The optimism is real – but so is the overwhelm: What the latest Amex data tells us about small businesses in 2025, and why strategy needs to keep up
American Express just published its latest Trendex report on small businesses – and on the surface, things look good.
A snapshot from the 2025 Amex Trendex report:
91% of business owners say they feel confident about growth
92% say they’re prepared for the future
73% feel more confident than ever
90% expect financial stability this year
89% believe they can adapt to changing customer needs
50% of AI-using small businesses plan to hire in 2025 – compared to 36% of those not using AI
68% of Millennial and Gen Z owners already use AI tools – and 46% plan to invest more
It’s hard not to feel encouraged by that – especially when you work with business owners day in, day out. I do. And I believe the optimism. It’s not misplaced.
But optimism doesn’t always tell the full story. Because behind the confidence is something else I’m seeing: Fatigue. Fast decisions. Pressure to keep pace. And more often than not, a lack of clear, living strategy to help make those decisions with any real direction.
The report includes a line that stuck with me: “They’re adapting – but they’re doing it alone.”
That feels spot on. And it’s what I’m hearing on both sides of the Atlantic right now – in conversations with founders, teams, and even seasoned operators. People are keeping things moving. But very few are stopping to check if they’re headed in the right direction.
Confidence isn’t the same as clarity
Small businesses are rewriting the rules. They’re adopting AI, changing their offer, learning to speak to customers who’ve changed their behaviour completely since 2020. Many are planning to grow their teams, launch new services, or expand their footprint.
But here’s the problem: most are doing it with the wrong kind of strategy. Or none at all.
I don’t mean they haven’t “done a strategy day” or filled in a template. I mean they don’t have a way to think clearly and decide quickly – without burning out, second-guessing everything, or constantly pivoting based on the last bit of noise on social media.
Strategy has to move too
This is why I built Living Strategy™. Not because I wanted a fancy name for what I do, but because so many small businesses are still being handed a 40-page deck and told to make it last a year. That’s not strategy – that’s wishful thinking.
Living Strategy™ is different. It helps you:
Make decisions faster, with more confidence
Adjust as reality shifts
Ditch the dead weight (zombie goals, legacy language, empty ambitions)
Stay sharp in motion, not just in planning sessions
It’s built for this moment - where confidence is high, but the demands are higher.
If you’re feeling that tension – the gap between belief and bandwidth – you’re not alone. And you’re not doing it wrong. You probably just need a better system to help you move forward without losing your way.
That’s what I do. And if you need help, I’m here.
Source: American Express Trendex – How Small Businesses Are Navigating an Evolving Customer Landscape, May 2025
