How to use AI for business growth in 2025

Key takeaways:

• The most effective AI strategies begin with a clear understanding of your business needs and where AI can make a real impact.
• Focus on real use cases. Whether it’s automating customer support or improving marketing, small AI wins can lead to big results.
• AI is evolving fast. Stay flexible, track your progress, and scale what works.

Economic experts predict that the AI market will reach $1.3 trillion by 2030. From smarter customer support to faster decision-making, AI is helping teams save time, cut costs, and spot new opportunities.

AI for business growth is about using new technology to improve how your business runs and grows.   

Here, we’ll break down how AI fits into the everyday tools you already use, where it can have the biggest impact, and how to build a plan that really works.

What is AI for business growth?

AI in business growth uses artificial intelligence to make smarter decisions, automate everyday tasks, and uncover new opportunities that help a business run more efficiently and scale faster. It’s about turning data and technology into real results that drive performance and profitability.

In a recent McKinsey survey of global businesses, 78% of respondents reported using AI in at least one facet of their daily operations — a 6-point increase from last year’s 72% turnout, and 23 points from 2023’s 55% rate.

Here’s how AI helps businesses:

• Automate everyday tasks like sorting emails, managing inventory, or handling customer chats
• Make better decisions by spotting patterns in your data and suggesting next steps
• Personalize experiences from product recommendations to targeted marketing messages

What are examples of AI adoption in business?

AI is already built into many of the tools businesses use every day. It’s helping teams improve workflows, connect with customers, and make faster decisions. Here are some common ways AI shows up in modern business:

• Customer support. Chatbots like Intercom Fin and Zoho Zobot handle live chats, FAQs, and ticket routing with minimal setup.
• Marketing. Jasper and Klaviyo AI generate content, optimize email campaigns, and personalize messages based on customer behavior.
• Sales. AI helps score leads, track pipeline health, and recommend the next best action for sales reps.
• Product strategy. Tools like Amplitude and ChatGPT surface user trends, assist with market research, and guide product planning.
• Operations. AI supports inventory forecasting, automates reports, and improves scheduling across teams.

These tools are helping businesses run more efficiently and create better experiences for customers.

How does AI enable business growth?

A 2025 study by ResearchGate shows that incorporating AI into your business strategy can introduce benefits like:

• 30% decrease in operational costs
• 80% increase in employee productivity
• 30% improvement in marketing forecasting accuracy

Here are just some of the benefits your company can benefit from by leveraging AI:

• Get more done in less time
• Make better decisions with data
• Create a better customer experience
• Cut down on unnecessary costs
• Uncover new growth opportunities
• Grow without getting overwhelmed

Get more done in less time

AI can handle repetitive tasks like scheduling, data entry, or answering FAQs. That means your team spends less time on busywork and more time on strategy, creativity, and problem-solving. It’s a time-saver that keeps things moving without slowing people down.

Make better decisions with data

AI tools can spot trends, analyze performance, and offer recommendations based on real-time data. Instead of relying on guesswork or gut feel, you get insights that help you act with more confidence. Whether you’re planning a campaign or reviewing sales numbers, you’ll have more relevant information to work with.

Create a better customer experience

AI helps you understand your customers and respond faster. With tools like chatbots, product suggestions, or sentiment tracking, you can make interactions feel more personal even at scale. That leads to happier customers and stronger relationships.

Cut down on unnecessary costs

By improving how things run behind the scenes, AI can help you save money. It reduces mistakes, speeds up processes, and makes better use of resources. Over time, those small efficiencies can add up to big savings.

Uncover new growth opportunities

AI can help you see what’s working, what’s not, and where you might be missing out. It pulls insights from customer feedback, performance data, or market trends to help you make smarter choices. That means better decisions around products, pricing, or expansion.

Grow without getting overwhelmed

As your business scales, so does the complexity. AI tools can handle more data, more tasks, and more customers without adding the same weight to your team. It helps you stay agile and in control, even as things get bigger.

What are the types of AI technology that help businesses?

There are several types of AI that play different roles in driving business growth. Each one brings unique strengths depending on your goals and operations.

