Salesforce is making a significant commitment to the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and economic growth in San Francisco. With plans to invest $15 billion over the next five years, the company aims to establish the city as the global epicenter for AI innovation. This announcement comes ahead of the Dreamforce conference, which is set to bring nearly 50,000 attendees to the city and contribute an estimated $130 million in local revenue.
Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce, expressed the company’s ambitions, stating, “San Francisco is a city of innovation, talent, and vision. This $15 billion investment reflects our deep commitment to our hometown — advancing AI innovation, creating jobs, and helping companies and our communities thrive.” The pledge will fund the development of an AI Incubator Hub, designed to support startups and companies in integrating AI into their operations.
For small business owners, this investment presents opportunities and insights into practical applications of AI technology. The establishment of the AI Incubator Hub will provide resources and support for startups, potentially benefiting those looking to leverage AI for their operations. By tapping into this ecosystem, small businesses can gain access to cutting-edge technologies that enhance productivity and drive growth.
Moreover, Salesforce aims to assist companies in transitioning to what they call “Agentic Enterprises.” This approach involves redesigning workflows, upskilling employees, and introducing new roles tailored to an AI-enhanced workplace. The introduction of Salesforce’s 4Rs playbook will help organizations adapt by encouraging them to reskill and redeploy talent effectively. Small business owners can utilize these frameworks to align their teams with future market demands, ultimately improving agility and responsiveness.
Another practical aspect of Salesforce’s initiative is the free online learning platform, Trailhead, which has already helped over 5 million people develop their skills. The platform offers small businesses an accessible way to train staff in essential AI skills, preparing them for the evolving workplace landscape. Additionally, Salesforce’s Career Connect aims to match employees with the skills needed for newly created AI roles, thus streamlining the hiring process.
In addition to economic benefits, Salesforce’s commitment extends to community support. The company operates on a 1-1-1 model, dedicating 1% of its equity, product, and employee time to local communities. This philanthropic approach has resulted in over $1 billion in contributions to the Bay Area, benefiting thousands of nonprofits. For small businesses, collaborating with Salesforce in community initiatives can bolster their local presence and enhance their corporate social responsibility strategies.
While the prospects are promising, small business owners should consider potential challenges as they navigate this AI-infused landscape. Adaptation to new technologies may require an initial investment in training and resources, which could be a hurdle for businesses operating on tight budgets. Furthermore, the rapid pace of AI development necessitates that businesses remain agile, continually assessing their technology strategies in light of ongoing advancements.
Additionally, there’s the potential challenge of integrating AI into existing workflows. Small businesses may need expert guidance to ensure that AI solutions genuinely enhance their operations rather than complicate them. Therefore, careful planning will be essential to maximize the benefits of AI without overwhelming existing processes.
Salesforce’s investment and the upcoming opportunities remind small business owners that the future is not only about surviving but thriving in an increasingly digital landscape. Engaging with platforms like Salesforce and taking advantage of educational resources can significantly impact a business’s trajectory as the market evolves.
As the Dreamforce conference approaches, it will be interesting to see how this investment unfolds and what implications it has for small businesses in San Francisco and beyond. For a detailed overview of Salesforce’s plans and updates, visit the original post here.
At Dreamforce, Slack unveiled transformative updates designed to reshape how teams communicate and collaborate. This latest integration of artificial intelligence within Slack aims to streamline workflows and enhance productivity, particularly for small businesses navigating the complexities of remote work.
By shifting Slack into what it calls an “agentic operating system,” users can now interact with their customer relationship management (CRM) data—like Salesforce information or Tableau dashboards—through natural language. This streamlining of operations could alleviate the issues many small businesses face with fragmented tools and siloed information. Instead of toggling between applications, everything can happen seamlessly within Slack’s conversational interface.
Denise Dresser, CEO of Slack, stated, “Every company is asking where their agents will live, how they’ll get context, and how to make them useful. Slack is the answer. By making Slack the conversational interface for Salesforce, we’re giving every employee a trusted, unified home for AI and agents—and transforming how work gets done.”
The updates promise various benefits for small business owners, who often juggle multiple roles and tasks. The new features include:
Conversational CRM: With functions such as Agentforce Sales, teams can manage customer records and notifications directly within their conversation threads. This means sales representatives can quickly strategize based on real-time data without the cumbersome process of filling out forms or switching screens.
AI-driven Support: The enhanced Slackbot serves as a customizable personal assistant, helping employees navigate routine tasks, create project plans, and analyze reports. This capability allows small business teams to focus on core activities rather than administrative duties.
Contextual Assistance: The newly introduced Channel Expert agent provides immediate responses to frequently asked questions, enabling employees to find answers swiftly. This could potentially decrease the time spent waiting for responses, resulting in faster decision-making.
Moreover, companies like Engine, a travel management firm, highlight the practical implications of Slack’s capabilities. Mollie Bodensteiner, Engine’s SVP of Operations, noted, “We’re building for scale, not just speed. Slack and Salesforce give us the structure to automate the work that slows people down and the flexibility to keep innovating as we grow.”
While there are undeniable advantages, small business owners should also navigate potential challenges. Integrating these technologies into existing workflows may require a shift in company culture, and employees might initially face a learning curve. Additionally, it will be essential to consider data security given the expansive integration of various AI tools.
Finally, with upcoming enhancements like the Real-Time Search API and more connections to commonly used platforms (including Dropbox and Notion), Slack aims to position itself as the central hub for collaboration and productivity. By bringing disparate tools into one space, teams can maintain momentum in projects while ensuring easier access to relevant data.
With Slack elevating its platform, the opportunity for small businesses to leverage AI for enhanced operational efficiency looks promising. As team members and agents collaborate more effectively, the overall potential for growth and innovation remains substantial.
