Small businesses, it seems, have rarely been tested with multiple challenges as successively as they have been recently. Coming out of the pandemic, many startups and seasoned entrepreneurs saw hope and enough supporting cashflows.
But then two wars Ukraine and Gaza broke out, leaving everyone vulnerable to implications of supply chain obstacles. As if that was not enough, the new U.S. Administration introduced a series of trade tariffs that added more challenges to the environment already facing inflationary pressures.
So, what do the successful businesses do in the face of such challenges?
A new report, based on the motivation and planning of more than 1600 companies in business for at least five years in several countries including the United States, presents a mixed picture of small business optimism.
Titled “Small Business Now: Growth in Motion” the report crafted by small business-focused company Constant Contact found that new business owners are ready to go ahead with their plans with about 45% believing that their business would grow in 2025. At the same time, they are conscious of the hiccups they might have to encounter on the way, with 55% expressing uncertainty.
According to a blog posted by Rachel Smedley, Communications Manager at Constant Contact, small business owners are focused on “making the right choices to set themselves up for long-term success.”
The report reveals that “35% believe that economic factors will significantly impact their business success, 52% agree that starting their business was difficult, and 27% felt overwhelmed in their early years.
“Still, 95% of entrepreneurs say they’d do it all over again—with 71% excited and 57% proud to be in the SMB space,” Smedley wrote.
The report has some interesting takes to offer to entrepreneurs, especially the recognition among 91% of owners that technology will play a vital role in advancing their business and help drive their efficiency and scalability.
Additionally, as per the reported findings, 72% plan to use AI for marketing in 2025, 37% to focus on content creation and brainstorming, 32% to use AI customer data analysis, and 31% of owners planning to employ AI for personalized marketing.
A recent BizTech report highlighted the influential role several Artificial Intelligence tools are playing in taking small businesses to the next level, where they compete the established large companies.
Citing the top 10 SMB technology trends for 2025, BizTech reported that AI is helping most businesses with 20 or more employees boost their technology investments.
The trends survey reveals that 35% of SMBs are “slightly accelerating” and 27% are “significantly accelerating” their investments thanks to artificial intelligence.
My own experience as a small business owner has taught me that marketing remains central to a well-orchestrated business strategy. But marketing is not a frozen skill set. It’s constantly changing, demanding businesses to adopt new practices and adapt to the new competitive realities accordingly.
For example, it is not just social media that spurs growth dramatically, although more than 60 % of businesses use social media platforms as their major online marketing avenues.
Surely, in some of the fields social media outreach is critical like media and communication-related industries. But equally impactful could be traditional emailing.
A smooth-running business demands adapting to the new demands of competition and outreach. There is a stream of new AI tools hitting the market regularly. Depending on the size of the company, marketing experts will continue to be central to business success just as will the powerfully conveyed localized marketing messages.
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Secondly, our company Views News Now (VNN) has recently launched hybrid marketing campaigns for companies that seek to introduce their products and services through a variety of platforms ranging from large Internet sites and social media to community newspapers, local TV channels, to multilingual media including successful blogging sites. We will introduce this concept through multimedia post
Thirdly, as also listed in the report, marketing has got to be customer-focused with customer and consumer trends and the quality of service at the heart of the campaigns, not only to retain the existing customers but to attract new ones.
Fourthly, VNN never loses sight of the importance of interpersonal networking and public participation in client-focused and professional events as the most reliable organic way of marketing.
The bottom line: Embracing innovation in business is not just devising new things but doing so after taking into account the feedback from clients and customers as well as keeping an eye on the market competition. A comprehensive analysis must precede the implementation of a business strategy.
Ali Imran is a Washington-based journalist, who has worked for leading world news organizations as a correspondent, expert and in editorial positions. He is a published author and poet.