• Machine learning (ML). It analyzes past data to predict future trends, such as customer buying habits or market demand, enabling you to plan ahead with confidence.
• Natural language processing (NLP). It’s what enables AI to respond to customer inquiries, summarize feedback, or even write marketing copy by powering chatbots and AI assistants.
• Computer vision. It enables AI technology to analyze video and images. It’s used in industries such as retail for inventory tracking or in manufacturing to detect product defects in real-time.
• Robotic process automation (RPA). It focuses on automating repetitive digital tasks such as data entry, invoicing, or report generation, freeing up your team for more strategic work.
• Generative AI. AI creates new content based on the information fed to the program. Businesses use it to speed up creative workflows, generate marketing materials, and personalize customer experiences at scale.

When combined strategically, these types of AI can transform how your business operates, helping you scale faster, serve customers better, and stay competitive.

How can I leverage AI to help my business?

Before using any AI tools, step back and ask: what problems are you trying to solve? AI is most useful when it supports real business goals, not when it’s used just for the sake of innovation.

To leverage AI for business growth, start by identifying the areas where it can make the biggest impact— such as customer support, marketing, or operations. Instead of trying to use AI everywhere at once, focus on small, high-value opportunities first.

Use AI tools to automate repetitive tasks, analyze customer behavior, and generate insights that guide better decisions. For example, chatbots can handle common support questions, while predictive analytics can help you understand what your customers need next.

Most importantly, treat AI as a partner, not a replacement. Combine its data-driven power with your team’s creativity and judgment. That balance is what turns AI from a buzzword into a real growth engine for your business.

As an example, AI can help enhance UX design. Some, such as Amazon and Spotify, analyze consumer data to offer customers personalized experiences.

How to use AI for business growth?

AI is most powerful when it’s tied to specific, everyday tasks that move your business forward. Instead of trying to overhaul everything at once, focus on the areas where AI can make a noticeable difference fast. Below, we’ll walk through the core ways businesses are using AI to grow smarter and faster in 2025.

• Automate repetitive tasks for efficiency
• Use AI for better, faster decision-making
• Enhance customer experience with personalized support
• Identify growth opportunities with an AI-powered strategy
• Stay competitive in a rapidly changing market

However, AI can also help with the basics. For instance, many website builders incorporate AI technology to simplify the process of launching a website. Small business owners can leverage AI website builders to establish a strong online presence.

Automate repetitive tasks for efficiency

Manual, repetitive tasks consume hours that your team could spend on more strategic work. AI helps you automate these areas to free up time and reduce human error.

Common examples:

• Customer service. Use AI chatbots to handle common questions, appointment scheduling, and FAQs, thereby freeing up support agents’ time to focus on higher-value cases.
• Back-office operations. Automate invoice sorting, inventory checks, email tagging, or payroll review.
• Sales. Automatically score leads, log calls, and follow up with personalized outreach sequences.

These tools streamline repetitive tasks like customer responses, scheduling, and workflow triggers, freeing your team to focus on big-picture work.

Tool	Best for	Standout feature
Zapier + OpenAI	Automating workflows	Use AI to auto-reply, route leads, or write draft emails
Tidio AI	Customer support	Chatbot trained on your FAQs and help docs
Make (Integromat)	Task automation	Visual drag-and-drop builder for automating across tools
Notion AI	Internal productivity	Auto-generates meeting notes, lists, summaries
Kuki Chatbot	Website engagement	Handles live chat with personality and simple logic flows

Good chatbot use can enhance the experience for customers and platform holders. For instance, providing ChatGPT with in-depth and precise prompts can improve its output and increase business productivity.

Use AI for better, faster decision-making

AI can analyze patterns in your data to uncover trends, highlight risks, and guide smarter choices, often in real time.

What this looks like in practice:

• Operations managers use predictive analytics to anticipate supply chain issues or staffing needs.
• Marketing teams can forecast campaign performance, test creatives, and get content recommendations from platforms like Jasper or Copilot.
• Sales leaders analyze deal velocity and pipeline health to prioritize outreach.

Utilize these tools to analyze patterns, forecast outcomes, and make informed decisions based on data.