As small business owners, we all know that growth comes with both opportunity and challenge. Scaling efficiently—without losing control over operations, finances, or customer experience—has always been one of the toughest balancing acts. For years, technology has promised to make that journey easier, yet many of us still find ourselves managing a patchwork of systems that barely communicate with each other. At SuiteWorld 2025, Oracle NetSuite’s annual user conference, that conversation took center stage—particularly around how artificial intelligence is shifting what’s possible for small and midsize businesses.
I sat down with Sam Levy, Senior Vice President of Growth and Execution at Oracle NetSuite, to talk about what’s new, what’s next, and how the company continues to shape its vision for small businesses that want to compete like large enterprises—but without the complexity. From the debut of NetSuite Next and its conversational AI “Ask Oracle” assistant, to real-world success stories from customers who doubled their revenue without doubling staff, Levy offered a front-row look at how automation and integrated systems are redefining small business efficiency.
For entrepreneurs considering when to move beyond QuickBooks or spreadsheets, or for those already seeking smarter, faster ways to grow, this discussion highlights where NetSuite sees the greatest potential—and what small business leaders should be doing now to prepare for the AI-driven future ahead.
Leland McFarland All right, I am here at Oracle’s NetSuite, um, SuiteWorld 2025 with Sam Levy, SVP of Growth and Execution at Oracle NetSuite. Um, got a few questions for you.
So, SuiteWorld always brings exciting uh updates. Uh, for those who couldn’t attend, what’s the key message Oracle NetSuite wants small and mid-sized business business owners to take away this year?
Sam Levy Obviously. Well, well, SuiteWorld’s our annual user conference. And what’s more exciting, this is, I think our 12th or 13th year doing SuiteWorld as a as a conference where we bring all of our customers together and talk about strategies of what we’re where we’re going. Our theme this year is “No Limits.”
And it’s really been practiced into “no limits of scaling your business.” And whether you’re a small or medium-sized business, scaling, growth can be hard. And so the things that we are talking about and the themes we’re talking about is “no limits” is how do companies scale? What’s the current trends of scaling? How is technology an enabler? And now this exponential multiplier, what we call AI, how is AI going to help me scale or how should I be, you know, consuming AI in our business?
Leland McFarland Perfect. So, NetSuite has long uh served growing companies. How would you describe its current vision for SMB companies compared to five years ago?
Sam Levy Well, the vision has much been the same for us uh for NetSuite for since 27 years ago when Evan started the company and really being one, a revolutionary company that was cloud-first.
So, we only service cloud, we only deliver in the cloud, and that was from the born-on date 27 years ago through today. And so, part of what our transformation strategy of helping small and medium businesses is to transform their business. One, to do that digital experience of how do you take and do that digital transformation? Digital transformation is not just moving your books from on-prem to the cloud.
That is kind of just a functional shift and lift of technology. Processes have to evolve in that, and so there’s a maturation that occurs. And our biggest strength is one, we go to business and go to market by industry. So, we understand your industry, what it takes to operate your industry. And so, whether you’re a healthcare company or you’re a manufacturer or you’re a retailer, there’s a different set of automation and industry metrics that you need to solve your business issues.
And we come to small businesses and help them mature that. So, when we talk about digital transformation, the first thing is looking at is, how do we help businesses just get control of their current environment? Look at their processes and then unify them. Because we’re a suite for each industry, we offer all the components to run your business. And it’s really nice for a small or mid-sized business that they really want to act like a big company, but they want the processes and the scaling of the entry points to be for the small and medium-sized companies. Exactly what we do. Provide them that level of industry comfort, and then let them scale.
Leland McFarland Perfect. So, for many small businesses, they see uh ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning, um, they they kind of view it as enterprise software. I mean, it’s kind of in the name. Um, and it’s kind of meant for larger or maybe medium-sized businesses. Uh, how is NetSuite breaking down that perception to make ERP accessible for smaller companies?
Sam Levy Yeah. This is something that we introduced a decade ago with the conversation of “SuiteSuccess.” And SuiteSuccess was essentially is taking an industry playbook and saying, “For this industry, here is your stairway.” Start with financials first, then add on operations, then add on sales, then add on your supply chain, then add on commerce, whatever it might be for your industry.
And what’s the nice part about that is how we scale down for businesses that are very simple, but yet they’re going to evolve, is we have that stairway approach. Making it really fast and simple for them to join NetSuite, and then have a growth patch, you know, pattern with capabilities that they never have to leave. It’s simply as kind of what we look at probably with our iPhones. You get onto the iPhone platform, you buy a few modules and applications, and the outset is, you need some more capacity, you just turn it on. You need another module, you get another application and you go with it. Same with business, making it really easy for a business platform to start the financials and then grow the rest of the way.
Leland McFarland Perfect. So, what are some of the biggest pain points that you see small and medium-sized businesses that are facing um that are they’re facing today, um, that NetSuite directly helps to solve?
Sam Levy Most businesses today, and I was just, you know, meeting with hundreds of customers this week, have a business need for certain systems and requirements. They have business issues. And whether they need to fill out a timesheet, they don’t have tracking, they need some information for human capital and talent, they can’t close the books, they have business issues. And I think what one of the things that NetSuite’s making it really easy for companies to do is, jeez, if you have these ripe issues, how do we help you, you know, transform your business? And that’s been the secret sauce for for us, I think is is the first part of your question. I think the second part was, how are we transforming? What was the second part of your question?
Leland McFarland Um, how are are you using or what what’s involved with the NetSuite? You know, what what does NetSuite have that can kind of really address those uh pain points?
Sam Levy Okay. So the the main thing I was talking about is, well, I was saying they say business issues that arise from small businesses, they want to grow quickly or they want to manage cost. And most small businesses have to chew gum and walk at the same time, meaning both. They have to grow, but they don’t have a bunch of people that they can add into their business. So they need some automation, a platform to help them. Let me give you an example.
