Balancing investments in innovation with efficient operations is easier said than done — especially given the nationwide labor shortage and rising cost pressures. This landscape is particularly difficult for small and midsized businesses (SMBs) that lack the resources of their enterprise counterparts. But new avenues are emerging for SMBs, such AI-powered offerings. AI adoption can help to boost cost-efficiency and agility.
So, why haven’t more SMBs adopted AI already? Because change is hard and new tools are intimidating. Over half of SMB leaders are nervous about using AI at their organizations. It’s up to you as an MSP to help your SMB clients overcome this hesitancy. You must help them embrace AI so they can more effectively navigate today’s constrained business environment.
Debunking 3 Misconceptions About SMB AI Adoption
While more than half of SMBs are researching or piloting AI tools, only 7% are scaling and optimizing these technologies.
This gap highlights an opportunity to demystify common barriers to AI adoption among your SMB clients, accelerating their digital transformation and helping them maintain a competitive edge.
Barrier No. 1: AI Is Reserved for Large Enterprises
While AI adoption may have been out of reach for SMBs just a few years ago, many vendors now offer pre-trained AI models suitable for organizations of all sizes.
The growing accessibility of ready-to-use systems enables SMBs to harness AI without the need to maintain large data sets or invest in costly model training. As a result, many SMBs are now using AI for tasks like generating and curating marketing content, proofreading and summarizing legal documents, and summarizing applicant resumes to streamline the talent screening process.
To dispel any belief that AI isn’t suited for SMBs and instead expand its applications, introduce your clients to affordable and scalable tools. Strategically implementing AI technologies in alignment with each client’s business needs and resource availability means you can start small, overcome initial reservations, and scale when the time is right.
Ramesh Vishwanathan
Barrier No. 2: AI Adoption Is Too Costly
There are certainly expensive AI systems on the market. However, there are just as many cost-effective tools you can customize for your SMB clients.
For example, they can use AI chatbots to automate routine customer support needs. This frees staff to focus on more complex, higher-priority and revenue-generating tasks. You can also help your clients leverage AI tools within specific job functions to automate tasks like email summarization and document proofreading. These capabilities are often included in existing software packages at minimal additional costs.
To overcome any cost concerns among your SMB clients, identify areas of their business that could benefit the most from automation. Then, offer case studies that demonstrate how the long-term cost savings and efficiency gains from AI adoption across these areas far outweigh any initial investments.
Barrier No. 3: AI Requires Extensive Technical Expertise
Effective AI usage does require technical know-how — but it doesn’t have to be internal.
You can offer your clients robust support for AI adoption, including integration, infrastructure management, and ongoing optimization. Many MSPs also partner with third-party system integrators and other professional services providers to accelerate AI adoption and outsource the most technical responsibilities.
To assuage client concerns about technical gaps, offer personalized consultations and clear plans that empower your clients to maximize the benefits of AI — without needing to develop extensive in-house expertise.
Integrating AI for Sustainable SMB Success
With rising pressure to do more with less, AI adoption is the key to bridging persistent business gaps. But it doesn’t have to look the same as investment patterns among large enterprises.
With your support, it’s possible to tailor AI-powered tools to meet SMB needs. In this way, you can enhance operational efficiency, fill talent gaps, and power sustainable growth for years to come.
Ramesh Vishwanathan, senior practice director at TEKsystems Global Services, is a technology leader specializing in digital transformation and cloud solutions.
Featured image: DALL-E
