NEW YORK, May 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The conversation around AI has been dominated by big tech, but the more important story is happening in real time across small businesses all across your state.
Companies like OpenAI have made tools like ChatGPT widely accessible, and that familiarity is turning into real business use. What started as a tool people tried at home is now helping them run their businesses more efficiently.
Local businesses, often operating with tight budgets and small teams, are turning to AI to fill gaps, save time, and stay competitive. From independent retailers to service providers, these owners are using simple, accessible tools to take on tasks that once required extra staff or outside help.
Chris Nicholson, Community Policy Lead at OpenAI explains how it is happening.
Why is Main Street seeing some of the biggest AI gains right now?
The reason Main Street businesses are embracing AI, and seeing real gains, is because tools like ChatGPT are helping small business owners tackle the many challenges they face every day.
There are more than 36 million small businesses in the United States. They make up the majority of businesses and serve as the engine of job creation in this country.
But small business owners are stretched thin. They’re juggling countless responsibilities, with a long list of problems they know need solving, yet they often don’t have the time, resources, or access to experts to address them. They’re not building large teams like big corporations.
What they need are tools that provide leverage, solutions that help them work smarter, solve problems faster, and ultimately run their businesses more effectively.
How are small businesses using AI day-to-day to grow?
ChatGPT is becoming a powerful tool for small business owners, helping them handle the many tasks that drive growth and long-term success.
There are countless practical ways businesses are using it. Most entrepreneurs start a business because they’re skilled at something, they have a product or service they want to bring into the world. But once they’re up and running, they quickly realize they need to wear many more hats.
They have to manage customer communications, market themselves on social media, and stay on top of their finances, all at once. Running a business requires mastering a wide range of skills, and no one is born knowing how to do all of it.
Until now, small business owners haven’t always had easy access to the tools or expertise to fill those gaps. That’s where solutions like ChatGPT are starting to make a real difference.
What are a few practical ways ChatGPT can help, from content to decision-making?
ChatGPT is a powerful conversation partner, one that small business owners can bring their problems to and work through step by step until they land on a solution. From there, it can also help them execute those ideas.
Take, for example, a couple in the Bay Area who wanted to start a restaurant. Initially, they assumed they’d need to lease a storefront, invest in expensive equipment, and take on a bank loan. But after talking through their options with ChatGPT, they discovered that in California, it’s actually possible to operate a food business out of a home kitchen.
That insight alone saved them significant time, money, and risk, and allowed them to start serving customers much sooner. From there, they used ChatGPT to tackle the next set of challenges: how to price their menu, how to present their offerings, and how to navigate inspections and permits.
These are the kinds of practical, day-to-day questions every small business owner faces, and ChatGPT can help answer them.
Is AI now a must-have for small businesses to stay competitive?
What many entrepreneurs are saying now is simple: this tool is a must-have. Some even describe it as “giving them wings”—helping them push forward, stay resilient, and solve new problems month after month. Because running a small business requires constant energy, creativity, and focus—and having a tool that supports that makes a real difference.
For those interested in trying it, getting started is simple. You can visit ChatGPT and begin using it for free. All it takes is starting a conversation, sharing a problem, a goal, or a question—and exploring how it can help you move forward.
For more information, visit CHATGPT.COM
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