AI: Our New Reality 2026 Business Strategy series

The Economy, AI, & Your Business: Why It's Time to Rethink Your Business Strategy

It's "Breaking News" here and "Breaking News" there. Can we talk business strategy and what is really going on? In this series we are referencing the Future of Work and understanding the Economic Outlook that is forecast for 2026 and beyond. 

Currently, the market is a mix of (1) inflation, war, and AI anxiety, (2) tight capital including venture capitalists and angel investors, and (3) cautious potential customers and partners. For entrepreneurs and SMBs, this means every dollar spent and every process executed needs to be efficient, effective, and expedited (3Es). What worked pre CV19 including low-cost or low-skill labor or manual processes is now a path to obsolescence. The challenge for business owners isn't just surviving the economic climate or being displaced by corporate giants; it's surviving the disruptive force of AI. 

In second and third quarter 2025, the job market numbers dipped in government sectors affecting primarily black women, while in other sectors including technology, numbers were promising. At the same time, millions of routine roles are at risk whether manufacturing, healthcare, or automotive sectors. Routine tasks are being absorbed by AI that serves as a dual threat and opportunity. For business owners, this translates to conducting a business and financial health checkup.
As a business strategist, Consultant Proficiency Resources highly recommends conducting an end of year SWOT analysis to know your business health status and better understand what is ahead. To devise a SWOT, please consider the below:

1. Strength: As a business owner consider one's business stage (length of time in business), business agility (ability to bounce back from losses or economic turbulence), and a lack of bureaucracy (allowing for faster decision-making). 

2. Weakness: One area in business that is typically a weakness for small or mid-size businesses is access to capital. Without capital, it becomes more challenging to create a robust infrastructure; including a lack of cyber security, which is an expensive undertaking. Lastly, the investment that goes into marketing and promotions. In business, the adage applies, to make money one must spend money.

3. Opportunity: Understanding how AI can be applied to your business so your business can attain the 3Es is key. The alternate perspective is using AI to augment capacity, whereby releasing your employee to submerge in a more creative process while assigning autonomous task to AI. Hence the reason for this AI Level Up series. 

4. Threat: If you don't adopt AI for efficiency, your competitors who do will undercut you on price and speed.

AI is Data-Driven Imperative

In this climate, guesswork is a luxury you can't afford. The single most important asset you have for navigating economic uncertainty and adopting AI effectively is your data. This week’s mission is two-fold:

(1)-Devise a SWOT analysis to determine your true business status 

(2)-Conduct and Inventory analysis. This means, review your current processes and ask yourself and team two simple but essential questions: 

a-Where do we waste the most time, and

b-where do we make decisions without clear data? 

Your responses will empower you and your team to take significant business strategic steps preparing you for 2026 and beyond. This is where your AI transformation begins.