Small and medium businesses make up a vast majority of the business space on the planet. They’re an integral foundation for people looking for early employment. Around 90% of global businesses are SMEs. Most developing countries also rely on them for their growth. The importance of SMEs can not be underestimated.

But in a world that is always on the move and with technologies quickly outpacing all other human development, SMEs need to adapt. To do so, they, of course, need the right technologies to take that step. So what better way to go above and beyond the call of duty than to utilize not just current tech but future tech as well?  

For this article, we’ll be looking at a variety of emerging technologies that will completely change the way SMEs conduct their business in the next few years. These technologies will, of course, incorporate AI since it’s become such an important part of the business space. But we’ll also be touching upon other tools to assist SMEs. 

Let’s hear from eight thought leaders:

Hyperautomation

Jason Hennessey, CEO of Hennessey Digital, explains, 

“Hyperautomation will streamline everything from invoices to onboarding flows. Tools are starting to sync CRMs, emails, and calendars seamlessly. We’re already using Make and Zapier for backend processes. These workflows reduce errors and free teams from repetitive tasks. Once complex operations now run quietly in the background easily. It’s like giving small teams invisible support staff.

What used to need full-time roles now takes minutes daily. This efficiency opens up space for more strategic thinking. Teams aren’t drowning in operations; they’re shaping vision now. That change makes smaller firms feel bigger instantly. Automating isn’t about removing people; it’s about restoring energy. That shift in rhythm transforms how teams grow forward.”

Social Commerce and Smarter Analytics

Tim Hill, Co-Founder & CEO of Social Status, predicts a major shift in how SMEs approach digital growth:

“Social commerce will dominate. We’ve tracked 87% of e-commerce shoppers using social media to make purchasing decisions. Instagram’s strategic placement of their Shop Tab in the main navigation bar wasn’t random – it signals where the market is heading. For SMEs, implementing shoppable posts and social storefronts represents an immediately accessible revenue channel.

Custom AI-powered content generation tools will become essential. The fragmentation of social channels (TikTok, Instagram Reels, Twitter Spaces, etc.) makes content creation overwhelming for small teams. The businesses winning now are using AI to efficiently create custom content for each platform while maintaining brand consistency. I’ve seen SMEs triple their content output without adding headcount.

Automated, cross-platform analytics will become non-negotiable. The days of gut-feeling social strategies are over. Our data shows businesses using comprehensive analytics significantly outperform those relying on native platform metrics. The key for SMEs is implementing systems that connect social performance directly to business outcomes – not vanity metrics like followers.”

Agentic AI 

Khris Steven, a Content Marketer and Automation Expert at KhrisDigital Marketing, sees Agentic AI as the next frontier in SME digital transformation.

“We’re not talking about basic automations or scripted chatbots. This is about AI systems that can make decisions on their own, take action without being told what to do at every step, and adapt in real time based on what’s happening in the business. That type of autonomy is going to change how operations are run across everything from customer service to internal workflows.

Imagine an AI agent that doesn’t just answer customer queries but actively manages ticket prioritization, flags potential churn risks, and escalates issues before anyone on your team even checks the inbox. Or an agent that monitors your marketing funnel, pauses underperforming ad sets, reallocates budget, and tweaks email sequences based on live conversion data. That’s not wishful thinking. Early-stage tools such as AutoGPT and open-source frameworks are already moving in this direction, and the commercial layers being built on top are getting sharper by the month.

This matters for SMEs because it lowers the human workload without lowering quality. You don’t need a full-time analyst monitoring dashboards all day or a team rewriting copy across multiple campaigns. Agentic AI can take over that work and improve with every cycle, learning from outcomes and adjusting as it goes. It does not replace people, but expands what a small team can accomplish in less time, with fewer resources. Businesses that adopt it early will move quicker, make smarter adjustments, and operate with far less waste.”

Omni-Channel Strategies in Customer Experience

Simon Brisk, Co-founder of Click Intelligence, says:

“Omni-channel strategies are set to lead for the next few years. They help connect physical and digital channels, creating a smoother experience for customers. The fewer the gaps between each step, the better the journey becomes—for both businesses and their customers.”

Cybersecurity 

Randy Bryan, owner of tekRESCUE, shares insights from over a decade leading a Texas-based cybersecurity and tech consulting firm:

“For the next 3 years, AI-improved cybersecurity will be transformative. We’ve implemented simplified security stacks for clients that reduced breach vulnerability by 40% while cutting their tech overhead. Consolidating multiple security tools into unified platforms with AI threat detection is now affordable for even small businesses.

Cloud services optimization will drive major productivity gains. When we migrated clients from fragmented legacy systems to streamlined cloud infrastructure, they achieved a 30% cost reduction while gaining mobility. The shift is from merely “being in the cloud” to strategic implementation that eliminates redundancies.