Tool	Best for	Standout feature
Power BI with AI	Business reporting	Natural language queries for instant insights
Google Cloud AI	Enterprise-scale analytics	Integrates with BigQuery, TensorFlow, and Looker
Tableau + Einstein	Sales/marketing analytics	Predicts trends and recommends actions
MonkeyLearn	Text data analysis	Pulls insights from reviews, chats, or emails
Polymer Search	No-code data dashboards	Turns spreadsheets into smart, searchable interfaces

Enhance customer experience with personalized support

Today’s customers expect fast, personalized service, and AI helps businesses deliver that at scale.

Ways to use AI for better customer experience:

• Chatbots and virtual agents provide 24/7 responses, reduce wait times, and boost satisfaction.
• Recommendation engines tailor products, content, or offers based on customer behavior.
• Sentiment analysis tools flag unhappy customers early so you can intervene before churn happens.

You can deliver more personal, consistent, and scalable services with these tools. Whether it’s through chat, email, or product recommendations.

Tool	Best for	Standout feature
Intercom Fin AI	Support chat	Answers questions instantly using your help docs
Klaviyo AI	Email automation	Learns what messages convert best per customer
Drift AI	Conversational sales	Qualifies leads and books meetings via chat
Zoho SalesIQ Zobot	Website engagement	Customizable bot with AI and rule-based logic

Identify growth opportunities with AI-powered strategy

AI is not only a productivity booster but also a strategic tool that can uncover insights and competitive advantages.

Here’s how:

• Market research. AI tools can scrape thousands of data points to spot trends or emerging niches.
• Business modeling. Use simulations to test pricing strategies, forecast revenue, or evaluate expansion plans.
• Product development. Analyze user feedback at scale to prioritize features or identify unmet needs.

Some tools to help you find insights, trends, and opportunities that inform smarter business decisions.

Tool	Best for	Standout feature
Crayon	Competitor tracking	AI alerts when rivals update pricing, messaging, or features
ChatGPT for business	Research and ideation	Prompt for market trends, pricing models, new angles
Exploding Topics	Trend discovery	Surfaces fast-growing topics before they go mainstream
Descript	Repurposing content	Edit audio/video by editing text, ideal for content strategy
Amplitude + Predictive AI	Product analytics	Identifies high-impact user behaviors automatically

Stay competitive in a rapidly changing market

Leading businesses use AI to keep pace with change, and many of them:

• Ship faster, test more ideas, and adjust strategy in real time.
• Keep costs low while scaling output.
• Get to market first with data-backed decisions.

From content and design to video, AI can help you produce at scale. These tools let small teams do more in record time.

Tool	Best for	Standout feature
Jasper AI	Blog, ads, and email copy	Writes in brand tone with SEO optimization
Writesonic	Multi-format content	Generate landing pages, emails, and product copy
Runway ML	Video editing	AI-powered motion tracking and background removal
Canva Magic Studio	Visual content creation	AI image generation, presentation writing, and more
Builder.ai	No-code app building	Create web and mobile apps from plain English prompts

What are the risks associated with using AI?

While AI can unlock major opportunities for growth, it’s not without challenges—especially for small businesses with limited resources. Jumping in without a clear plan can lead to wasted investments, data issues, or tools that don’t actually solve your problems. Moreover, improper use of the technology can potentially open you up to legal issues.

Here are some of the pitfalls associated with AI systems:

• Choosing the wrong tools
• Investing in AI and expecting fast results
• Over-reliance on AI
• Ignoring ethics and privacy violations
• Lack of clear goals
• Messy or incomplete data
• Resistance to change
• Limited technical readiness

Choosing the wrong tools

When a tool promises too much but doesn’t fit your needs, it can waste time, drain budgets, and create frustration across your team.

Some tools might look impressive but lack the customization or integrations your business requires. Others might automate tasks that don’t actually impact growth, leaving more important opportunities untouched. In the worst cases, poor AI implementation can lead to inaccurate insights or even data security risks.

