ScaleWave is currently assisting with an ongoing 2026 research study examining AI adoption among small businesses. The survey looks at how business owners are using AI, where they see practical value, and what barriers may affect implementation.
The study is targeting 120 eligible respondents. This article presents preliminary findings from the first 75 eligible responses, with the results to be updated as the research continues.
Fifty-nine of 75 respondents (78.7%) said their businesses currently use AI tools in day-to-day operations. Fifty-eight of 74 (78.4%) said AI could improve how their business operates. Fifty of 74 (67.6%) said their business is ready to explore or implement AI.
Resource availability is mixed. 54.1% now report sufficient financial resources, but only 40.5% report sufficient capable staff and 35.1% report sufficient time. Time is also the most commonly cited barrier to adoption, at 41.9%.
The preliminary results suggest AI use has grown faster than readiness or resources have caught up. More businesses are using AI than a smaller earlier sample suggested, but time, not budget, now stands out as the clearest constraint on further adoption.
| Study Year | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Status | Ongoing, preliminary findings |
| Current Eligible Sample | 75 respondents |
| Target Sample | 120 respondents |
| Business Size | 1–9 employees |
| Location | New Jersey |
| Respondents | Owners / decision makers |
These findings represent an early analysis of an ongoing, geographically concentrated survey. They should not be interpreted as estimates for all U.S. small businesses.
Nearly Four in Five Surveyed Businesses Are Already Using AI
The survey asks whether businesses currently use AI tools in day-to-day operations, including marketing, HR, finance, and other functions. 78.7% said yes. 21.3% said no.
For businesses with only 1 to 9 employees, the finding shows that AI is already being used in day-to-day operations by a large majority of respondents, and usage has grown since the earlier stage of this research.
Most Respondents See AI as a Broad Operational Benefit
The survey asked about AI's potential across several areas, not just general operations. The pattern holds across all four: a strong majority see AI as beneficial, and readiness to act on that belief is somewhat lower.
Readiness Doesn't Always Mean Having the Resources
67.6% of respondents say they're ready to explore or implement AI. Reported resource availability is lower across most categories we asked about, particularly time and staffing.
Time Is Now the Clearest Barrier to AI Adoption
Respondents were also asked what specifically holds them back. Time is the most commonly cited barrier in this expanded sample, ahead of cost, complexity, and uncertainty about AI's value.
These Businesses Are Already Comfortable With Digital Tools
85.3% report digital tools integrated across multiple areas of their business, 82.7% use digital tools daily, and 78.7% use online or cloud-based tools. 78.4% say important information is already managed digitally, 75.7% are comfortable adopting new digital tools, and 73.3% say their processes are already supported by digital technology.
Overall, the sample reports substantial existing use of and comfort with digital technology, providing important context for the AI adoption findings.
What These Early Findings Could Mean for Your Business
This doesn't mean small businesses should avoid AI or adopt it uncritically. It means the decision is less about whether AI has value and more about whether a specific business currently has what it takes to use it well.
AI adoption may already be moving beyond experimentation.
Nearly four in five respondents report using AI in daily operations.
Seeing value in AI and being prepared to implement it are different things.
A business owner who believes in AI may still lack the staff time, technical skill, or budget to put a new system in place responsibly.
Start with AI applications that are easier to implement.
Businesses with 1 to 9 employees benefit most from tools that solve a specific problem without major infrastructure, training, or ongoing management.
- What repetitive problem are we trying to solve?
- How much employee time does it currently consume?
- What systems would the AI solution need to connect with?
- Who will be responsible for maintaining it?
- Can we measure whether it actually saves time, improves service, generates revenue, or reduces costs?
A Pattern That's Held Up as the Sample Has Grown
Broken out further, usage ranges from 100% among 18–24 respondents (9 of 9) and 96.3% among 25–34 (26 of 27) down to 45.5% among 45–54 (5 of 11) and 33.3% among 65+ (1 of 3).
With 75 eligible respondents, the combined under-45 and 45+ comparison now rests on larger groups (50 and 25 respondents) than in the earlier stage of this research. Individual five-year age brackets, particularly 18–24 and 65+, remain small, so those specific figures should still be read cautiously. We'll continue tracking this pattern as the sample grows toward 120.
The Research Is Still Ongoing
This study is targeting 120 eligible respondents. The current sample of 75 represents meaningful progress toward that goal. We'll continue updating this analysis as the sample grows, including whether these relationships hold across age, business size, digital maturity, available resources, and AI users versus nonusers.
Where Does AI Actually Fit Into Your Business?
Using an AI tool and integrating AI into business operations are two different things. ScaleWave helps businesses identify practical opportunities for AI and automation based on the systems, workflows, and resources they already have.