Smart payment integration will redefine customer experience. We’ve helped retail clients implement seamless mobile payment systems that increased checkout completion by 25%. The businesses that integrate Apple/Android Pay with loyalty programs and supply chain visibility are seeing dramatic revenue impacts beyond simple convenience.

Video conferencing will evolve from necessity to competitive advantage. We’ve guided clients to invest in quality equipment and integration tools that eliminated 60% of their travel costs. The next phase isn’t about having Zoom – it’s about creating collaborative ecosystems where video becomes the nervous system connecting all business operations.”

Automation and Cloud Tools

Loris Petro, Marketing Manager at Kratom Earth, highlights automation, real-time data insights, and cloud collaboration as the key technologies that will shape the future for SMEs.

“We use AI-powered chatbots to handle basic customer questions, which frees up our team to focus on deeper engagement. This kind of tech makes smaller companies more competitive without needing large teams.

Another tech trend is data analytics platforms that help businesses understand customer behavior in real time. We rely on these insights to tweak campaigns quickly and keep our messaging relevant, even for companies with limited resources who need to move fast.

Finally, cloud-based collaboration tools will keep teams connected and agile. Since we work with suppliers across different countries, cloud tools keep communication smooth and projects on track.”

Visitor Identification Technology & Integrated Marketing Ecosystems

Kiel Tredrea, President & CMO at RED27Creative, said, 

“I see three emerging technologies reshaping SMEs in ways most aren’t prepared for. First, visitor identification technology will revolutionize how small businesses convert traffic. We’ve implemented systems that unmask anonymous website visitors for clients, increasing lead quality by 40% without changing ad spend. The companies winning will be those who stop letting 98% of their website traffic disappear forever.

Integrated marketing ecosystems that talk to each other will replace disconnected tools. I recently helped a fintech SaaS client implement an end-to-end system connecting their website analytics, CRM, and nurturing sequences, which doubled their conversion rate within 90 days. SMEs who build these connected systems will outperform competitors still using siloed tools.

The third game-changer is automated personalization at scale. We’ve created fractional marketing systems for B2B clients that deliver personalized content based on visitor behavior without requiring enterprise budgets. One contractor client using this approach saw 3x more consistent local clients while spending less on advertising.”

AI-Powered Design, Voice Commerce, and Web3 Loyalty

Milan Kordestani, CEO, Ankord Media, believes that:

“In the next three years, AI-powered design automation will dramatically level the playing field for SMEs. At Ankord Media, we’ve integrated AI tools for data analysis and insights, allowing us to deliver enterprise-level branding solutions at a fraction of traditional costs. One client saw their design iteration cycles cut by 60% while maintaining quality that rivals major competitors.

Voice commerce will explode beyond current adoption rates, particularly for service-based SMEs. The businesses that integrate voice search optimization now will gain massive advantages in local findy. This isn’t speculation—we’re already building voice-first experiences into our DTC website designs at Ankord Media because the data shows voice-optimized businesses are capturing market share at 2-3x the rate of competitors.

Web3 solutions for customer loyalty and community building will emerge as essential, not optional. The most successful SMEs will implement token-gated content and experiences that transform customers into stakeholders. Having incubated purpose-driven startups through Ankord Labs, I’m seeing membership-based models with blockchain components consistently outperform traditional loyalty programs in both retention and customer lifetime value.”

Spatial Computing 

Tony Crisp, CEO & Co-Founder at CRISPx said,

“Having worked with tech brands from startups to Fortune 500s using our DOSE Method™, I’ve seen which technologies actually drive change for SMEs.

Spatial computing will redefine customer experiences. When we launched Robosen’s Elite Optimus Prime transformer, we used AR/VR elements that drove pre-orders beyond expectations. SMEs can implement simplified spatial computing touchpoints without massive investment to create immersive product demonstrations that convert at higher rates.

Brand automation platforms will become essential. With SOM Aesthetics, we implemented systems that automated their brand deployment across channels while maintaining consistency. SMEs that invest in tools that standardize their visual identity across platforms see 15-20% increases in recognition at dramatically reduced design costs.

Data visualization for non-technical stakeholders will differentiate winners. For Element U.S. Space & Defense, we created simplified dashboards that transformed complex testing data into actionable insights for executives. When SMEs implement systems that visualize their operational data for quick decision-making, we consistently see faster market responses and improved margins.”

It’s no secret that SMEs will continue to be assisted by AI in the near and far future. AI has shaken up many industries and will continue to do so as an emerging technology that continues to grow and evolve. 

Perhaps in a few years, AI will advance to such a point that the technologies of the here and now become obsolete in the face of it. If you’re worried about not knowing what those changes will entail, then fret not. We here at Evolvedash will have you covered on any future possibilities. If you want more expert opinions like the ones above across various industries or are looking to incorporate AI into your software products or mobile app, then check out our other articles on EvolveDash today!