KERRIGAN IN BIZ TECH: Here’s How Small Businesses Can Get More Value from Their Data

By SBE Council at 21 July, 2026, 12:00 pm

In a Biz Tech Magazine interview, SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan is interviewed along with several business experts on ways that entrepreneurs and business owners can get more value from their data and how to manage it better. The article covers the current state-of-play and the challenges and opportunities for small businesses, including the deployment of AI as a solution.

A few quotes from Kerrigan:

● Small businesses understand the importance of data; they're simply data fragmented and overwhelmed with other things.

● Start with decisions, not dashboards. Focus on two or three core business questions - such as which customers drive repeat revenue or where margins are being lost - and tie data directly to revenue, costs or growth. Build a "good enough" data foundation and use it in daily operations, not just reports.

● AI is accelerating curiosity and urgency around data and operationalizing it. It's allowing small business to make smarter decisions; for example, we have seen growing use of AI pricing tools among small businesses to make pricing decisions more aligned with the marketplace and what their business needs are.

● Most small businesses will say that one of their weaknesses is that they're not in a place where they can leverage AI across the enterprise. The broader issue is that while they have data that is siloed, they're also using AI tools that are siloed.

Read the full interview, including tips and insights from other business experts here .