SMBs Confident About 2025, Embrace AI and Tech Growth
The latest “Amex Trendex: Small Business” report looks at how SMBs are viewing 2025 — with many forecasting a period of stability. The study surveyed more than 1,100 financial decision-makers including more than 500 small financial decision-makers with less than 10 employees, more than 400 medium financial decision-makers with 11 to 100 employees and more than 200 large financial decision-makers with 101 to 500 employees.
Seventy percent of SMBs reported that their businesses became “stronger following a period of uncertainty” when taking a retrospective look at 2024, with 74 percent expecting stability for their business in 2025. This confidence can be found widespread, with 91 percent of SMBs stating they “feel confident in their ability to grow their business” and 92 percent reporting confidence in their ability to “prepare their company for the future.”
Sentiment surrounding 2025 remains optimistic — SMBs report confidence in their company’s future financial success (90 percent) and their company staying ahead of trends or changing customer preferences (89 percent).
Investing in technology is a major success driver for 2025; many SMB financial decision-makers believe that investing in tech including setting concrete goals, meeting with customers, conducting customer research, upgrading IT solutions, refreshing websites and social media platforms and hiring talent is the path forward.
And especially with digitally savvy Millennials and Gen Z, younger business owners plan to drive business growth through tech investments. While growth on social media is major focus area across all generational cohorts in an effort to engage with their consumers directly, 71 percent of Millennials and Gen Z SMB owners reported that going viral on social media is their “dream.”
Moreover, 74 percent of Millennials and Gen Z said that things they see on social “inspires ideas for their businesses” and 67 percent of the cohorts said they made changes to their businesses “in response to something they saw on social media.”
With artificial intelligence a hot topic of conversation over the past few years, Millennials and Gen Z are spearheading its embrace in businesses. Sixty-eight percent of Millennials and Gen Z SMB owners reported that they currently use AI for their businesses, with 46 percent expecting an increase in AI investments throughout 2025.
“In 2024, small businesses demonstrated resilience in the face of uncertainty, reinforcing confidence in their ability to grow through changing times,” said Anna Marrs, group president of commercial services at American Express. “For them, 2025 will be defined by innovation, leaning deeper into artificial intelligence and social media as essential tools for reaching customers and future-proofing their businesses.”
