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12 August 2026
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0 min
Professor Stephen Roper of the Enterprise Research Centre asks what it really means for small businesses Artificial intelligence could be one of the biggest opportunities ever offered to small and micro-businesses. It can help write marketing material, analyse information, manage administration, improve customer service and automate repetitive jobs that consume valuable time. For a micro-business owner who may already be the managing director, salesperson, marketer, bookkeeper and HR department, that could be transformative. But AI presents challenges too. Which tools should businesses use? Can they trust the information AI produces? What happens to customer data? How much should they spend? And, perhaps most importantly, will AI genuinely save time or simply become another technology they are expected to understand? There is also a danger that larger businesses, with more money, expertise and training, will benefit faster, widening rather than closing the productivity gap. That is why we want to understand what is actually happening inside Britain’s micro-businesses. Are you already using AI or automation? Is it saving you time or money? Has it improved productivity? Or are cost, skills, confidence and lack of time preventing you from getting started? AI may shape the future of business. We want to know whether Britain’s smallest businesses are being given the opportunity to shape it too
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