01-07-2025
What Sets High-Growth Small Businesses Apart?
High-growth companies are placing a greater emphasis on tech spending and AI adoption than their ... More peers. getty
Small businesses experiencing rapid revenue growth are more likely to increase their investments in emerging technologies — a correlation that points to the potential of new tech to fuel business performance.
According to the Forbes Research 2025 Small Business Survey, conducted in March and released publicly today, 45% of small businesses that grew annual revenue by 15% or more identified increased spending on emerging tech as a leading priority over the next year.
Among the full pool of 535 small business owners surveyed, that number dropped to 33%. They're ahead on artificial intelligence. Respondents from high-growth small businesses are more likely than their peers to have deployed AI and machine learning (54% vs. 43%) and to encourage AI adoption among their employees (57% vs. 43%).
Respondents from high-growth small businesses are more likely than their peers to have deployed AI and machine learning (54% vs. 43%) and to encourage AI adoption among their employees (57% vs. 43%). New tech can introduce fresh obstacles: High-growth leaders said their greatest technology challenge this year is training employees to use modern apps — identified by 31% of respondents in that group, compared with 28% of small business owners overall.
High-growth leaders said their greatest technology challenge this year is training employees to use modern apps — identified by 31% of respondents in that group, compared with 28% of small business owners overall. Despite their ambitions, high-growth small businesses aren't placing greater emphasis on technology talent. Just 28% named expanding IT teams among their top tech initiatives, mirroring the broader respondent pool.
Just 28% named expanding IT teams among their top tech initiatives, mirroring the broader respondent pool. Small businesses align on what matters most in the long run — improving customer experience and loyalty, which remains a top-two tech investment goal for both high-growth companies and respondents overall. And with AI now in the mix, they might have more time to pursue it.
