Jeff HassemerCEO, FirestarterMarketing.ai · The Strategy Architect | Agency Accelerator | Architecting Bold Strategies | AI + Marketing That Scales | Founder @ FireStarterMarketing.AI

66% of SMBs Use AI — But Not Effectively #substack #shorts

24 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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1:12

In this short commentary, Jeff Hassemer discusses several interrelated points about artificial intelligence in the small‑business sector. He notes that Canva faces increasing competitive pressure as AI capabilities improve. He then cites a recent statistic that 66% of small and medium‑size businesses (SMBs) now use AI, but most are not leveraging it effectively. Hassemer highlights that many SMB owners report a need for more training to use AI tools properly. He mentions an ROI calculator that can help quantify potential cost savings from AI adoption. Finally, he references ongoing government discussions about AI regulation, framing the situation as a mix of rapid AI integration into everyday business life and a lack of sufficient guidance for users.

Chapters

I think Canva, Canva definitely has a squeeze on their business with what AI is capable of, and it's only getting more capable. So it'll be interesting to see if this, how this sticks as it goes forward. Yeah. Here's a, this one I thought was really, really interesting. So small businesses AI use hits 66% as Congress puts Main Street on the stage. So they're saying that small businesses now use AI, but I'm finding that most people aren't really using AI to its fullest extent. And I think that's there in the second stat there. Most owners say they really need more training on the use of AI. Well, yeah. Um, but there's money to be saved here and there's, and we, we're going to talk a little bit about an ROI calculator that's out. But while this is going on, the government is now talking about how to regulate AI and what they're going to do and all that kind of stuff. So I think that's a little bit of a mix of points here, but I think the big point in here is that AI is becoming a part of everyday life, but people still really need help on how to use that.