Small Business Now Report Q2 2026

The rise of the "SMB creator"

Entrepreneurs are leaning hard into AI and social media to create loyalty, drive demand, and supercharge small business growth.

Read the key takeaways
Woman wearing headphones speaking into a black microphone while recording a podcast at a desk with a phone on a tripod.

Key takeaways

THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPE

Small businesses embrace the “creator” label.

  • 49% of consumers worldwide use social media to find new small businesses, beating search engines (40%)

  • 40% of small businesses are using AI and automation to become more cost-efficient and reduce workload

  • 42% of small businesses are using AI for content creation — namely on tasks like writing emails and social posts

A smiling woman with curly hair and glasses photographs pink boots with her phone, surrounded by shoes and colorful clothes on a rack.
A young man with curly hair sits on an orange sofa, smiling while using a laptop, with green plants in the background.
AI ATTITUDES

AI gains adoption from SMBs.

  • 50% of small businesses worldwide say saving time is AI's biggest benefit

  • AI can speed up email production time by up to 23%*

  • 40% of consumers want AI-generated content to be explicitly labeled

CONSUMER SENTIMENTS

There’s a growing call to shop small.

Even rising costs and decreased spending won’t deter U.S. consumers from supporting small businesses.

View infographic
Infographic showing email marketing stats: 66% expect sourcing disruptions, 47% say email is top channel, 40% struggle with open rates.
Infographic showing email marketing stats: 47% say email is top channel, 11% feel confident, 40% struggle getting opens.
AI IN ACTION

Small businesses go all in on AI.

Small businesses in the U.S. report AI adoption has more than tripled, going from 26% in 2023 to 87% in 2026.

View infographic
THE CREATOR IDENTITY

Social media helps SMBs be seen.

  • 73% of small business owners identify as “creators” in some capacity 

  • 47% manage all their business social media solo

  • 49% of global respondents feel "very confident" their business would survive if social media disappeared tomorrow

Woman in yellow bandana and white shirt shaping clay on a pottery wheel in a studio, filmed by a camera nearby.
A smiling woman opens a cardboard box in a colorful shop with shelves of stacked bowls and kitchenware behind her.
CONSUMER SENTIMENTS

Local businesses get some love.

  • U.S. consumer preference for shopping "mostly at small businesses" has nearly tripled over the last five years, jumping from 10% in 2021 to 27% in 2026.

  • 49% of U.S. consumers have cut spending due to rising costs

  • To bridge the gap, small businesses can use content as a discovery engine to find new customers and build connections over time.

More resources for SMB creators

Data Sources & Methodology: The statistics and claims featured across this page are compiled from a mix of proprietary survey research and internal data.

  • Survey Research: Specific user sentiment and behavior data is derived from our 2026 Small Business Now Q2 2026 Survey, which polled 5,595 participants (3,340 SMBs and 2,255 consumers) across small business owners and consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia/New Zealand.  The survey was fielded in April 2026.

  • Internal Data: Performance metrics, usage stats, and benchmarks on this page are derived directly from our own internal platform data and operational systems.

  • AI tools cut email production time by up to 23% (Based on internal Constant Contact customer analytics for 2025)