Stop Whispering recently completed a comprehensive three-part landscape analysis exploring how Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs) and the small businesses they serve are approaching AI adoption in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

This work, which was sponsored by a major corporate funder in the CDFI/ESO space, aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the impact of AI on the small business ecosystem. By examining current perceptions, adoption rates, and potential opportunities and challenges, we seek to equip ESOs with valuable insights for navigating the AI revolution.

The analysis offers a summary of existing qualitative research on small business use of AI alongside their opportunities and barriers. It also provides unique perspective, garnered through new research, on how ESOs are approaching AI implementation and the opportunities and challenges they face.

The sponsor has generously made this report available to the ESO community as a resource for advancing AI initiatives within ESOs and supporting small businesses in implementing AI technologies. Please feel free to use it to shape internal decision making, share it to inspire others, and leverage it as a tool for innovation and growth. You can download the report sections at the links below.