While You Were Working, 88% of Your Competition Started Using AI

Meta, Microsoft, and Google just launched AI sales agents for small businesses. Here's what the data says about who's winning and who's still doing everything manually.

You know what’s wild?

While you were busy actually running your business last month, the AI arms race for small businesses officially kicked off.

Meta just launched an AI sales agent. Microsoft already has one. Google’s in the game too.

And here’s the kicker - this isn’t some future thing anymore. A survey from October shows 88% of small businesses are already using AI tools.

Not thinking about it. Not researching it. Using it.

And if this is news to you? Welcome to the party.

AI Sales Agents (And Why Everyone’s Building One)

On October 2nd, Meta announced something called Business AI.

It’s a sales agent specifically built for small and medium-sized businesses. Not a chatbot. Not another “tool.” An actual agent that automates sales processes and handles customer interactions.

And here’s what makes this different from all the other AI stuff you’ve ignored: it works on your website. Not just Facebook or Instagram. Your actual business website.

But Meta’s not special here. Microsoft launched their sales agent earlier this year. Google’s offering AI tools for businesses. Everyone with a tech budget is suddenly very interested in helping small businesses automate sales.

Why the sudden gold rush?

Because they finally figured out what we’ve known forever - small business owners are drowning in tasks that eat up time but don’t grow the business.

The Real Numbers

That survey I mentioned? It was done between October 3-9, 2025. 530 small business employers.

Here’s what they found:

88% are using AI tools right now. Not “planning to use.” Using.

73% say these tools have been important to their competitiveness and growth over the past year.

The average small business is using 4.8 different AI tools across their operations.

Read that again. Almost five tools.

What are they using them for?

• Business research

• Content creation

• Image and video development

• AI-powered email marketing

• Financial management

60% adopted AI to boost efficiency and productivity. 42% for customer service and support.

And here’s the money shot: 41% say AI lets them spend more strategic time growing the business instead of being stuck in the weeds.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

Look, I’m not telling you this to scare you.

I’m telling you because while you’re still deciding if AI is worth it, your competitors already automated three things you’re still doing manually.

When 88% of your competition is already using these tools, and 73% say it’s critical to staying competitive, you’re not making a choice about “if” anymore. You’re making a choice about “when.”

Waiting costs money. Actual money, not theoretical money.

Every week you wait, someone else in your industry is:

• Automating their customer interactions

• Creating content faster

• Managing their operations more efficiently

• Spending more time on strategy and less time on grunt work

35% of AI-adopting businesses are dedicating more resources to revenue-generating projects because AI freed up their time.

33% improved customer engagement and retention.

This isn’t about being cool or cutting-edge. It’s about not working weekends anymore.

The Thing Nobody Talks About

Here’s what I find hilarious about this whole situation.

Big tech companies spent years trying to sell complicated enterprise AI solutions that required a computer science degree to understand.

Nobody bought it.

Now they’re all scrambling to build simple tools for small businesses because they finally realized - small business owners don’t want “artificial intelligence.” They want their Tuesday afternoons back.

Meta, Microsoft, Google... they’re not competing on who has the smartest AI. They’re competing on who can make it easiest for a barbershop owner or restaurant operator to automate the boring stuff.

That’s the shift.

Try This Today:

Don’t download anything yet. Don’t sign up for Meta’s Business AI or any other tool.

Just do this:

1. Pull up your calendar from last week

2. Write down every task that took more than 30 minutes

3. Circle the ones that were repetitive or administrative

4. Count how many hours you spent on circled tasks

That number? That’s where AI fits into your actual life.

Every one of those circled tasks is something that could probably be automated or assisted by AI. Customer interactions. Content creation. Email responses. Research. Financial management.

Now multiply that weekly number by 52.

That’s how many hours you could get back this year.

Golden Nugget:

Smart business owners aren’t using AI to replace people.

They’re using AI to replace the work humans shouldn’t be doing in the first place.

There’s a difference.

Closing:

Here’s my question for you: What would you do with 10 extra hours a week?

Would you finally work on that new service offering? Spend more time with customers? Actually take a day off?

The business owners who answered that survey aren’t smarter than you. They just decided to stop doing everything manually when robots could do it faster.

And honestly? The longer you wait, the weirder it’s going to feel when you finally make the switch.

Because in six months, 88% is going to be 95%.

Your call. But the math doesn’t lie.

See you next Wednesday, The Chicago AI Guy, Dex <3

P.S. - If you’re one of the 88% already using AI, hit reply and tell me what tool you can’t live without. I’m building a list for the newsletter.