Tech Trends 2026: This Is What Small Businesses Will Be Paying Attention to in the New Year

Small businesses are the heartbeats of the economy which are lean and scrappy as well as highly intuitive. In 2026, small business technology trends, IT solutions for small businesses, and AI solutions for SMBs aim to ensure no business owners find themselves in a cybersecurity breach for which they weren't prepared or left behind in a world where generative artificial intelligence for business is moving forward. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, artificial intelligence for small businesses can benefit small businesses by helping them:

• Make better business decisions
• Create AI-generated business content
• Serve as a space to brainstorm

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the attitude towards AI does evolve, as the rate of AI implementation in business operations is now 60%, which is twice as much as in 2023. In addition, 96% of small business owners plan to adopt emerging technologies, including business automation tools and AI software for SMBs. Small and medium-sized businesses will desire to enter 2026 with a well-defined digital transformation plan due to limited time and resources, which will be centered on scalable technology solutions and cost-effective business software.

SMBs have long since gone beyond wondering whether GenAI is here to stay and are over the first fear regarding how to use it responsibly. Now, experts point to a transition away from open-source AI tools and toward custom AI solutions for small businesses to improve data quality and security. Rather, SMBs will invest in:

• Privately available AI systems
• Bespoke GenAI solutions
• Secure AI tools that act as an accelerator of business productivity without jeopardizing data governance principles

AI can help small businesses automate data entry, content creation and business processes, and work more efficiently without depending on large and specialized workforce. Consequently, the AI automation services in regard to the SMBs have been on the boost.

Small businesses continue to make one of the most important IT investments, which is cybersecurity. Endpoints security, cloud security, SaaS security, and data protection compliance are the emerging questions that cannot be avoided due to the growing cyber threats fueled by AI.

Essential cybersecurity components now include:

• Managed cybersecurity services
• Business data protection
• Security monitoring solutions
• Password management
• Data backup services
• Employee cybersecurity training

With the continued development of remote work solutions being provided to small businesses, SMBs are investing in:

• Videoconferencing hardware
• Endpoint management solutions
• Secure remote access solutions

Better IT infrastructure to work hybrid is turning out to be a competitive pressure and not an advantage. SMBs with lean teams increasingly rely on virtual assistants for business and AI virtual assistants to improve workforce productivity and task automation across distributed teams.

Cloud services for small businesses remain a top priority as SMBs seek scalable and cost-effective IT solutions. Low-code and no-code platforms are being taken up by many companies to create applications without the need to hire costly developers, speeding up the development of custom software to SMBs. At the same time, hybrid cloud solutions combining on-prem infrastructure and cloud-based software continue to dominate, particularly for businesses seeking:

• Flexibility
• Data control
• Long-term cost optimization through Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms

There will be a 2026 inflection point of small businesses, where they will have an opportunity to audit their current investments in technology, gaps in their cybersecurity and cloud strategy, and use AI-based business solutions that will allow them to operate profitably and more productively.