At the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship, small businesses are poised for a transformative leap forward.

"We're going to see a doubling or tripling of the number of small businesses that can do an extraordinary amount more with much fewer employees," says Adam Alfano, the Salesforce executive vice president for Global SMB & Emerging Products. This vision is more than just technological optimism — it's a roadmap for empowering entrepreneurs who have traditionally been constrained by limited resources.

To accelerate this digital transformation for small businesses, Salesforce and Mastercard have partnered to offer discounted access to Salesforce’s customer relationship management tools through Mastercard’s Easy Savings global small business loyalty program. It provides entrepreneurs with essential technology to compete in today's fast-paced digital marketplace — from improved customer management to streamlined operations.

The Mastercard Newsroom recently chatted with Alfano and Mark Barnett, Mastercard’s global head of Small and Medium Enterprises, about the challenges small business owners face today and how AI can transform small business capabilities, turning potential limitations into opportunities for unprecedented growth and efficiency.

Barnett: Whenever we do research with small business owners, we find the three top things they’re looking for are access to capital, help on the digital journey, and protection against cybersecurity. This partnership fits firmly into the digital journey support. Since 2020, we've brought 65 million small businesses into the digital economy by helping them make and accept payments. We can’t do everything, so we partner to help them on that digital journey. Through Easy Savings, we offer discounts on various Salesforce products that meet different organizational needs, from very small to mid-market businesses. It’s a great way for small businesses to build and grow their customer relationships.

Alfano: When you look at the millions of small businesses across America, it's really the bedrock of the economy. These are traditionally companies that have to do more with less. The opportunity to help them on their mission to compete above their weight class and automate their businesses is an incredible partnership and privilege.

Alfano: Small businesses are inherently capital-constrained. They really have to use their funds wisely to drive the biggest outcomes. This includes sourcing customers, building their brands, serving those customers and getting the right information and tools to them, managing pricing and inventory, and lastly, just serving those customers long term and making sure they’re creating lasting advocates and great customer experiences.

Barnett: There's no single type of small business — needs will vary enormously from, say, an aluminum manufacturer with 40 employees in the UAE to a coffee shop that employs five in the U.S. The key is taking the pain out of day-to-day business management. A Mastercard study revealed 75% of small businesses leverage digital tools in their daily operations, which goes to show that we need to embed our capabilities where small businesses are already operating, such as their banking apps. 

Alfano: The big advantage we give small businesses is they can centralize their execution in a place that's easy to use, safe and trusted. Rather than having to take it all on themselves, because they're more resource-constrained than huge companies with big AI teams, these small businesses need a fast path that's easy and safe.

There are great examples like Oviva, which provides therapies to help folks living with weight conditions. They have an agent in their portal that has handled over 7,000 requests, handling about 40% of their queries without a human, which is just incredible. Another example is MIMIT Health, which uses Slack agents to onboard patients, automating much of their process.

Barnett:  AI has the potential to be a game-changer for small businesses. From automating routine tasks and improving customer service with chatbots, to unlocking insights through data analytics and enabling smarter decision-making, AI empowers small enterprises to operate more efficiently and compete more effectively. Last year we launched a free generative AI chatbot – Mastercard Small Business AI – to help businesses in their early stages. It’s designed to serve as a mentor at scale – providing always-on advice and support from an inclusive set of sources. Our AI focus is on areas where we have expertise: payments, cash flow optimization, procurement automation, intelligent payment reconciliation, and risk detection. The goal is to help small businesses focus on what they do best by handling the complex backend operations.