A company that comes with us with $25 million in revenue, they want to double and get to $50 million in revenue. They need to invest in their product and R&D, but they don’t want to add in a bunch of accounting and operational staff. They come to NetSuite because they can automate their business and grow without adding additional headcount to support their business system. They’re adding the investments where it truly is going to make them grow. So that’s one of the offsets that we see is, just basic automation and operational improvement helps them get control of their operational costs.
Leland McFarland Okay. That seems like it’ll be very helpful, um, for small businesses, uh, who need to get, you know, as you said, control over their finances and and whatnot. Um, can you share a recent example or a customer story where a small business significantly improved operations or profitability using NetSuite?
Sam Levy Yeah, I mean, I’ll talk about some of the companies that were on stage even this week. We did some keynote addresses. One that comes to mind is a company called Cymbiotika. Now, Cymbiotika is a wellness company. They’re well-known for taking supplements and wellness, liposomal, I should say. It’s not supplements, but it’s just liposomal. And those are good for your body. And so one of their challenges is as they were growing from a $50 million company to $100 million company and launching their brands, is the complexity with them.
Now, their organization adopted NetSuite and they went live with NetSuite. And what’s interesting about their operations is their operation headcount has roughly stayed flat through their growth patterns. They’ve added a few employees, but as they doubled their revenue, they did not double their employees.
I think that’s a true testament, I think, a case study of, how do you look at leaders in your industry and what are they doing that perhaps we should be considering doing? Or how do they do it? What is their secret sauce? So how do you double revenue without adding double staff?
And so for them, they were using automation to do that. They were doing the things that that once took a team of people can now be done by an individual. An individual now instead of owning one account can manage 10 times the number of accounts. And so that became their offsetting maneuver. That was a great story that Kimberly talks about on their growth strategy.
Leland McFarland Oh, that’s perfect. All right, switching over to AI and automation, which has been basically uh most of what’s been talked about this week. Um, AI has been a huge theme this year. How is uh NetSuite’s approach to AI helping small businesses uh compete on the same level as the uh big boys?
Sam Levy The big boys? This is interesting. Uh, AI is in every, you know, it’s in every conversation seems like in business today. How we are helping companies is twofold. One, we are unique that every one of our customers is on the same version, the same release, and ultimately the same data model. So 43,000 organizations all use the software the same, from the biggest to the smallest.
AI, we believe that the best AI comes from the best data. So having all of your data in one place, there’s two approaches: outside-in versus inside-out. The outside-in approach is, let me take a Claude or a large language model like ChatGPT or Claude and use it against my current NetSuite account. So how do I unlock all of my data in my current infrastructure and tie it into a large language model? And that’s what we’ve done. We announced Model Context Protocol (MCP), which is a connector. It’s free for all of our customers to connect their NetSuite data to Claude or to ChatGPT. Now you can go in there and simply ask prompts inside of Claude, which is, “Who are my top five customers?” “What is my inventory levels?” “What’s my financial statements?” Your conversational AI, that’s an outside view in. That’s our first approach to AI being outside-in. It’s been really successful and taking an enterprise product like that and really making it simple for small and medium businesses.
The inside-out approach is doing the opposite. Building AI with inside of NetSuite and solely for just NetSuite data is you can go into NetSuite now and use certain AI capabilities inside your your your application.
So, you can use either either or or and or both ways to do it. There’s a lot of things that we use and we’ve released now for years of continuing to add onto AI capabilities from the inside-out. The outside-in approach has been good because sometimes you want NetSuite data connected to other systems. And Model Context Protocol allows then chat to not just interface with NetSuite data, but also maybe another system that you have out there. Maybe it’s a commerce system or maybe it’s Salesforce data, you can then pull in together through MCP.
Leland McFarland Right. Um, are you partnering with any outside LLMs to kind of or are you building from scratch, um, your own LLM, um, or or AI uh protocols within uh um your own system?
Sam Levy We definitely partner because those best-of-breed applications are certainly market leaders. When you think about ChatGPT and what they’ve done, you think about what Google has done, you think about what Meta has done, you think about xAI, they’re big in R&D and billions of dollars just in these large language models. Uh, we did we first start with Cohere two or three years ago as our first large language model, and then we’ve adopted all the others as subprocessors within inside of our environment. So we’re definitely leveraging all of them.
Leland McFarland Perfect. Um, what are some practical ways SMBs can use NetSuite’s new AI capabilities to save time or make smarter decisions without needing a data science team?
Sam Levy Well, the new interface, and I don’t know if you use ChatGPT, hopefully you probably do to summarize notes and so forth, or if you’ve used Claude, I think that the most interesting piece of it is it’s taking what used to be a technical way to get your answers, and it’s it’s really making it simple into context, a simple language context.
So before, if you wanted to go ask a question, which is summarize summarize my financial statements and show me year-on-year compares and show me, you know, FEs that I had, you might have to go run data from multiple systems or multiple NetSuite reports and searches to do that. You’d have to write the research or report and then pull it all together. So, very feasible, and that’s what customers have done for years. Very linear though, one report, one answer, one report, one answer, and then pulling it all together.
The nice part about taking chat is I just ask the question inside ChatGPT or I ask it inside of Claude. Show me the same data, pull my financial statements, do the year-on-compairs, do the FEs, change my visualization, show it to me in a chart, make it beautiful, hit enter. It goes and runs the searches, runs the reports inside the data, shows you where it’s got its data, and then it presents it back to you in matter of minutes now, what perhaps was days before. And that’s a simple way, I think that the most people are getting the biggest value is just taking a non-technical approach just asking the conversational questions.
Leland McFarland All right, perfect. That’s seems very useful. Hopefully it’ll save uh small business owners a bunch of time and effort.
Sam Levy And give them the visibility to their business, right? Most important, yeah.
Leland McFarland Um, switching over to industry and growth trends. Uh, from your perspective, what are the next biggest trends shaping the future of small and mid-sized businesses over the next two to three years?
