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National Association
for the Self-Employed Calls AI a “Powerful Efficiency Engine,” Giving Small
Business Owners More of their Most Valuable Asset: Time.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Artificial intelligence is no longer a technology of the future — it is a tool reshaping the small business landscape right now. A 2025 QuickBooks survey found 68% of U.S. small businesses now use AI regularly, up from 48% in mid-2024, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing. At the premier of Axios AM Live event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, June 9, Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler told Axios’ Mike Allen that she believed small businesses will be the “biggest beneficiaries” of AI and called it a "huge leveler of the playing field for America.”
As adoption of AI technnology accelerates among the small business community, the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community, is urging entrepreneurs to embrace AI as a powerful competitive tool while ensuring that human judgment, expertise, and oversight remain firmly in the driver's seat.
“AI is freeing up the most valuable asset to any small business owner and that is optimization of their time. The more time saved for a small business owner and the more efficiency of their systems to produce will always add up for a win for America’s small business. Efficiency with responsibility undergirds all of our advocacy efforts at the federal level whether it is on taxes or regulation, and AI is proving to be a powerful efficiency engine for our nation’s smallest employers when done with human oversight," said Keith Hall, president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community. “AI is automating routine tasks, sharpening financial planning, and helping entrepreneurs compete on a more level playing field than ever before. But make no mistake, AI is a powerful assistant, not the final authority. The most successful owners will be the ones who use it as a tool, not a replacement for the experience, instincts, and judgment that only they can bring to their business. The most effective use of AI is not replacing human judgment; it is sharpening it.”
The data underscores both the opportunity and the urgency. AI-using small businesses save between five and 15 hours per week on content and operational work alone — the equivalent of $6,500 to $19,500 in reclaimed time annually. The typical AI-using small business now runs a median of five AI tools, signaling a shift from single-tool experimentation to a full operational stack covering content, customer service, scheduling, analytics, and workflow automation. Yet challenges remain: 62% of non-adopting small businesses cite a lack of understanding about AI's benefits as the primary reason for staying on the sidelines.
Hall, who recently offered his insights as part of a joint Mediaplanet/USA Today campaign feature, emphasized that AI adoption must be approached strategically. His top guidance for small business owners includes:
- Start with time: Identify the most repetitive, time-consuming tasks in your operation — communication, scheduling, financial reporting — and explore AI tools that can automate them first.
- Level the playing field on capital: Banks and financial institutions are already using AI to evaluate credit decisions and benchmark businesses. Owners who use AI for their own financial forecasting and lender communications show up prepared and on equal footing.
- Stay connected: Resources at nase.org, irs.gov, and sba.gov are increasingly AI-powered themselves — and entrepreneurs who stay plugged in will be the first to benefit.
- Always human-check the work: AI is only as reliable as the oversight behind it. Having a trusted financial professional, advisor, or subject matter expert review AI-generated content and analysis is not optional, it is essential.
“Like any tool, it is only as good as the person using it. Keep a professional in the loop and your judgment front and center. The technology is remarkable and so is the human experience that guides it,” Hall concluded.
During this year’s tax season, Hall shared his expert guidance on how to best leverage AI for tax preparation, including what to use and what to avoid, and featured in a MarketWatch story on the smartest approaches to AI-assisted tax filing.
To help with the journey to self-employment, NASE offers a robust suite of free and member-exclusive resources at nase.org, including the NASE Minute video series, Ask the Experts guidance, Growth Grants and scholarship opportunities, and expert tax and financial planning support.
To Speak with Ketih Hall about AI and the Small Business Community, please contact Kristofer Eisenla at [email protected]
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The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, offering a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy.
The NASE NextBizThing helps identify and connect our nation’s smallest businesses. Need small business help? Check out NASE’s Ask the Experts for advice or the NASE Minute for small business support. To help new and existing business owners with the costs of business ownership, the NASE also offers a series of financial calculators for budgeting and financial analysis. Members can also apply for Growth Grants of up to $4,000 to fund specific business needs and Dependent Scholarships of up to $3,000 to support their families' educational goals.
The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's website at NASE.org