NFIB’s Small Business and Technology Survey explores how small businesses are using new technologies, the effect of technology on competitiveness, and the statistics behind its usage for small businesses. Key areas of interest include the usage of artificial intelligence (AI), technology development, and websites for small businesses. 

There are significant challenges for small businesses when implementing new technologies, including upfront costs and lack of resources. Larger businesses are far more likely to adopt new technologies to enhance productivity because of their greater access to resources, causing a notable divide between large and small businesses. 

“Small business owners are our nation’s top source of innovation, yet many small businesses struggle to keep up with technological advancements,” said Holly Wade, Executive Director of the NFIB Research Center. “Use of updated technology contributes to competitiveness and productivity, and this report offers unique insight into the considerations small businesses of varying sizes and industries encounter when they adopt new technologies. This includes the rapid proliferation of AI and how technology impacts business operations now and their anticipation of how it will impact them in the future.” 

Key findings of the survey include: 

• Twenty-four percent of small business owners currently use AI tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, Canva, etc. to help with workflow or production.  

• Sixty-three percent of small business owners believe the integration of AI will be important for their industry in the next five years, with 12% reporting it will be extremely important, 21% reporting it will be moderately important, 30% reporting it will be mildly important, 15% reporting it will be not at all important, and 23% reporting they don’t know.  

• Small business owners reported AI had several benefits to their businesses. Thirty percent of owners reported increased productivity, 23% reported improved product and service quality, 8% reported lower operating costs, 5% reported increased revenue, and 4% reported increased sales. 

• Nearly all small businesses currently using AI (98%) reported no change in the number of employees at their business.  

• Fifty-seven percent of small businesses introduced new or improved technologies in their business in the last two years, with 51% of businesses with 1-9 employees using new technologies versus 75% for businesses with 50 or more employees.   

• Sixty-five percent of small businesses reported that new technologies allowed them to stay competitive.  

• Eighty-Two percent of small businesses have their own website. Among businesses with a website, only 19% accept payments through their website.  

The survey was consistent with its data that small businesses tend to use specific tools like AI far less than bigger companies, and that was reflected with the current and future projections on its importance for small businesses. Businesses with at least 50 employees felt that the utilization of AI was more important by a wide margin, with 69% reporting AI was important to some degree compared to just 37% for businesses with 1-9 employees.  

The survey also finds that small businesses with fewer employees were less likely to have improved software recently, have a website, and accept payments through their website, which is consistent with the status quo.  

For an in-depth look at the data, see NFIB’s latest Small Business and Technology Survey. The survey was fielded by email to a random sample of 20,000 small business owners from NFIB’s membership database. The survey was in the field from March 6, 2025, to March 31, 2025, with an initial invitation on March 6 and a reminder on March 14. A total of 521 respondents completed the survey, representing a wide range of industries, including 21% in services, 16% in retail, 16% in construction, and 14% in manufacturing.