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In an era where technology can make or break a business, small and midsize business (SMB) leaders aren’t leaving their success up to chance. SMBs are expected to spend around $460.5 billion on technology in 2026 alone, according to HG Insights. And recent insights from Dell Technologies suggest that as SMBs become more strategic about their tech stack—with an eye toward AI readiness—they prioritize tools built for speed, reliability, and security.
“It is a very exciting time to be in the [SMB] community. Technology really is going to help scale and empower businesses to be successful for the long term,” said Erik Day, SVP and general manager of small and medium business at Dell Technologies, during a recent panel discussion hosted by Inc.
But how can SMB leaders be sure they aren’t just buying into AI frenzy rather than accessing practical tools that will add to their bottom line? Day tackled this question alongside Clarissa Price, leader of global partner software product management at Dell, in a talk celebrating Small Business Week, moderated by Inc. correspondent Abigail Bassett. During the discussion, Day and Price highlighted three things every SMB should consider to guide their new tech integrations and shared how the right IT partner can make all the difference.
Understand how the technology will enhance your team
While it can be fun to continually experiment with new tools, adopting technology for its own sake is a losing—and expensive—game. “Ultimately, how we use AI is about outcomes,” Day said. “AI is supposed to be an enhancement to your company to drive efficiency.”
To illustrate this point, Day recalled how his team worked with a small piping company to organize the volumes of manuals and documents they needed to reference in order to service large power plants. After Day’s team consulted with the company to find and gather all their materials and data in one place, they uploaded all the information onto an accessible, AI-enabled data platform.
“They ultimately built their own little ChatGPT within their company using our AI servers,” Day said. “What would take hours if not days of looking through these manuals to get the service to the client, they’re able to now do it in a matter of minutes.” That’s why Day recommends talking directly to employees about the biggest pain points in their jobs before investing in a specific tool.
“Be very critical in assessing what you have and what you need and prioritize,” Price added, noting that successful AI adoption isn’t just about the data. It’s about knowing where the data is and putting it in the right places—from the cloud to on-premise devices to remote servers—so that your preferred AI models are trained accurately and securely.
Find a technology expert you trust
Price also emphasized the importance of finding a good technology partner to help identify and solve areas of friction. “[We have] a huge sales force that works directly with small and medium businesses,” she said. Dell Technologies helps SMBs comprehensively assess their tech needs. “That’s what we’re really after at Dell, becoming that trusted adviser.”
The company offers personalized workshops and consultations to help SMBs truly understand whether they have the right technology, including both hardware and software, and build security measures that are robust enough to support them as they grow. A trusted IT partner can also help navigate the different pricing models for new technologies and identify where SMBs can save, Price added.
Protect your data
Today, many small companies are feeding information into free large language models, which can expose proprietary data or compromise customer privacy. Both panelists cautioned against SMBs using these models for business without having a clear plan in place to protect company and customer data.
“Data security continues to be one of the things that are most on customers’ minds,” Day said. “AI requires a lot of data, and a lot of [SMBs] are wondering, ‘How do I balance what I’m doing in the public cloud versus what I ultimately need to do within the private space or on premises?’”
To keep company data safe, Day said SMBs should consider building out their own AI infrastructure within their companies, which could include an in-house generative AI model. Additionally, robust data security starts with assessing any potential weaknesses in your current framework and determining what other applications could be brought in to provide a more holistic solution.
“The critical thing here is making that assessment [with an] end-to-end view [so] we can help identify any gaps in security,” Price said. “Microsoft’s Windows 11 Pro provides a great foundation. With a modern secure baseline, hardware-rooted protection, and advanced features, Microsoft Copilot [is] already a great start.”
As SMBs race to keep up with a rapidly changing tech landscape, Day and Price agreed that success won’t come from adopting every new tool at once. Businesses that take a more methodical approach, focusing on clear outcomes, strong security, and the right technology partnerships, will be better positioned to scale sustainably and quickly. “Assess what your most volatile places are right now in terms of security,” Price said. “As long as that is done, you’ll be able to create a plan in the next 90 days and really [think it] through with a technology adviser.”
