
The Practical AI Playbook for Small Businesses
2026 Edition
Artificial intelligence has become impossible to ignore and difficult to assess. For most small and mid-sized businesses, the challenge is no longer awareness — it is separating real, practical opportunity from noise, hype, and expensive distraction.
This flagship report distils Horizon's research into a clear, actionable playbook: where AI is already creating value for businesses like yours, how to evaluate an opportunity without a technical background, the questions to ask before you invest, and the pitfalls that quietly waste time and money. It is written to be read by a decision-maker in an afternoon and used for years.
Inside this report
- Practical use cases, function by function
- How to evaluate an opportunity without a technical background
- Cost, risk, and realistic timelines
- The questions to ask any vendor
- The common and costly mistakes to avoid