Sam Levy Well, I think everyone is being asked, the biggest trend is, how can I grow but yet control my operational cost? And we’re seeing that with these, you know, the invention of the AI business models out there where, you know, we call it the multiplier effect with AI. And I think the biggest trend right now is, how can AI give me an advantage, a competitive advantage going forward? One, I got to simplify my back-office processes, make it really simple to do business from the back office, meaning how do I enter an order? How do I collect cash? How do I create a procurement transaction, receive it, and so on? So making that really simple is number one. But then how do you take that simplified process and make that a competitive advantage externally? So when a customer comes and does business with you, they don’t find it five, you know, it may take them too long to get their product or their service. Making it very easy to do business with them, and that’s been the growth lever is they’re trying to simplify things, because transactions are happening faster and faster. But we’re simplifying the complexity of the transaction, which has been the big theme today. Not a lot of complexity, simplify it, but just more transactions.
Leland McFarland More transactions, more money.
Sam Levy Well, that’s good. That should be the simple linear equation with that one. Yeah.
Leland McFarland Um, are there specific industries like manufacturing, retail, or services where you’re seeing especially strong SMB adoption or innovation through uh NetSuite?
Sam Levy This is a uh it’s a good leading question of which industry is hot and which one’s not. They all seem to have challenges going on in their business and headwinds, whether that’s macroeconomic or it’s industry pressure. You know, some product and inventory-based companies had tariff issues. And so that helped, you know, that helped help create a big headwind for them. How they reacted to it, though, I think were a little bit differently. And so, I look at some of these industries are breakthrough, meaning inventory ones that had to deal with tariffs, they were forced to use better planning and budgeting tools to get the right SKU assortments and so on.
The people that were in healthcare on the other side of it, finding more avenues to service their customers. And so they wanted to automate billing, automate billing to their insurance carriers. So they needed help on automating. For them to grow, their issue wasn’t buying more product, it was making billing to their insurance carriers more easily and more streamlined without people. And so we’re we’re seeing it kind of all industries are growing. And some are some are, I wouldn’t say contracting. High-tech has been a good one because of AI, and you’re a high-tech company creating AI. So you see a lot of sourcing, you know, uh capital going into AI companies. But I think that money is being used now across all the other industry segments.
Leland McFarland All right. Um, flipping that a little bit, are you seeing any kind of industries that it’s it’s a little difficult for you for for NetSuite and in general to kind of break into for the small business?
Sam Levy For small business? Well, one of the things we we generally say is if you’re in a regulated industry, that can be more difficult for NetSuite. Government or municipalities have a lot of restrictions. Some health and biotech have a lot of restrictions. Some government contracting and DOD have a lot of restrictions. And the restrictions are how and their compliance works with their data and how it works with the government entities and businesses that they solve.
So for our commercial business, we tend not to go after heavily regulated industries. There’s compliance, but heavily regulated industries, when you look at public sector or uh financial uh institutions that have different type of governance, we generally stay away from those. Uh, just not not our bellywick, right? We stay to the ones that are commercially available that we are really good with.
Leland McFarland All right, that’s good to know. Um, many small businesses are moving from QuickBooks or spreadsheets to cloud platforms. What triggers this transition and how is NetSuite supporting them in that journey?
Sam Levy One of the most popular systems that we replace on the entry-level market is QuickBooks. And it’s not even it’s just entry level anymore. We’re finding that it’s not just entry-level, they’re medium-sized businesses that are running QuickBooks, but they’ve certainly outgrown it, mostly for the capabilities. The number one reason they usually come to us is they can’t do something or it’s too bespoke.
So, if they’re growing internationally, they have too many databases to manage, and they want to put it in one infrastructure and have one global process. It’s very hard to do with QuickBooks. So that’s an interesting one. If they have advanced inventory items, where they’re putting in multiple warehouses and demand planning and point of sale and distribution, QuickBooks is for very simple companies. Once you add a lot of complexity to it or start to customize it, you’ve really outgrown it. And that’s where NetSuite picks up and really excels. The complex small business.
Leland McFarland All right. If you had, if you had uh one piece of advice for a small business owner looking to future-proof their operations, what would it be?
Sam Levy Wow, hire the right people. I mean, that’s a bit, you know, people and human capital and certainly in a small business is critical. And and some of the traits you say, “Well, that’s fine, but what type of competencies would you look for?” Certainly the entrepreneur spirit, challenge the status quo, and you you’ve got to make some big bets. And if you’re not making the bets around using AI in your companies, I tell founders all the time, I think you’ll be leapfrogged by a founder who is using AI to get that competitive advantage.
Leland McFarland All right, final question. What’s next for NetSuite when it comes to serving the small business market? Any areas of investment or innovation where you’re uh you’re especially um excited about?
Sam Levy Well, we announced it this week, “NetSuite Next.” It is our next generation of how we’re evolving our AI strategy and just making it available everywhere in the application from the inside-out. What we’re building and what we’re releasing for all of our customers and new customers is the kind of “Ask Oracle” concept. It’s AI-ready everywhere at any time. And it’s the conversational piece of it.
You don’t have to go learn a menu structure and navigation, the how-tos. Our firm belief is the way that you interact in the future is going to be conversational. Like we’re having now, that’s how you’re going to be interacting with your business system. Very much conversational, not menu-driven, searching for data. You’re going to be asking and prompting versus clicking and pointing. And so that is, right, the big excitement that we have is we’re doing it, we’re prototyping it now, and we’re slowly releasing it to the masses. This time next year, it’ll be fully available and it’ll be so exciting to see so many customers on it.
Leland McFarland That will be exciting and I’m I’m I’m interested in trying it out. Having a nice digital assistant.
Sam Levy Yeah, exactly.
Leland McFarland All right. Well, that’s all I got for you today. Thank you so much for uh coming on and uh putting up with all my questions.
Sam Levy Great. Good to meet you, Leland.
