US Small and Midsize Businesses Poised for Growth, Waiting to Make Significant Moves

Most small business owners aren't behind on AI. They're just waiting for a reason to trust it. Columbia Bank's 2026 Business Barometer just confirmed what I see every week — SMB owners are optimistic

Most small business owners aren't behind on AI.
They're just waiting for a reason to trust it.

Columbia Bank's 2026 Business Barometer just confirmed what I see every week — SMB owners are optimistic about growth but still sitting on their hands when it comes to AI. Not because they're resistant. Because they've already been burned.

You bought the tool. Nobody used it. $200 a month quietly disappearing while your team kept doing things the old way. That's not a you problem. That's a "wrong tool, wrong timing, zero implementation support" problem.

Here's what the data actually tells me: business owners aren't waiting for better AI. They're waiting for one clear example of AI solving a real problem in a business like theirs. Not a demo. Not a case study from a Fortune 500. Something they can point to and say — that worked.

That's the real starting point.

Pick one repetitive task your team does every week that eats two or more hours. Just one. That's where your first AI win lives — no new systems, no team overhaul, no technical skills required.

Small proof beats big promises every time.

What's the one task in your business you'd love to hand off first?

#SmallBusiness #AIStrategy #BusinessGrowth #AIImplementation

Original Source

Columbia Bank's 2026 Business Barometer key takeaways. Advances in AI capabilities are shaping expectations for future growth. The survey and focus ...