THE APEX TIMES
Meta research finds small business owners in APAC embracing AI, but most say they need clearer guidance
A Meta-commissioned YouGov study of nearly 4,000 small business owners across nine Asia-Pacific markets reports broad AI usage and positive effects on productivity and sales, alongside persistent gaps in training, cost information and data privacy support.
Meta says a new YouGov study commissioned for its Asia-Pacific small business research program shows AI is already widely in use among small firms, but many owners still lack the practical guidance and clarity they want to get full value.
According to Meta, the survey of 3,983 small business owners across Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong found 84% are currently using AI. Among those respondents, 76% said AI has had a positive impact on productivity, and 71% reported a positive impact on revenue or sales over the past 12 months.
Meta frames those results around a reality small businesses face, including limited resources and limited time. The company said the study suggests AI is helping owners address those constraints, even as they continue to compete with larger rivals.
Still, Meta’s research indicates owners are not satisfied with the current level of support. More than four in five respondents, 86%, said small businesses need more guidance to gain the full benefits of AI. Cost emerged as the leading barrier to training, cited by 51% of owners. When asked what support they would value most, respondents pointed to clearer information on costs and return on investment, and guidance on data privacy and security.
Meta’s newsroom post links those findings to a broader push by the company to help small businesses apply AI effectively rather than simply adopt it. It said Meta has been partnering with governments and industry associations to encourage practical AI and digital skills development.
The company also referenced its Meta Small Business Growth Academy, launched earlier this year across Asia-Pacific. Meta describes the program as designed to help small businesses move from “small to scale” using digital and AI-enabled tools, including training focused on AI-enabled advertising, Instagram Reels and WhatsApp for Business, and cross-border commerce. Meta said the academy is delivered with governments, chambers of commerce, and local program partners.
Meta said small businesses can start using AI-enabled tools from Meta now, and pointed to several products. Advantage+ is presented as an AI-assisted way to create and run high-performing ads. It also cited ads that click to WhatsApp, intended to turn conversations into customers, and Meta Business Agent, described as handling customer enquiries automatically.
To illustrate how the company says the tools and training can work in practice, Meta highlighted an example from Indonesia. It said Husnul Khotimah, founder of modest fashion brand Zayya, used the Small Business Growth Academy to expand into Malaysia with a daily ad budget of Rp30,000 (about USD 1.68). Meta reported that the campaign generated 50 enquiries and reduced customer response times from 30 to 60 minutes to under two minutes, and said the owner reported more than eight times return on ad spend for that campaign.
Meta included a direct quote from Khotimah emphasizing that she initially viewed AI mainly as content help, but learned it can also support understanding markets and reaching customers. The company used that account to argue that AI can help small firms find customers beyond their home market while freeing up time for other business activities.
There are important limits to what the study can establish. Meta said the findings are based on an online survey and that quotas were used within each market to achieve a spread by business size, rather than creating a nationally representative sample of all small businesses. It also noted that adoption and reported impact differ across the nine markets, which it said may reflect how owners interpret questions and how translation and local response norms work.
Meta said it will continue working with partners and entrepreneurs across Asia-Pacific so small businesses have skills, tools and confidence to grow with AI. For observers, the next question is whether guidance gaps identified in the study, especially around costs, return on investment and data privacy, will be addressed at scale through training programs like the Growth Academy and through the product features Meta promotes.
Sector context paragraph note: The story centers on a Meta-commissioned survey and the company’s related training and ad-product initiatives; it does not provide independent evidence beyond the survey’s self-reported results.
What to watch next paragraph note: Follow-on reporting to clarify adoption by business type, which training elements improve outcomes, and how guidance on privacy, security, and ROI is delivered across markets. Please refer to Meta’s program updates for additional detail.
Why It Matters
- If the findings reflect wider sentiment, demand for AI is shifting from “whether to adopt” toward “how to use AI well,” raising the importance of training, ROI clarity and privacy guidance.
- The survey results suggest AI is already influencing day-to-day business operations in multiple markets, not only enterprise workflows, potentially expanding competitive pressure in digital advertising and customer engagement.
- Meta’s emphasis on governments and industry partners points to a broader policy and education trend around AI skills, especially for smaller firms that may lack resources.
- Differences in adoption and reported impact across markets highlight that one-size-fits-all AI guidance may not work, increasing pressure for localized training and support.
Key Facts
- Meta commissioned YouGov to survey 3,983 small business owners across nine APAC markets: Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong.
- AI usage among respondents was high, with 84% saying they currently use AI.
- Reported outcomes were also positive, with 76% citing increased productivity and 71% citing increased revenue or sales over the prior 12 months.
- Meta said 86% of owners believe small businesses need more guidance to realize the full benefits of AI, with cost the leading training barrier (cited by 51%).
- Owners said they want clearer information on AI costs and return on investment, and more guidance on data privacy and security.
- Meta referenced the Meta Small Business Growth Academy in APAC, describing it as practical training aimed at using AI-enabled and digital tools for areas including advertising, Reels, WhatsApp for Business and cross-border commerce.
- Meta described example results from an Indonesia-based fashion brand expanding to Malaysia using a small daily ad budget, with reported improvements in enquiry volume, faster responses, and return on ad spend.
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