As we recognize Small Business Month in May, it’s the perfect moment to celebrate the entrepreneurs who power Michigan’s economy, and to take a hard look at what small businesses in the state need to keep growing in today’s digital world.
Between the three of us, our businesses look very different. One is a mobile clothing boutique based in Shelby Township, another is a yoga studio in Ann Arbor, and another is a skin care boutique based in Flint, serving customers throughout the state.
But we share a common reality: Digital tools, especially personalized advertising and artificial intelligence, are essential to how we operate, compete and grow.
Personalized ads fuel small business growth
Using personalized ads through social media channels have allowed our businesses to reach customers far beyond our immediate communities. Instead of spending thousands on traditional advertising that may or may not reach the right audience, we can use targeted tools to connect directly with people who are most likely to engage with our businesses.
At Overstuffed Closet Boutique, personalized ads help showcase new arrivals to shoppers who have already shown interest in similar styles, leading to stronger engagement and more consistent sales. At Elle Jae Essentials, targeted campaigns have helped turn online engagement into repeat customers, growing brand visibility well beyond Flint, and even internationally. At Ita Yoga Studio, digital ads help fill classes by reaching individuals already searching for wellness and fitness options in the Ann Arbor area and beyond.
These tools aren’t just effective, they’re also efficient. And they allow us to stretch limited budgets and compete with much larger companies in our sectors.
AI helps us work smarter, not harder
Artificial intelligence is taking that efficiency even further.
At Ita Yoga Studio, AI is integrated into daily marketing workflows, helping to create polished, targeted ad content in a fraction of the time it would normally take. Instead of spending hours building campaigns from scratch, AI tools allow for faster testing, quicker adjustments and messaging that stays aligned with the right audience. That means more time remains to be focused on clients and the community, and less time is lost to trial and error.
Across our businesses, AI is helping analyze performance and strategy, refine customer targeting, create content and automate time-consuming business tasks. For small business owners juggling everything from operations to customer service, that’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Congress must protect the tools small businesses rely on
We recently traveled from Metro Detroit to Washington, D.C., as part of the Meta Business Leaders Network annual conference, joining fellow entrepreneurs from across the country. We didn’t just go to network; we went to learn, and just as importantly, speak up about how the tools that small businesses rely on are evolving quickly, and how public policy needs to keep pace.
We met with Michigan’s congressional leaders in D.C. to share a simple message: these tools are not abstract tech trends. They are practical, everyday resources that help small businesses survive and grow in our great state. And, as lawmakers consider new regulations around AI and digital advertising, they must understand what’s at stake.
We support thoughtful safeguards to prevent misuse of AI and protect consumers. But overly broad restrictions or policies that limit access to personalized advertising could unintentionally harm the very businesses that drive local economies.
In Michigan alone, hundreds of thousands of small businesses rely on digital platforms to connect with customers, generate revenue and create jobs. For many, especially those without large marketing budgets or physical storefronts, these tools are the difference between growth and stagnation.
As Congress looks ahead to this ever-changing high-tech landscape, we urge lawmakers to:
Michigan’s small businesses are built on adaptability. We evolve, learn and find new ways to serve our communities. Digital tools like AI and personalized ads have become a central part of that evolution. The question now is whether public policy will keep up.
As entrepreneurs on the ground, we can say this with certainty: when small businesses have access to the right tools, we don’t just survive. We grow, hire and strengthen the communities we call home.
Claresta Williams Ivy is the owner of Overstuffed Closet Boutique in Shelby Township. Ita Reyes is the owner of Ita Yoga Studio in Ann Arbor. La’Asia Johnson is the owner of Elle Jae Essentials in Flint.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Protect digital tools to support Michigan small business growth | Opinion
Reporting by Claresta Williams Ivy, Ita Reyes and La’Asia Johnson / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
