Older, female, and rural founders are embracing AI to grow and create jobs, but confidence gaps remain. New report calls for tailored training and support.
A growing number of older and female small business founders in Ireland are adopting artificial intelligence to drive growth and job creation, according to a new report from the Small Business Tech Consortium.
The research also highlights a significant confidence gap among these groups, despite high levels of adoption.
“For small businesses AI is not just saving time but enabling growth, ultimately leading to local job creation”
The report found that 87% of small business founders aged 46 to 55 and 79% of those aged 56 to 65 are already using AI in their operations. Female founders are adopting the technology at a slightly higher rate than their male counterparts, with 79% of women using AI compared to 75% of men.
The difference between competence and confidence
Rural entrepreneurs also reported strong uptake. One female founder credited AI with enabling her to expand into 16 countries from her farm in Donegal. Another described the technology as “the assistant they could not afford to hire.”
For many small business owners, AI is helping to address one of their most pressing challenges: time. Among entrepreneurs aged 45 to 55, 97% said the biggest benefit of AI was the time it saved, allowing them to focus more on customers and business development.
Despite these benefits, the report identified a gap between adoption and confidence. On average, founders rated their AI knowledge at 3.2 out of 5. Women and those over the age of 45 were more likely to report lower confidence levels. The most commonly cited barriers were cost and lack of training.
Joanne Mangan, Ireland country manager at Enterprise Nation, said the findings reflect a broader trend in digital adoption among small businesses.
“This research shows that AI is not confined to one demographic. More mature entrepreneurs and female founders are embracing it, while our rural businesses are using the technology to scale globally and compete on an international stage. For small businesses AI is not just saving time but enabling growth, ultimately leading to local job creation,” she said.
Mangan added that more targeted support is needed to help small business owners build confidence in using AI. “Small business owners are largely left to figure it out for themselves, without the benefit of tailored support. That is why we see high adoption levels but low confidence levels. To build on this momentum, we need accessible financial supports and training that meet small business owners where they are.”
The report recommends the introduction of an AI implementation voucher scheme, practical role-based training, and a national campaign to highlight success stories from female entrepreneurs, rural businesses, and founders in their 40s and older.
It also highlights the role of Tech Hub Ireland in supporting digital adoption. Backed by Amazon, Google, Vodafone Business Ireland, Square, .ie and GS1, the Tech Hub platform offers personalised recommendations, training, and ongoing support for small businesses.
The Small Business Tech Consortium, which produced the report, was established as part of Tech Hub Ireland to represent the voice of small businesses in digital technology adoption. It is led by Enterprise Nation and includes small business owners and Tech Hub partners.
Enterprise Nation is a business support platform and membership community that provides services to more than 800,000 small businesses annually across Ireland and the UK.
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