Small Business Owners Are Confident In AI But Admit Needing More Training
**By a Tech Cowboy Who's Seen It All** Y'know, back in the day when we rolled out a new software package to Main Street, it came with a manual you could actually read. Or better yet, someone from the vendor would show up and walk ya through it. Today? We've got this wild thing c
**By a Tech Cowboy Who's Seen It All**
Y'know, back in the day when we rolled out a new software package to Main Street, it came with a manual you could actually read. Or better yet, someone from the vendor would show up and walk ya through it. Today? We've got this wild thing called AI where adoption's sprinting ahead faster than anyone can learn how to ride it properly.
The numbers tell a tale I've heard before but never quite like this. Thryv's 2026 survey of 561 small business owners shows **66% now use AI**, up from 55% just twelve months ago. That's a jump worth respecting. Yet here's the kicker: **70% say they need more training** to actually use it well. Meanwhile, **86% claim they're already comfortable** using it.
That's the paradox right there. Folks are feeling confident while admitting they don't know what they're doing. It's like saying you can drive a pickup truck because you've turned a key once or twice before.
Now I'll tell ya something: this ain't how proprietary software worked when I was knee-deep in enterprise rollouts two decades ago. You bought Salesforce, QuickBooks, or whatever else, and the vendor invested in training because they knew success meant renewal. AI? Most of what's out there is designed to sell you the dream, not the manual.
The survey data cuts through the fog. **57% of SMBs are learning from YouTube and social media.** Another 49% lean on webinars and online resources. Thirty-one percent ask AI itself how to use AI. It's like trying to learn surgery by watching TikTok videos. Sure, some folks will figure it out. But plenty will cut themselves along the way.
And don't think I'm saying this is all bad news. The results show real movement where it counts. **Seventy percent of users reported increased revenue** over the past year. Another 55% cut costs. Nearly everyone—92%—says AI saves them time. The tech works; people just need to know how to make it work for them, not against them.
Here's what bugs me about this gap: **46% of owners would choose AI over a new hire** if both could do the same job. That's up from 38% last year. They're betting on technology that they themselves say needs training. It's a bit like buying a racehorse but refusing to learn how to ride, then wondering why you lose races.
The good news? People are starting to get it right. Thryv's Grant Freeman put it straight: "Being comfortable isn't the same as being effective and that gap is starting to show." Ken Cook from The Prepared Group echoed this, warning owners not to blindly trust AI. It needs oversight, period.
What works? Starting with actual business problems rather than shiny new toys. I've seen a plumbing company use AI for after-hours customer inquiries—simple, focused, effective. They capture leads while sleeping. That's the kind of application that matters versus trying to build some grand AI strategy overnight.
We're also seeing owners who treat AI like a talented intern rather than a decision-maker. Verify everything important: customer communications, financial data, legal stuff. Human judgment stays in the loop. That trust-but-verify mindset separates those who'll thrive from those who'll get burned.
The gap between adoption and proficiency won't close overnight. But I've seen tech cycles come and go, and Main Street always figures it out eventually. The 70% who want better training? They're already halfway there by admitting they need it. That's more than can be said for a lot of folks in this space who think they know everything.
The businesses that invest in learning now—whether through webinars, peer networks, or structured programs—will define what Main Street looks like five years from now. The ones just riding the wave without paddling? They'll wash up somewhere they didn't intend to go.
That's the real story here: AI won't save small business by itself. People who learn how to wield it properly will. And in my experience, those folks are usually the ones willing to admit what they don't know yet.