What is AI for SMEs?
AI for SMEs is the use of AI assistants and AI agents for the daily work in a small or medium-sized business. Think of answering email, drafting quotes, summarizing documents and preparing administration.
An AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot helps you with individual tasks: you ask a question and judge the answer. An AI agent goes one step further and carries out a recurring task independently within the limits you set. Neither requires an IT department or programming knowledge.
In a small team everyone does several things at once. Handing off recurring work there directly frees up room for customers and for the craft itself.
How many SMEs use AI?
In 2025, 17 percent of Dutch companies with two or more employed persons used one or more AI technologies, compared with 8 percent in 2023. That follows from provisional figures by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on AI use by companies. The larger the company, the more often it uses AI.
| Company size (employed persons) | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 7% | 11% | 14% |
| 10 to 50 | 11% | 19% | 27% |
| 50 to 250 | 20% | 31% | 45% |
| 250 or more | 42% | 53% | 66% |
Source: CBS, December 2025. The 2025 figures are provisional.
CBS also asked why companies drop out. Of the companies that considered AI and still did not start, 73 percent name lack of experience as the reason. Privacy plays a part for 49 percent and uncertainty about legal consequences for 42 percent. So the barrier is knowledge, and you build that by starting with a small task.
What do small businesses use AI for?
Companies use AI most often for marketing or sales. Of the companies that use AI, 35 percent do so for marketing or sales according to CBS and 32 percent for business administration or management tasks, such as translations and planning. Bookkeeping, auditing or financial management follows at 17 percent.
In practice these tasks come back most often:
- Email and customer contact: draft replies to customer questions, which you review and send
- Quotes and proposals: a first version based on your notes
- Marketing: copy for your website, newsletter and social media
- Administration: sorting invoices and receipts and preparing them for the books
- Knowledge: summarizing meetings and making internal documents searchable
A task that comes back every day and follows the same steps each time is a candidate for an AI agent. What a digital worker takes on in a small business is described on the page about the AI agent for SMBs.
What does AI cost for a small business?
AI for a small business costs a monthly fee per user for an AI assistant and a one-time amount if you have an agent or custom software built.
Subscriptions to AI assistants. Most providers have a free version, a paid personal subscription and a business subscription per user. As an indication: Claude Pro costs $20 per month on monthly billing and a standard seat in Claude Team $25 per user per month (as of October 2026). Prices change regularly, so check them with the provider.
Learning and guidance. At AI Agent B.V. a 1-on-1 AI training of 3 hours costs from €449 excl. VAT. 1-on-1 AI coaching costs €399 per month excl. VAT, as an annual subscription with the first month as a trial month.
Having it built. An AI agent implementation starts from €1,495 one-time and custom software from €1,950 one-time, on invoice. A full breakdown of the costs is in what an AI agent costs.
Calculate the return yourself with your own numbers: the time a task takes per week now, times your hourly rate, set against the subscription costs. Measure again after a month.
How do you start with AI in your small business?
You start with AI in five steps: list your tasks, pick one task, make agreements, test for a month and then expand.
Step 1: take inventory. For one week, write down which recurring tasks you and your team do and how much time they take.
Step 2: pick one task. Take the task that costs a lot of time and carries little risk if the first version is not perfect, such as draft emails or summaries.
Step 3: make agreements. Write down which tool you use and which data may and may not go into it. Choose a business subscription for work with customer data.
Step 4: test for a month. Have two or three people use the tool daily and keep track of how much time it saves and where it goes wrong.
Step 5: expand or stop. If it works, train the rest of the team and pick a second task. If it does not work, stop and try a different task.
A more detailed plan is in using AI in your business.
Which rules apply to AI in SMEs?
Two European laws apply to AI in SMEs: the GDPR as soon as you process personal data, and the EU AI Act for the use of AI systems.
GDPR. In August 2024 the Dutch Data Protection Authority warned about data breaches caused by employees entering personal data of customers or patients into AI chatbots. The regulator's advice: make clear agreements about which data employees may and may not enter. What else you put in writing is covered in using AI under the GDPR.
EU AI Act. Since 2 February 2025, Article 4 asks organizations that use AI to work on the AI literacy of their staff. Since 2 August 2026 transparency rules apply, including the rule that people know when they are communicating with an AI system. The dates and the 2026 amendments are in our EU AI Act explainer.
Which mistakes do SMEs make with AI?
The four mistakes that come back most often: too much at once, no agreements, no review and no measurement.
Too much at once. Introducing five tools in one month creates confusion. One task and one tool gives you a clear result.
No agreements. Without rules, one employee pastes customer data into a free tool and another publishes copy without reading it.
No review. AI makes mistakes in facts, amounts and legal details. Read every result before it goes to a customer.
No measurement. Keep track of how much time a task takes before and after. Without those numbers you do not know whether the subscription is worth its money.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI suitable for a small business? Yes. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), 14 percent of Dutch companies with 2 to 10 employed persons used AI in 2025, compared with 7 percent in 2023. You start with one task and a subscription to an AI assistant.
What does AI cost an SME per month? A personal subscription such as Claude Pro costs $20 per month and a standard seat in Claude Team $25 per user per month (as of October 2026). Many providers also have a free version to test with.
Do I need technical knowledge to use AI? No. You operate an AI assistant in plain language. What you learn is giving good instructions and checking results. For integrations with your systems or your own AI agent you bring in help.
Can I enter customer data into an AI tool? That depends on the GDPR and on your agreements with the provider. The Dutch Data Protection Authority received reports of data breaches caused by personal data entered into AI chatbots. Write down which data may go in and sign a data processing agreement.
When do you move from an AI assistant to an AI agent? When a task comes back daily and follows the same steps each time. An AI agent carries out that task independently and puts exceptions in front of you.
Moving forward with AI in your small business
See what an AI agent for SMBs does, learn it yourself in a 1-on-1 AI training or book a no-obligation call to go through your situation.
