A March 2026 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices survey found substantial AI adoption among its participants: 76% said they currently use AI, and 93% of those users reported a positive impact. Efficiency and productivity were the most commonly cited benefits.
14%
said AI was fully integrated into core operations
73%
said more training and implementation resources would help
Adoption is not the same as integration
Trying ChatGPT for writing or research can be useful, but it does not automatically create a durable business system. Owners still have to choose the right problem, connect trustworthy information, protect customer data, check the output, and decide what should happen next.
What this means for a local shop
The practical starting point is usually smaller than an “AI transformation.” The numbers a shop already makes (sales, bookings, busy hours) hold most of the useful answers. The work is reading them regularly, acting on one clear next move at a time, and measuring whether it helped. The useful part is the follow-through.
Why Laymin starts free
Signing up for Laymin is free and takes no card: it studies your shop and you see what it found before you pay for anything. The paid product starts only when you choose it. That makes the first step useful without disguising it as a trial.
Read the original Goldman Sachs release and survey methodology. The survey covered 1,256 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses participants across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, conducted January 27–February 4, 2026. Results describe that participant sample and should not be treated as a census of every U.S. small business.
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