NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On this episode of SCORE Connect, host Anna-Vija McCloud is joined by Jennifer Renshaw, Founder & CEO of Brand Mark Digital to discuss AI for small businesses.

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Why? Because AI isn’t a trend—it’s a tsunami, and ignoring it could be the end for many.

New globalization runs light

Globalization no longer requires armies of specialists or decades of supply chain buildup. Today, a lean team with AI-powered tools can tap into global markets faster than ever.

These tools, like real-time translation APIs and predictive analytics, enable a two-person startup to sell across continents overnight, dismantling persistent barriers such as language differences, gaps in foreign market knowledge, and the difficulty of establishing cross-border trust.

This heralds the era of “micro-multinationals”: A two-person design studio startup could sell products across 20 countries by leveraging AI-generated market insights. Tasks that once required entire departments can now be done with the push of a button — and this is just the beginning.

Meet your co-founder: the autonomous AI agent

The rise of autonomous AI agents is further taking the game to the next level. Imagine a 24/7 co-founder who never sleeps, tirelessly sorting suppliers, negotiating deals, handling orders, and managing logistics.

For global trade, AI agents do not just find products but also evaluate suppliers, facilitate communication, process orders and even manage logistics. Think of it as having a powerful search engine like Chat GPT but for B2B trade, capable of sourcing across the entire digital landscape, combined with the talents of a team of professionals to handle the end-to-end process of sourcing and delivery. And it’s not a fantasy, Alibaba’s own Accio agent is already automating 70% of traditionally manual workflows for B2B buyers across the world, compressing fragmented processes including product ideation, prototyping, compliance checks and supplier sourcing into a seamless, AI-powered cycle.

AI is real. It’s here.

Why the $30 trillion B2B industry is leading the AI charge

While consumers are still warming up to AI, B2B decision makers are already racing ahead for three reasons:

1. Scale: Large scales of production and consumption invoke economies of scale, especially in a $30 trillion B2B industry. For instance, a mid-sized manufacturer can use AI to reduce supply chain costs by 15% through predictive maintenance, which is revolutionary to a business when millions of dollars are at stake.

2. Speed: For many small businesses, AI can drastically shrink a request for proposal process from weeks to hours by automating vendor comparisons and contract drafting.

3. Search transformation: B2B buyers will expect platforms in the future to understand extremely specific queries like “show me 3-D printed parts for aerospace that meet FAA specs,” and produce results that take them directly to a right supplier’s page. The future of B2B search is no longer about search engine optimization (SEO), but about generative AI engine optimization.

Small businesses: start small but start now

Yes, it can be daunting for a small business owner to embrace AI, but you don’t have a choice, you either adapt or risk vanishing in the dust of competitors who do.

Good news is, you don’t need a full AI incorporation overnight. Start small – perhaps implementing a customer service chatbot or AI data analysis tool – and scale up from there.

The future belongs to those who treat AI not as a luxury, but as essential infrastructure.

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New Delhi, Sep 4 (PTI) Artificial Intelligence (AI) has moved beyond being a futuristic concept to become a central pillar of modern business transformation, reshaping economies, industries, and societies by driving global competitiveness, operational efficiency, customer experience, risk management, sustainability, and innovation, as per a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Protiviti.

The “Vision AI: Trends and Strategic Insights 2025” report, released on Thursday, highlighted AI’s pervasive impact across various sectors.

“The question of whether AI will change our world is no longer hypothetical — we are seeing the impact everyday. From transforming industries to reshaping how we work, AI has moved from opportunity to impact. AI literacy and fluency are no longer optional; they are mission-critical for every industry, every leader, and every enterprise. The opportunity to build with AI is immense,” Microsoft India & South Asia President Puneet Chandok said.

In the financial services industry, AI is redefining trust, regulation, and fraud detection.

By incorporating intelligence into risk assessment, compliance functions, fraud detection, and customer engagement, financial institutions are achieving precision and flexibility in a sector where reliability is paramount, the report said.

Manufacturing and industrial domains, which are primarily driven by volume and scale, are optimising production and supply chains through predictive intelligence.

Retail and e-commerce are witnessing unprecedented changes with AI-driven personalisation and demand forecasting.

“Through transaction data, businesses now personalise customer journeys, enabling enterprises to forecast demand, optimise pricing and deliver seamless, unified commerce experiences,” the report noted.

Healthcare is seeing breakthroughs in diagnostics, treatments, and accessibility with AI.

Enterprise technologies and IT services are leveraging AI for digital transformation, cybersecurity, and cloud cost optimisation.

Real estate and hospitality are adopting intelligent automation for efficiency and enhanced guest experiences.

The automobile sector is incorporating AI-powered safety features and autonomous engineering, while energy, chemicals, and utilities are utilising AI to manage demand, optimise production, and reduce environmental impact.

For India, AI is not merely a technology shift but a national priority to enhance competitiveness, inclusive growth, and long-term resilience, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said.