AI, with 83% of growing businesses leading adoption efforts. This trend is expected to accelerate, as 78% of growing SMBs plan to increase their AI investments next year, compared to just 55% of declining businesses.

While stagnant SMBs prioritize customer acquisition, thriving SMBs focus on enhancing customer experiences and upgrading technology to achieve sustainable growth. Interestingly, SMBs not yet using AI may underestimate its prevalence—80% of AI adopters believe it is widely used among peers, whereas only 33% of non-adopters agree.

AI: A Game-Changer for SMBs

AI is reshaping the outlook for SMBs, with 78% of users describing it as a "game-changer" for their companies. Among those using AI:

87% report improved scalability.

86% note better profit margins.

Key applications of AI include:

> Marketing campaign optimization.

> Content creation.

> Automated customer recommendations.

> Natural language search tools.

> AI-powered service chatbots.

These innovations are transforming operations across departments. For example, service teams are resolving cases faster, sales teams are automating personalized emails and next-step recommendations, and marketing teams are boosting conversion rates with AI-driven lead scoring.

Best Practices for AI Success

1. Building a Strong Data Foundation: AI relies heavily on data quality for accurate results. Among growing SMBs, 74% are increasing investments in data management, compared to 47% of declining businesses.

2. Adopting an Integrated Approach: Integrated systems allow AI to access data across sales, marketing, service, and back-office operations. Growing SMBs are twice as likely as declining ones to have an integrated tech stack (66% vs. 32%), avoiding inefficiencies caused by siloed applications.

3. Prioritizing Security and Trust: Security remains the top technological challenge for SMBs, especially as they expand AI capabilities. Notably, 81% of SMB leaders are willing to pay a premium for technology from trusted vendors, reflecting the critical importance of safeguarding sensitive business data.

Future: Autonomous AI Agents

The groundwork SMBs are laying today—through investments in data, integrated systems, and secure partnerships—is preparing them for the next evolution of AI. Autonomous agents that can learn, adapt, and act across business functions represent the next frontier, promising even greater efficiencies and innovations.

By embracing these strategies, SMBs are not just keeping pace but positioning themselves as leaders in the AI-driven business landscape.