New Survey Data from Thryv Finds 51% of Small Businesses Expect to Use AI by End of 2025
May 15 2024 - 9:05AM
Business Wire
More than half of current AI users say it
will save them up to $2K per month
Small business adoption of AI will soon see a big rise. While
only 39 percent of small businesses are currently using AI, that
percentage is expected to jump to 51 percent by the end of 2025
according to new survey data from small business software platform
Thryv® (NASDAQ: THRY). There is good reason for the anticipated
uptick. In quantifying the benefits of AI tools, more than half of
responding AI users expect to save between $500-$2,000, and up to
20 hours, monthly. Thryv conducted the survey of 500+ small
business owners in April of 2024.
The Benefits of AI
Small businesses owners appreciate how AI can impact how they
operate:
- 73 percent said it will offload repetitive tasks
- 67 percent said it will give them personal time back
- 58 percent said it will help with resource constraints
“Small business owners literally can’t do it all, so while they
can be more cautious when it comes to adopting new technologies,
Thryv’s survey indicates a lot of them expect to benefit from the
promise of AI,” said Grant Freeman, president of Thryv. “For many,
it’s already delivering significant time savings, particularly when
it comes to the content creation capabilities of generative
AI.”
AI vs. Employees
Small businesses employ nearly half of all U.S. employees
according to the SBA’s Office of Advocacy. Thryv’s survey indicates
that AI will not immediately upend this dynamic. Only a third of
respondents think AI will make their business less reliant on
employees.
When asked if they needed to add a new resource to their
business, and either a person or AI software could perform the task
equally well, small business owners are evenly divided: 36 percent
would prefer to purchase AI software; 34 percent would prefer to
hire a new employee; and 30 percent would prefer whichever option
is the least expensive.
Impact of Age and Size
Age matters when it comes to AI adoption. Less than a third of
small business owners aged 60+ are using AI; and almost half in
this age group do not plan to use AI for their business.
Forty-three percent of those small business owners using AI are in
the 21-49 age range.
Usage of AI increases as the size of the business increases.
- 47 percent of businesses with 10+ employees use AI
- 40 percent of businesses with 5-9 employees use AI
- 27 percent of businesses with 1-4 employees use AI
AI Pros and Cons
While there is clearly momentum for AI adoption, almost a third
of respondents believe using it could have unintended consequences.
For Jermaine Stanley, founder of Stanley Consulting Group, that
translates into the potential for unconscious bias. “AI has been a
game changer for content creation. I no longer battle writer’s
block and the time I gain back is considerable. But, as a DEI
consultant, I believe we need to be diligent about how we leverage
data, so we don’t unwittingly exclude any populations. DEI is
designed to benefit all, rather than one or two demographics.”
A Wait and See Approach
Of those SMBs not currently planning to use AI in the future,
more than half want to see how it impacts other small businesses
before they adopt it. In terms of overall small business
objections, a third say “it’s too new,” and “I don’t know what I
would use it for.” A quarter say they “don’t trust AI.”
“For many AI holdouts, trust and purpose are at issue,” said
Freeman. “We’re finding, however, a small business platform like
Thryv’s, that embeds AI features right into their workflow, makes
it easier for small businesses to make that digital transition. It
lightens the lift, particularly for those businesses without a
staff. AI’s impact is transformative and we want to make sure that,
no matter how small the business, they can confidently and easily
embrace it.”
AI Applications on the Thryv Small
Business Platform
Small businesses can leverage Thryv’s platform to experience
AI-driven benefits, including enhancements to the Social Media
Management tool that allow them to harness the generative power of
AI for social media caption creation and Advertising
Recommendations for streamlined digital advertising.
Review the survey report here. To learn more about how Thryv is
incorporating AI into its leading small business platform, visit
www.thryv.com.
Survey Methodology
Data was collected from 530 respondents between April 8 and
April 11, 2024. Respondents are decision-makers for their business
and are aged 21 or older. Respondents have been in business for one
year or more, have 1 to 100 employees, and report revenue ranging
from $100k to $24.9 million.
About Thryv
Thryv Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:THRY) is the provider of the
leading do-it-all small business software platform that empowers
small businesses to modernize how they work. It offers small
business owners everything they need to communicate effectively,
manage their day-to-day operations, and grow — all in one place —
giving up to 20 hours back in their week. Thryv’s customizable
platform features three centers: Thryv Command Center, a freemium
central communications hub, Business Center℠ and Marketing Center℠.
Over 300,000 businesses globally use Thryv to connect with local
customers and take care of everything they do, start to finish. For
more information, visit thryv.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240515368399/en/
Media Contact: Julie Murphy Thryv, Inc. 617.967.5426
julie.murphy@thryv.com
Investor Contact: Cameron Lessard Thryv, Inc. 214.773.7022
cameron.lessard@thryv.com
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