AI Agents Expand Small Business Capacity

AI agents are giving small businesses a way to expand customer service and sales capacity without building larger teams, although evidence of widespread adoption remains limited. A PYMNTS report published on Monday highlights how software capable of carrying out linked tasks could help smaller operators compete with better-resourced rivals. The opportunity is particularly relevant to owners whose time is consumed by customer enquiries, coordination and routine operational work.

An OECD study cited in the report offers an example: a small Tokyo wholesaler connecting Japanese manufacturers with overseas buyers developed custom agents to answer questions, support negotiations and translate conversations. The company reported faster responses across time zones, shorter negotiation cycles and time saved on invoicing and shipping. Those results illustrate how agents can address specific commercial bottlenecks. They are company-reported outcomes, however, rather than evidence that similar gains will follow automatically for other businesses.

The adoption gap remains substantial. The OECD’s December 2025 paper found that 11.9% of businesses with 10 to 49 employees used AI, compared with 40% of firms employing at least 250 people, using 2024 or the latest available national figures. These measures cover AI generally, not agents alone. Skills shortages, financing constraints and access to suitable data remain barriers. For smaller companies, connecting a tool to existing processes and training staff can be as consequential as choosing the software.

A further opportunity could emerge as customers delegate purchasing and bookings to their own agents. An article published by the World Economic Forum argues that this commerce will require ways to verify an agent’s identity, authority and accountability. For small suppliers, automated interactions could widen access to customers, but also introduce impersonation and payment risks. The commercial test is whether agents deliver faster service and additional business after integration, supervision and error-handling costs are taken into account.