Small Businesses Turn to AI for Practical Help

While national news often focuses on the risks of artificial intelligence, small businesses in and around Springfield are increasingly discovering ways the technology can help—not replace—them. Across Illinois, AI is quietly becoming a tool that saves time, reduces paperwork, and helps owners make better decisions without needing extra staff.

A recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce report found that nearly 60% of small businesses now use some form of generative AI, more than double the rate from the previous year. Many of those owners say the tools help with marketing, scheduling, inventory checks, financial reporting, and customer communication—daily tasks that historically eat into evenings and weekends.

Springfield business owners are not left out of this shift. The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Lincoln Land Community College has already begun receiving questions from local businesses about AI—especially tools that can help with social media, record-keeping, or customer messaging. And Springfield-area entrepreneurs now have new regional support as nearby institutions roll out AI-focused programs designed specifically for small business owners.

In Peoria, for example, Bradley University’s Turner Center for Entrepreneurship recently launched AI U, part of a national training initiative funded by Google.org that will bring AI workshops and one-on-one coaching to more than 100,000 small business owners. The Turner Center is already promoting events that show small business owners “how to leverage the power of artificial intelligence” for real operational needs—not theoretical research.

Champaign has also stepped into the picture. The Illinois Small Business Development Center at the Champaign County EDC recently hosted a workshop called “The Power of AI for Your Small Business,” which was organized with the Champaign Public Library, the EDC of Decatur & Macon County, and Parkland College. These sessions walk owners through simple use cases such as writing emails, drafting marketing materials, generating financial summaries, or analyzing QuickBooks data. Many Springfield businesses fall into the same categories these workshops target.

For a concrete example of how AI can help a business similar to those in Springfield, owners can look north to Chicago. The Wall Street Journal recently profiled Heritage Hospitality Group, a small company that runs neighborhood cafés and bars. Its owner, Mike Salvatore, uses AI tools like Google’s NotebookLM and OpenAI’s ChatGPT to review costs, generate weekly performance reports, and even produce short internal “podcasts” summarizing how each location is doing for his staff. He says the tools serve as “essentially my CFO,” helping him track prices and margins far more frequently without hiring extra administrative support.

Those same AI-powered “back office” tasks—pricing, margins, cost tracking, forecasting—are among the most common pain points for Springfield’s retailers and restaurants, especially family-run shops with limited staff.

Other small businesses in Illinois are finding frontline uses, too. According to industry reporting, some are adopting AI-powered virtual receptionists to answer calls, schedule appointments, and manage customer messages after hours. These services, which operate through phone or text, are often marketed directly to local businesses in smaller cities, including central Illinois.

And despite the fears that AI might replace workers, research suggests the opposite is happening. The Chamber’s national survey found that 82% of small businesses using AI added employees in the past year, and many say the technology helps them manage growth—not downsize.

Even Springfield’s local higher-education institutions are preparing for this shift. At the University of Illinois system level, researchers emphasize that businesses “big or small” that adopt AI strategically can reduce burnout, improve workflow, and free up staff for higher-value work. Those lessons are increasingly making their way to regional SBDCs, chambers of commerce, and community colleges—including those that serve Springfield.

AI is not just something happening in Silicon Valley or Chicago’s tech startups. It’s becoming an everyday tool for Illinois small businesses—one that can help a Springfield shop owner write a newsletter, manage a budget, track sales, or simply get a few hours back at the end of the week.

As more regional organizations offer training and support, Springfield’s small businesses may find that AI isn’t a threat at all, but a new way to stay competitive while keeping the personal, local touch that customers value.