How Small Businesses Are Turning Change Into Opportunity

Resilience has always been key to running a small business. This trait still matters today, but the game has changed, as speed and the ability to transform are now critical. The 18+ million small businesses on LinkedIn are meeting this moment head-on, using AI to work smarter, strengthen relationships, and turn change into opportunity.

It’s for this reason that we’ve created LinkedIn’s new Work Change Special Report: How Small Businesses Can Win in 2026 that explores how small businesses are navigating the same economic and technological shifts influencing larger firms, using their creativity and resourcefulness to respond and turn change into opportunity.


Small businesses represent a huge share of the global economy, making up about 90% of all companies and generating roughly 70% of global GDP. On LinkedIn, the number of people adding “Founder” to their profiles globally grew 60% year-over-year and has nearly tripled since 2022. Even as global growth slows, more professionals are choosing to build something of their own rather than wait for the next opportunity.

Small businesses are also competing in new ways. Emerging technology is allowing them to work faster, new skills are helping them work smarter, and trusted brands and relationships are helping them stand out and earn credibility in a crowded market.

Here’s what we found in our new report:

AI is emerging as a powerful equalizer.

Nearly 60% of US small business executives plan to adopt AI across their organizations in 2026, a five-point increase from last year - while large companies remain steady at 73%. For smaller firms, AI isn’t about scale. It’s a way to move faster, stay flexible, and focus on what matters most.

We’re already seeing signs of that shift on LinkedIn. Based on early usage, hirers using LinkedIn Jobs with AI-assistant are able to find qualified candidates while reviewing 30% fewer resumes. It’s a small example, but it shows what’s possible when teams pair their human judgment with tools that streamline routine tasks and give them time back to focus on tasks that will propel their business forward.


Skills are the new competitive edge.

AI literacy, which measures the ability to use AI tools, rose 44% year-over-year in US companies with 11 to 50 employees and 62% at companies with 51 to 200 employees, driven in part by professionals taking learning into their own hands. At the same time, three-quarters of companies globally agree that people skills are even more important in the age of AI.

Small businesses have always learned by doing, and that hands-on approach is now a real advantage we’re seeing materialize in this community. And even as technology is advancing fast, small businesses know it’s their people who drive the results.

A trusted brand helps small businesses break through the noise.

When buyer attention spans are limited, trust stands out. Customers and clients no longer take a company’s word at face value. 72% of small business marketers say audiences double-check information with people they trust, and three-quarters say networks play a major role in shaping brand credibility. In other words, people buy from companies they trust, and buyers count on their networks to validate their decisions before making a purchase. Small businesses are meeting this moment by using their own voices online and offering clear points of view that help them stand out.

Relationships are fast becoming the new currency for growth.

Nearly three-fourths of small business leaders across key markets globally say that building their professional network is important to long-term business growth, while nearly 40% see their networks as a way to find new customers.

We’re seeing this materialize on LinkedIn with professionals at smaller US companies expanding their networks faster than peers at larger firms, up 17% year-over-year at companies with 11 to 50 employees. This is in comparison to a 10% increase for those at companies with 1,001 or more.

These connections are more than numbers on a screen. They’re trusted relationships that help small businesses connect more closely to their buyers, get advice, and find new opportunities.

Small businesses are proving that change can work in their favor. They’re using AI to move faster, building the skills to make technology work for them, focusing on earning customer trust, and strengthening relationships to open new doors.

The small business community on LinkedIn - and beyond - is already preparing for what’s next. They’re not waiting for opportunities to come to them. They’re proactively building what comes next.

Read the full Work Change Special Report: How Small Businesses Can Win in 2026 to explore the data and stories behind this new chapter of entrepreneurship. You can also read and explore insights across the following markets: Australia, Brazil, France, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the UK, and the US.

This post was originally published on LinkedIn on Dec 3, 2025.