Verizon Survey Shows Strong Technology and AI Adoption Among SMBs

Verizon Business announced the results of its sixth annual State of Small Business Survey, reporting that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are strongly adopting technology to increase market growth and operational efficiency.

Driven by increasing accessibility to artificial intelligence (AI) and content creation tools, SMBs are expanding their marketing and sales capabilities. Social media is a key driver in this, with 58% of SMBs now on TikTok and 38% actively integrating AI into their operations.

“Small business owners are entering a new chapter of digital business with the rise of AI,” says Aparna Khurjekar, chief revenue officer, business markets and SaaS, Verizon Business. “At Verizon, we are committed to supporting our SMB community in navigating their business through the latest technology to help deliver growth and protect their assets from emerging cyber threats.”

The survey also found that SMBs are using AI for employee management strategies and cybersecurity efforts. Around 19% of respondents reported they are already using AI for recruitment and talent sourcing purposes and 56% think AI can help their business solve staffing issues. Almost half of the respondents (47%) also invested in technologies to improve cybersecurity last year.