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The founder of children's ride-on suitcase brand has said AI is 'like having a superpower that levels the playing field for small businesses.'

AI is ‘like having a superpower’ says Trunki founder

The founder of children’s ride-on suitcase brand has said AI is ‘like having a superpower that levels the playing field for small businesses.’

Rob Law was responding to news that less than half of small businesses are using AI. The research was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Start Up Loans from British Business Bank.

Bristol-based Rob – who was rejected by Dragon’s Den before launching his globally-recognised brand and being awarded an MBE – said he had used AI to scale his latest business Zeepy, a Start Up Loans-backed brand co-created with AI to enhance natural sleep in infants and young children, marrying media with physical devices.

“AI doesn’t replace people – it amplifies small teams,” said Rob.

“It lets you look, feel, and perform like a much larger business, which is a huge advantage for start-ups. It gives us the freedom to take more risks and try new ideas at very little cost.

“AI has been genuinely transformative. We launched a podcast from scratch, with zero prior experience, that’s now had over 10,000 downloads and sits in the top five per cent globally.

“We created a strong, professional brand using AI which saved us years of work and tens of thousands of pounds.

Rob said that AI had also helped automate technical and repetitive tasks, creating time to think more creatively, test ideas quickly and explore new partnerships.

He added: “AI is essential for the future of small businesses. It’s like having a 24/7 team of experts at your side. I believe the future role of a CEO will be managing a team of AI agents, overseeing their work and reviewing outputs.

“Small businesses that embrace AI will move faster, save costs, and outpace competitors.”

YouGov’s research revealed that only a third (34 per cent) of small business leaders only have a ‘basic understanding’ of AI tools, while only 12 per cent would refer to themselves as an ‘expert’ in the technology, when thinking about their proficiency in five core pillars of AI: Generative AI, chatbots and virtual assistants, speech to text and vice versa, text analysis and summary, and AI-powered text editing.

The biggest barriers to further AI adoption were found to be IT security issues (25 per cent) and a lack of appropriate financing possibilities (25 per cent).

A low speed of internet connection (22 per cent) was the third largest barrier.

There is also a knowledge barrier preventing many small businesses from reaping the full benefits of tech and AI in the workplace.

Over a fifth (21 per cent) of business leaders cite insufficient digital skills of employees as being problematic, while a similar percentage (19 per cent) cite an internal resistance to change as a hindrance. These barriers and lack of understanding are leading to a delay in uptake of the technology.

Within smaller businesses there was a clear divide between those at the larger end of the spectrum and those at the more micro end when it comes to using AI.

The survey found AI is used in 36 per cent of micro businesses (0-9 employees) and 44 per cent of small businesses (10-49 employees) but rises to 60 per cent of medium-sized enterprises (50-249 employees).

Louise McCoy, managing director, Start Up Loans Products, British Business Bank said: “AI has the potential to transform the way smaller businesses operate, but many people running those businesses face a plethora of barriers which need to be overcome if they are to benefit from the technology.

“We hope our information, as well as start-up financing, one of the biggest hurdles identified, can help drive more use of AI.

“By adopting AI responsibly, smaller businesses could unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation, ensuring they remain the driving force of the UK economy”.

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