After speaking with Sam Levy, one thing became clear: small businesses no longer have to choose between growth and control. The tools that once seemed out of reach—enterprise-grade analytics, automation, and now AI-driven insights—are being built with accessibility in mind. NetSuite’s approach to scalability, especially through its “SuiteSuccess” industry playbooks and AI integrations, is transforming how entrepreneurs operate. The idea of “no limits,” this year’s SuiteWorld theme, isn’t just a marketing slogan—it’s a mindset shift.
Levy’s point about AI serving as an “exponential multiplier” resonated deeply. Small business owners have always worn multiple hats. Now, AI can help us wear them more efficiently—managing data, identifying trends, and freeing up time for strategic decisions. Whether it’s automating billing, unifying processes, or simply asking conversational questions to get answers that used to take days, the value of accessible AI is undeniable.
What’s most encouraging is NetSuite’s commitment to making this technology practical—not just powerful. As Levy put it, the future of business systems will be “conversational, not menu-driven.” For small businesses, that future is arriving faster than many realize. The real question now is how quickly we’ll adapt. Those who embrace AI as a trusted partner in growth, rather than a distant concept, will likely define the next wave of small business success.
Salesforce is making significant strides in the realm of artificial intelligence with its recent introduction of Agentforce 360 at Dreamforce 2025. This innovative platform aims to redefine how businesses operate by integrating humans and AI in a way that enhances productivity rather than replacing human jobs. As small business owners face an ever-changing landscape, understanding this technology and its implications becomes crucial.
Agentforce 360 is described as the world’s first platform designed to seamlessly connect employees and AI agents within a single, trusted system. This integration means that every employee can achieve more every day, every interaction with customers can yield better outcomes, and businesses can operate with exceptional efficiency. As Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce, puts it, “Agentforce 360 connects humans, agents, and data on one trusted platform, helping every employee and every company achieve more than they ever thought possible.”
The surge towards the “Agentic Enterprise” model comes amid heightened interest in leveraging AI for improved operational intelligence. By using a 24/7 intelligent framework, business teams can ensure no sales lead goes unnoticed, service quality remains high irrespective of time, and every team member has an AI partner to assist in decision-making.
Small businesses can derive numerous benefits from adopting Agentforce 360. For instance, the platform includes several advanced features designed to simplify workloads and enhance operational flow. Key offerings include a new conversational builder, hybrid reasoning capabilities that lead to accurate data interpretations, and voice technology that allows for real-time interactions. These innovations allow employees to focus on high-value activities, while routine and repetitive tasks are managed by AI agents.
Real-world use cases illustrate how Agentforce 360 has already yielded impressive results. Reddit managed to deflect 46% of support cases, resulting in a drastic reduction in resolution time from 8.9 to 1.4 minutes. Such efficiency boosts customer satisfaction and can significantly improve the cost structure for small businesses. Similarly, Adecco utilized AI agents to handle over half of candidate communication outside regular working hours, enabling recruiters to concentrate on more strategic engagements.
However, small business owners must consider some potential challenges before fully embracing Agentforce 360. First and foremost, integrating AI technologies may require upfront investment in terms of time and resources. There is also the factor of change management; transitioning to an AI-augmented workplace necessitates training and adjustment to new workflows for employees. As AI takes over routine tasks, there may be concerns among staff about job displacement, making it crucial for owners to foster a culture that views AI as an augmentation, not a replacement.
Moreover, small businesses must ensure they have the right data architecture in place. Agentforce 360 leverages a unified data layer known as Data 360, which facilitates effective context and understanding derived from existing data. This transition may require changes to current systems and processes, making planning and execution fundamental to a successful implementation.
As Marc Benioff emphasized, “We’re entering the age of the Agentic Enterprise — where AI elevates human potential like never before.” Such transformative changes may feel overwhelming, but the benefits could substantially tilt the operational balance toward greater efficiency and customer connection.
For small business owners eagerly exploring ways to enhance their operations in today’s competitive market, embracing Agentforce 360 could unlock new avenues for growth. The intersection of human capabilities and AI-driven technology could help them streamline processes and focus more on strategic initiatives that promote overall business success.
In light of these advancements, it’s wise for small businesses to remain proactive and informed about the technologies that could shape their future. To explore further about Agentforce 360 and how it might fit into their operational strategies, business owners can refer to the original Salesforce announcement here.
Small businesses are constantly navigating the evolving landscape of remote and hybrid work. Zoom’s recent announcement of new features for Zoom Spaces promises to enhance how companies manage their work environments. With AI-driven upgrades such as photo check-in for Visitor Management and an AI Companion for Zoom Rooms, small businesses can now leverage cutting-edge technology to improve collaboration and productivity.
Jeff Smith, Zoom’s head of Product for Workplace AI, Meetings, and Spaces, emphasized the transformative potential of these innovations. “The future of office work is being revolutionized. Zoom Spaces transform how we think about collaboration by creating dynamic environments where innovation and productivity aren’t limited by physical presence,” he stated. This offers a compelling glimpse into how businesses can remain competitive in a fast-paced digital world.
The introduction of photo check-in for Visitor Management is particularly beneficial for small businesses that may not have extensive resources for security and visitor tracking. This feature allows employees to verify visitors through pictures, ensuring a smooth entry process while enhancing security protocols. By simplifying visitor management, businesses can create a more welcoming experience for clients and partners, thus fostering better relationships.
Small business owners will also find value in the Recorder with AI Companion for Zoom Rooms. This feature enables comprehensive meeting documentation, allowing for easy access to discussions and key decisions made during meetings. “Zoom Spaces is fostering a more connected, inclusive workspace that adapts to how modern teams actually work,” Smith added. The AI Companion assists in summarizing discussions and providing actionable insights, which can boost team efficiency and ensure everyone stays on the same page, regardless of their physical location.
Collaboration is further enhanced through Zoom’s partnerships with major companies like HP, Google, Cisco, Meta, and Logitech. These alliances bring an array of tools and resources to small businesses, offering integrations that can streamline workflows and reduce friction in operations. For instance, partnering with hardware providers allows small businesses to access cutting-edge technology without incurring the costs of developing solutions in-house.
