Agility: SMB’s AI Advantage
Enterprise companies, with their deep pockets, dedicated R&D teams and the infrastructure to integrate technology at scale – have long had access to artificial intelligence (AI) tech and tools. But now, according to Curtis Smith, President of Rocket55, it’s small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that have the real opportunity to harness AI’s power with agility and speed. “SMBs are uniquely positioned to use AI because they’re more nimble,” says Smith. “They don’t have the same structural roadblocks as larger corporations, which makes it easier for them to implement new technologies and see immediate results.”
The Biggest AI Mistake SMBs Make
One of the most common missteps SMBs make when approaching AI is seeing it as a silver bullet. “Most often, the question we get is, ‘How do I integrate AI into my business?’” Smith explains. “That’s the wrong question. AI isn’t a magic switch that fixes everything — it’s a tool. The right question is, ‘What are the three to five biggest challenges in my business, and how can AI help solve them?’”
For SMBs, AI’s value is most apparent in optimizing efficiency, automating manual tasks and freeing up resources for higher-level strategy. “If you have employees spending hours each week pulling data from different sources, formatting reports or manually responding to routine customer inquiries, AI can step in,” says Smith. “That’s time those employees could be spending on strategy, creativity or client relationships.”
Innovation on SMB Terms
Innovation, Smith argues, doesn’t always mean disruption. It comes in three forms: efficiency, effectiveness and disruption. “Efficiency is about doing the same things, but faster. Effectiveness is about improving the quality of the work. And disruption is about replacing old systems entirely,” he explains. “Most SMBs can’t afford to focus on disruption immediately — but they can absolutely use AI to improve efficiency and effectiveness.”
Smith points to a common bottleneck for SMBs: responding to requests for quotes (RFQs). “If an SMB has employees spending significant time validating product lists and pricing, AI can automate and streamline that process,” he notes. “Instead of spending hours checking details, employees can focus on strategy and customer relationships.”
Small, Nimble and Ready to Move
Unlike large corporations that are slowed down by bureaucracy and layers of approval, SMBs can pivot quickly. “At a big company, rolling out an AI initiative might require months of planning, multiple levels of buy-in and extensive testing,” says Smith. “SMBs don’t have that problem. They can identify an issue, test an AI solution and see results much faster.”
The smaller scale of SMBs also means that decision-makers are closer to the problems AI is solving. “At a large corporation, the team implementing AI may be several degrees removed from the people who are actually experiencing the problem,” Smith explains. “At an SMB, there’s often direct communication between leadership and the people on the ground, which makes AI implementation much more effective.”
Area55 Delivers Value
While many SMBs worry about the cost and complexity of AI, Smith believes the real risk is in doing nothing. “AI isn’t coming — it’s here. Businesses that don’t start leveraging it now are going to find themselves at a disadvantage,” he says.
Rocket55 has taken this philosophy to heart, investing in AI talent and integrating it into their own operations to deliver better results for clients. “Something I understand well, from when I was on the client side, is how chasing down data eats up valuable time,” Smith shares, “I spent hours—sometimes days—pulling data from different platforms, building reports, and trying to find patterns. Now, we’ve built Area55, which allows marketers to access all their marketing data in one place, augmented by machine learning and AI. Instead of wasting time compiling numbers, businesses can focus on what actually matters—using the insights to make better, faster decisions. That’s the kind of AI application that creates immediate value.”
The Future Is AI-Driven
For SMBs looking to get started with AI, Smith’s advice is simple: Start small, focus on solving specific problems and build from there. “AI isn’t about replacing people — it’s about freeing them up to do more of what humans do best: thinking strategically, innovating and building relationships.”
As AI technology continues to evolve, SMBs that embrace it now will have a significant competitive edge. “This is a moment of opportunity,” Smith says. “SMBs that move quickly and smartly with AI are going to be the ones that thrive in the next decade.”