AI on Main Street
New survey from Heartland Forward and Echelon Insights finds heartland small businesses are turning AI into time saved, increased capacity and new growth.
Introduction
One of the most impactful but least discussed developments in AI is unfolding on Main Street in America, where small businesses are leveraging AI to create new opportunities. In a survey of small business owners conducted by Echelon Insights on behalf of Heartland Forward, 43% of heartland small businesses use AI, matching the rest of the country.
Seven in 10 AI-using businesses say AI is already net-positive for their bottom line. Just 1% say it has cost more than it returned. And 1 in 5 AI users say AI-enabled growth has helped them afford to hire, describing AI as a way to extend what their teams can do.
Section 1
Owners Are Getting Hours Back
0 %
of small business owners who use AI say it saves them time.
0 %
of heartland owners using AI save five or more hours a week, compared with 51% elsewhere.
Section 2
Small Teams, Big-Firm Capabilities
0 %
say AI lets them do more with the same staff.
0 %
say AI saves money they would otherwise spend on software, outside services or hiring.
Section 3
A New Engine for Starting and Growing a Business
0 %
of AI-using owners who started a business since 2023 say AI made it easier to start.
0 %
have offered a new product or service because of AI.
Methodology Block
This survey was conducted by Echelon Insights on behalf of Heartland Forward from September 3 to September 11, 2026. The survey is based on a sample of 691 small business owners, including 308 in heartland states. The margin of error is plus or minus 5.2 percentage points for results based on the entire sample and plus or minus 7.0 percentage points for results based on heartland owners. Figures reflect responses among all small business owners surveyed unless noted as heartland.