Despite these advantages, small business owners should be mindful of the potential challenges associated with adopting new technology. Transitioning to AI-first environments may require training for employees, particularly those who are less tech-savvy. Ensuring that staff can effectively utilize these new features will be critical for maximizing their benefits. Moreover, small businesses may face initial costs associated with upgrading existing systems or integrating new technologies into their operations.
As remote and hybrid work continues to be a dominant trend, Zoom’s innovations provide small business owners with the tools necessary for success. These enhancements not only improve internal operations but also allow businesses to adapt to the needs of a modern workforce. The ability to foster connection, regardless of physical location, can be a game-changer for small companies striving to maintain competitive advantage in an increasingly digital world.
Robust features like photo check-in and enhanced recording capabilities equip businesses with the essentials for efficient collaboration. By focusing on these advancements, small business owners can gain a clearer understanding of how to implement strategies that keep their teams engaged and productive. As Jeff Smith notes, the future of work is rapidly changing; how businesses adapt to these changes will define their success in the years to come.
For further details on these innovations, visit Zoom’s blog.
A recent study from SurveyMonkey shines a spotlight on emerging workplace trends that small business owners must navigate to foster a productive and engaged workforce. Conducted between July 25 and August 3, 2025, the survey sampled 3,573 full-time workers across the U.S., offering a snapshot of sentiments and preferences that can help businesses adapt their strategies in this evolving landscape.
The findings underscore a significant shift in employee expectations and workplace culture, driven by the ongoing effects of the pandemic and shifts in work dynamics. Small business owners need to stay attuned to these trends to not only retain talent but also enhance overall employee satisfaction.
Flexible Work Environment: A Must-Have
One of the standout revelations from the SurveyMonkey study is the increasing demand for flexible work arrangements. Nearly 50% of respondents indicated that the option to work remotely is a critical factor in their job satisfaction. This trend underscores the importance of offering flexibility, particularly as many employees have grown accustomed to hybrid work models that blend remote and in-office hours.
“Flexibility in the workplace is no longer a perk; it’s an expectation,” said a spokesperson from SurveyMonkey. For small business owners, adapting to this trend may involve rethinking traditional office space allocations or investing in remote collaboration tools.
Employee Well-being Takes Center Stage
Mental health and well-being emerged as crucial areas of focus. Workers noted a desire for employers to prioritize mental health resources and create an environment where employees feel safe to discuss their challenges. More than 60% of respondents expressed that supportive workplace cultures significantly improve their job performance.
Small business owners looking to harness this trend might consider implementing employee assistance programs or regular check-ins to ensure their staff feels supported. “Invest in initiatives that promote well-being, and you’ll likely see productivity increases alongside improved morale,” the SurveyMonkey spokesperson added.
The Importance of Career Development
Another key takeaway from the study is the growing appetite for career development opportunities. Employees voiced a need for training and advancement programs. More than half indicated that access to professional development significantly influences their job satisfaction and retention.
For small businesses, this presents a dual opportunity: not only can they cultivate talent from within, but they can also enhance their reputation as desirable employers. Offering workshops, mentorship programs, or online courses can be effective strategies for fostering a culture of growth.
Navigating Potential Challenges
Despite these clear benefits, small business owners face challenges when adapting to these evolving expectations. Implementing flexible work arrangements, for instance, may require an upfront investment in technology and infrastructure. Additionally, ensuring mental health resources are both accessible and impactful can be a complex task.
Moreover, while the focus on career development is beneficial, small businesses must balance these offerings with budget constraints. Prioritizing which initiatives to implement based on available resources and employee needs will be crucial in ensuring sustainability and effectiveness.
Fostering an Inclusive Culture
Diversity and inclusion remain at the forefront of workplace discussions, with employees increasingly seeking organizations that reflect their values. The data reflects that diverse workplaces are more innovative and attract a broader talent pool. Small business owners should consider implementing inclusive hiring practices and fostering a welcoming environment to meet these expectations.
Employees want to know that their voices are heard, and that they can contribute to a workplace that values varied perspectives. Initiatives like employee surveys, feedback loops, and outreach programs can help small businesses engage effectively with their workforce.
The ongoing evolution of the workplace landscape presents both opportunities and challenges for small business owners. By integrating flexible work arrangements, prioritizing mental health, and investing in professional development, businesses can align with the shifting priorities of their employees. Those who respond proactively to these trends will not only maintain a competitive edge but also create a thriving workplace culture conducive to long-term success.
As small business owners, we often hear about the importance of innovation and adaptability—but sometimes, the most powerful examples come from unexpected places. At SuiteWorld 2025, I had the chance to speak with Claudia Freed, President and CEO of EALgreen, a nonprofit that’s rethinking how to fund higher education through the principles of the circular economy. Her organization doesn’t just hand out scholarships; it transforms surplus inventory that might otherwise go to waste into life-changing financial aid for students.
That’s an idea any small business owner can appreciate—turning inefficiency into opportunity. Whether it’s unused products, outdated processes, or legacy systems, every organization faces the challenge of doing more with less. EALgreen’s story proves that innovation doesn’t have to be confined to tech startups or massive corporations. It can come from a mission-driven nonprofit that has sustained itself for over 40 years without outside funding.
In our conversation, Claudia shared how EALgreen evolved from a grassroots idea into a model of operational efficiency and purpose-driven leadership. She also discussed how NetSuite’s cloud ERP system helped modernize their operations, eliminate risk, and unlock new growth opportunities—all while staying true to their mission of helping students succeed. Here’s my full conversation with Claudia Freed at SuiteWorld 2025.
Leland McFarland
All right, I am here at Oracle’s NetSuite’s uh SuiteWorld 2025 with Claudia Freed, President and CEO of EALgreen. So, Claudia, thanks for coming on and uh doing this interview. So, first of all, for those who are maybe not that familiar, uh can you start by telling us what EALgreen does and who you serve?
