Technology

Salesforce report finds AI could save small business owners 40 per cent of their workday

Oct 14, 2025 2 min read

Hands holding a phone showing an AI app - concept of AI tools saving businesses time — Image Adobe Stock

A new Salesforce-backed IDC report has revealed that AI-driven digital labour could add a whopping $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030, and if you run a small business, there’s plenty in it for you too.

The study, The Digital Labor Economy: Powered by Agentic AI, looks at how new forms of AI are reshaping work. It finds that AI ‘agents’, that is, digital tools that can think, act and make decisions, are already taking on a serious chunk of human workloads, saving time and cutting costs.

The report suggests that by 2030, agentic AI tools are expected to take on 22 per cent of a full-time employee’s weekly workload, allowing teams to focus more on higher-value and strategic activities.

That means more time for business owners to do the creative, strategic or customer-facing tasks that can generate more business.

AI tools = big savings, bigger potential

According to IDC, businesses using AI tools are already saving over 40 per cent of their workday thanks to automation, with IT and data workers saving even more.

CEOs surveyed expect digital labour to drive new revenue streams, boost productivity and improve customer satisfaction. More than a third believe AI will make their workforce more efficient, getting more done with fewer resources.

By the end of the decade, spending on AI tools that support digital labour is tipped to hit $3.3 trillion, growing at a staggering 43 per cent a year. For context: that’s like every company in the world hiring a super-smart virtual assistant on steroids.

More jobs, not fewer

While there’s plenty of fear that AI will steal jobs, the IDC report paints a different picture. Companies investing in digital labour said nearly a quarter of their new roles last year were created because of AI, while downsizing dropped to just 14 per cent.

In other words, AI isn’t necessarily cutting staff, it’s helping businesses grow fast enough to hire more.

Most workers aren’t worried. In the study, 46 per cent said they expect AI to make their job more efficient, while only 9 per cent thought it would replace them altogether.

What it means for your business

For Aussie small business owners, AI can assist with many tasks, from automating invoices and sorting emails to managing stock and marketing, and the good news is these tools are becoming affordable and accessible.

IDC predicts industries like retail, financial services, manufacturing, and logistics will see the biggest transformation yet, all key sectors for small business. AI assistants could soon handle your scheduling, quoting, or customer follow-ups faster (and with fewer mistakes) than a human.

The report suggests digital labour “will augment workflows across the business,” changing how sales, marketing, HR, and operations get done.

The author was a guest of Salesforce at Dreamforce 2025.

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About the author

Cec Busby

Editor

Cec has been telling stories and chasing headlines for more than 25 years. These days, she’s editor of Private Media’s Business Builders and Flying Solo, and the voice behind the Flying Solo and First Act podcasts. She kicked off her editing career as the founding editor of Sydney street press The Brag and has since worn the editor’s hat across a stack of titles – from SX and CULT to Better Pictures, Total Rock, MTV, fasterlouder, mynikonlife and Fantastic Living. Cec’s reporting runs the gamut. She’s covered small business, politics, health and LGBTQIA+ issues with equal passion. And when she’s not in print or online, you might have caught her behind the mic at FBi Radio or in front of the camera on OutTV.