How to fix it: Start by identifying your business goals and the specific problems you want AI to solve. Research tools that align with those needs, offer good support, and integrate easily with your existing systems. Always test on a small scale before fully committing.

Investing in AI and expecting fast results

The truth is, AI’s biggest benefits often come from gradual improvements. It might start with automating a few simple tasks, then evolve into deeper insights that reshape how your business operates. Rushing the process can cause you to overlook valuable data patterns or skip essential testing and fine-tuning.

How to fix it: Set realistic expectations and focus on long-term gains instead of quick wins. Start small, track your progress, and give your AI systems time to learn and improve. Consistent use and refinement lead to stronger, lasting results.

Over-reliance on AI

When businesses depend entirely on AI, they risk losing their personal touch. Automated messages can sound robotic, marketing can feel generic, and decision-making can become overly data-driven without considering real-world nuance.

How to fix it: Use AI to support, not replace, human decision-making. Combine data-driven insights with your team’s experience and intuition to keep your business balanced. Let AI handle the routine work so people can focus on creativity and strategy.

Ignoring ethics and privacy violations

Failing to consider ethics and privacy when utilizing AI can severely harm your business reputation and erode customer trust. Since AI often works with personal or sensitive data, failing to protect that information—or being unclear about how it’s used—can lead to compliance issues and legal trouble.

When businesses overlook ethical practices, they risk more than fines. Customers may feel exploited or unsafe, especially if AI tools collect data without consent or use it in ways that seem intrusive.

How to fix it: Be transparent about how you collect and use data, and always follow privacy regulations. Regularly audit your AI systems for bias and security gaps. Prioritizing ethical practices builds trust and keeps your business compliant.

Lack of clear goals

Many businesses invest in AI because it sounds promising, but without a defined purpose — like improving efficiency, increasing sales, or enhancing customer experience — it’s easy to lose focus and measure the wrong things.

Without a specific problem to solve, AI can feel like a shiny add-on rather than a solution. Clear, outcome-driven goals lead to better adoption and measurable results.

How to fix it: Define what you want AI to achieve before you start — whether it’s improving sales, saving time, or enhancing customer service. Set measurable goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress. This keeps your AI efforts focused and results-driven.

Messy or incomplete data

Since AI depends on accurate, structured information to make decisions, poor data leads to unreliable results that can misguide your strategy.

When your data is full of errors, duplicates, or missing details, even the most advanced AI tools can’t perform well. You might end up with flawed insights, wrong predictions, or wasted marketing efforts — all because the foundation wasn’t solid.

How to fix it: Clean and organize your data before feeding it into AI systems. Remove duplicates, fix errors, and fill in missing details to ensure accuracy. High-quality data leads to reliable insights and better performance.

Limited technical readiness

Without the right infrastructure, tools, or expertise, your team may struggle to set up, manage, or scale AI effectively. This can lead to errors, downtime, or tools that never reach their full potential.

Small businesses often face this challenge when they try to adopt advanced AI systems without proper training or technical support. The result is frustration, wasted investment, and slower progress.

How to fix it: Evaluate your current tools, systems, and team skills before implementing AI. Invest in training or partner with experts who can guide setup and maintenance. Building a solid technical foundation ensures smoother adoption and better results.

How to successfully introduce AI into your business

The best way to avoid problems is to plan carefully and start small.

• Begin with a limited-scope pilot project tied to a real business goal.
• Audit your data quality before feeding it into any AI tool.
• Involve your team early. Don’t just use the tools but help shape how they’re used.
• Schedule regular reviews to track performance, identify issues, and make improvements.

A thoughtful rollout goes a long way. AI is most effective when it’s introduced with the same care and strategy as any major business initiative.

Frequently asked questions

Make AI part of your growth game plan

Adopting AI doesn’t have to be overwhelming or overly technical. When you start with clear goals and real business needs, AI becomes a practical tool that helps you work smarter, move faster, and unlock new opportunities for growth.

Whether you’re experimenting with a chatbot or rolling out AI across teams, the key is to start small, learn as you go, and build on what works.

If you’re ready to put AI to work, Network Solutions offers an AI-powered website builder to help you build a smarter, more scalable business from day one.