Claudia Freed
We are a non-profit organization founded over 40 years ago and what we do is give students scholarships so that they can go to college and fulfill their own human potential. What we do that is so unique is how we do the funding of the scholarships, which is in the space of the circular economy and reverse logistics. We convert donated inventory into financial aid.
We serve a population of college students that would love to go to college but sometimes are limited with regards to their finances. We also serve corporate donors that have a supply chain challenge of product that they perhaps would have had to send to the landfill. And ultimately, uh we feel that we serve the world and society so that everyone has an opportunity to go to school.
Leland McFarland
So similar to like consignment shops that utilize um donations to uh support local uh charities but instead or you utilize um objects that may go to the landfill or even surplus to be able to uh donate to uh college students, right?
Claudia Freed
In fact, let me help you with an analogy. We think of a college as a small city. So a small city uses products for transportation, equipment, supplies to maintain their infrastructure. Therefore, we work with corporations that have that type of product to donate. And then we evaluate three different channels where we can either reuse the product on a college campus.
If the product cannot be reused because it may not be in the right place or in the right condition, we will either try to repair, or if it has to be resold, the funds that we raise fund additional scholarships. And ultimately, if it cannot be reused or repaired, it will be recycled.
The brilliant model that we inherited from our founders from 1982 is that when that snowblower, let’s say, went to a college campus, the university generates operational savings. That means that those savings are then transferred to a student to lower their financial aid costs.
The cool thing about my story is that I was the very first student that they ever helped in 1982. And I have felt the impact of the work that we do in my own life. And that is what is a large motivator for continuing that legacy.
Leland McFarland
So what inspired the founding of it? So original founders and and you you were the like the first recipient, so you can you can really attest to this.
Claudia Freed
The the the great question, you know, what inspired an engineer and a businessman that were friends um in 1982? And there was the perfect storm of ideas and opportunity. What inspired them was the thing they had in common: both gentlemen had gone to college with the financial aid help of a scholarship. So that is what they had in common.
And they were really ambitious. And they said to themselves, “Not if, but when we become successful, we want to pay it forward.” So what is the principle behind the founding of EAL? Is this concept of paying it forward and giving back. And that has been the core value of EAL that despite technology changes 40-some years in business, uh we hold very dear.
Leland McFarland
Great. Uh what challenges or pain points led you to start looking for a solution like NetSuite?
Claudia Freed
Great question. Part of being successful in business is managing risk very well, recognizing when you have an exposure, managing the risk and taking mitigating actions. A few years ago, we began to look at a potential single point of failure. We were looking at outdated technology. We had gone from pencil and paper to digital, then to um a point where if we hadn’t made the decision of updating our technology, we were going going to probably not be able to continue to grow and thrive. We also had a very fragile system of volunteers and IT personnel that were either going to be retiring or transitioning. So we recognized that as a single point of failure. Our motivation was to save the business from becoming obsolete. And that is the point at which we then began the journey to look for a partner.
Leland McFarland
Okay. Um, how were you managing operations before NetSuite? Now, you you did cover that. You you said pen and paper and so, yeah. Um, can you share how NetSuite has changed your day-to-day operations?
Claudia Freed
NetSuite has changed our day-to-day operations in ways that has made in some ways life a little bit simpler. And how? By giving us tremendous visibility into the organization, and giving us mobility, and giving us the safety of our data in the cloud to have a backup. So, specifically how it has changed: at any one point, anyone in my team has been able to develop their own KPIs and their own dashboard. So whatever their area of operation or responsibility, at a moment note—at a moment’s notice, they see data real-time. When we had five different systems, we had to be jumping from one to another. So it has changed the efficiency with which we arrive at data, empower decisions. We can now make decisions much faster. We don’t have to wait for five reports. If we have to pivot, if we have to offer a different solution, the ability for NetSuite to provide that data to us more quickly, more clearly, uh in a reporting format that can be communicated, uh that has been a tremendous boost to the operations of a small organization with 12 employees.
Leland McFarland
So drilling down a little bit, was there like a aha that like that that that moment where you just go, “Wow, this thing works and this thing is going to save us money”? Was there that defining moment?
Claudia Freed
Well, yes, and it continues, right? The moment for me, because I am responsible for finance on top of the uh mission, uh was really when we declared that we were going live. And we had to transfer data, so we had to bring data from other systems. The process took a few months, but the aha moment for us was when we recognized our own data in the new shiny model. So for us, it was the ability to trust the data the moment that it landed there. Those were our numbers, that was our P&L, those were our scholarships.
I think if we had not been successful in that transition, you cannot accelerate the change the way that we have done it. But we made a very good first step. From there, we can build out from it. The second aha moment is really coming now as we are playing and demo um AI solutions to see the way that AI is expanding our ability to analyze the scenario, the ability to think about potential risks and potential opportunities for us to create more scholarships. You mentioned about, you know, how does the business measure its success in terms of how can you be more financially successful. For us, success is measured by the number of students we can help. And NetSuite has enabled us to measure those uh lives as well.
Leland McFarland
Great. You’ve already answered some questions that were down here too. So, but um which NetSuite models or tools are you most criti— or are most critical uh to your organization’s success today?
Claudia Freed
Great question in terms of pairing your business to the right solution. We, as I have said, are a non-profit organization. NetSuite does have a module called Social Impact. Social Impact is designed for non-profit organizations that operate a more traditional fundraising model, where perhaps you are tracking grants, you are tracking ticket sales to a gala or an event. That is not the EALgreen business model. We live in the world of reverse logistics and operations. So for us, what was most attractive was the wholesale distribution model. So we use wholesale distribution to track a catalog that has about 1.5 million SKUs, through which we then fulfill orders. The second module that we use out of NetSuite is SuiteCommerce Advanced. And SuiteCommerce Advanced is, of course, the more advanced version of SuiteCommerce. And why we need that? Because our model is predicated on an object, a piece of inventory, a tool, becoming a scholarship. And when you are under an integrated system, as NetSuite is, that transaction will end up on your general ledger to feed into your financials. And SuiteCommerce Advanced allows us to do that.
Leland McFarland
That’s great. Um, you already talked about like measurable results and and and the efficiencies that you’ve already um achieved through uh NetSuite. Um, how has having real-time data through NetSuite influenced your decision-making uh um decision-making um as a uh CEO?
Claudia Freed
It enables me to communicate to my board of directors the impact of their support. So their decision to support a digital journey a few years ago, before this was even a known a known frontier, we said, “We recognize a risk. We need to make an investment. Trust us, we are going to find the right partner.” And the ability to now demonstrate success, not only to the board, but also to donors. How are we measuring success?
Over the years, we have converted over $40 million worth of donated inventory into over 30,000 scholarships. Those are real students that have gone to college. Year over year, just in the last year, because of the new tools that we have implemented in NetSuite, we have seen a 55% increase in the scholarships that are being awarded to students. The average scholarship is $3,000. We are on our way to award 1,000 scholarships this year alone. In SuiteCommerce, the platform, through an implementation of AI, which is intelligent item recommendation, our customers, who are physical plant directors of colleges and universities looking for that snowblower, a hard hat, tools to complete their work, they can log onto the system and be provided recommendations. That has increased engagement with our own partners by over 13%. And as a CEO, having data very quickly that you can follow through and investigate why is that happening, why is it 13% and not 15, or what made it go from 10 to 13, it gives you the power of analytics very quickly.
Leland McFarland
That’s great to hear. Um, as a leader, how do you balance EALgreen’s social mission with the need to stay operati— operationally efficient?
Claudia Freed
Many, many years ago, I had to come up with a metaphor for that question. Because in life and in business, it’s always about a trade-off. We’re trading off a benefit and a cost. And so for us, it’s always been the idea of flying a twin-engine plane. We need the mission to attract the support. And without the support, we really, what’s the point of a mission? So for us, they they matter in equal measure.
And one of the things that we are very proud of is that when we speak to our donors, some of whom have been with us from day one, they funded the very first scholarship and they’re still our donor without interruption. One of the words that are used to describe EAL is that we’re a thoughtful organization. And I believe that that comes from that idea that you have to always be mindful, what’s the mission of EAL? To help students go to college. And what is the business model? We are self-funded. We rely in absolutely no outside funding. We don’t have grants. That’s why we don’t use the Social Impact model, but we use the wholesale distribution. And every aspect from the board of directors on down, we know that what we do every day matters to that student that one day may be sitting here with you speaking because we do change lives.
Leland McFarland
All right, final question. Uh, if you were to describe your NetSuite experience in one sentence, what would it be?
Claudia Freed
In one sentence. Um, challenging but rewarding. Challenging and rewarding. I I wouldn’t say but. Challenging and rewarding. Rewarding because uh we are now on the other side. But better yet, let me uh share with you, just before coming here, I’m the CEO, I call Greg at one of our fulfillment centers on a Thursday afternoon at 2:30. He was understandably nervous. Why is the CEO calling me unannounced at 2:30 in the afternoon?
And I said, “Greg, I’m preparing for this event in Las Vegas. Would you describe for me a couple of good things about NetSuite and a couple of not-so-good things about NetSuite? What has been your experience?” And he was so quick to enumerate, “Well, Claudia, we now have a lot of visibility. I know where all the snowblowers are.” Great.
“Some things that are not so good.” And I heard nothing. Silence for a couple seconds. And I was like, “Greg, are you there?” And he said, “Well, I have to think about it. However, if you had asked me that question two years ago, the list would have been flipped. I would have only bad things to say. It was challenging. We didn’t have the right systems. We had the right data, but we had to put better Wi-Fi in the system, in the warehouse. Um, we had to uh acquire different type of equipment for them to do their job.” So there were some pain points. But with anything, with anything in life that is a change or an improvement, um, it’s difficult. Even if you are trying to be more fit in your own life, um, this is bringing fitness into our operations. And therefore now we are completely reliant on our data that comes from NetSuite. So for us, it has been challenging and rewarding and the proof is that we are here today as their guest, showcasing and sharing the benefit of EAL being a customer, and we believe in that.
Leland McFarland
Great. Well, thank you uh for your insight. Uh, it speaking with you has been really great. And I I love seeing what you’ve been able to do with NetSuite and and being able to accelerate your growth and and yeah, it’s it’s it’s truly amazing. Thank you.
Claudia Freed
Thank you, Leland. I I appreciate your curiosity and the questions and, you know, I could talk all day about EAL. I love what I do, but I know we have things to do. So thank you very much.
Speaking with Claudia reminded me that technology, at its best, isn’t just about automation—it’s about amplification. It amplifies impact, efficiency, and the reach of a good idea. What EALgreen has done through its partnership with NetSuite isn’t just a story about software implementation; it’s a blueprint for resilience and reinvention.
Small businesses can learn a great deal from EALgreen’s journey. Claudia’s focus on managing risk, eliminating single points of failure, and aligning mission with metrics reflects the same balancing act entrepreneurs face every day. Her metaphor of “flying a twin-engine plane”—keeping both the mission and operations in harmony—resonates deeply in an era when many small organizations struggle to grow sustainably without losing their purpose.
Even more inspiring is the measurable impact: converting $40 million in donated inventory into 30,000 scholarships, and seeing a 55% increase in awards after modernizing with NetSuite. That’s proof that efficiency and empathy aren’t opposites—they’re partners in long-term success.
For small business owners, the takeaway is clear: digital transformation isn’t just for big enterprises. With the right mindset and tools, it’s possible to scale impact, make smarter decisions, and ensure that every ounce of effort drives both profit and purpose. EALgreen’s story shows that meaningful growth starts with a clear mission—and the courage to evolve.
