Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept and is now part of the routine of millions of people, including when purchasing products and hiring services. Looking at this new landscape of service platforms, which connect clients to specialized service providers, they are betting on AI to enhance the experience for users and professionals.
According to theRelatório de Varejo 2025, from the global fintech platform Adyen, 35% of consumers already use AI tools for shopping, a 45% increase compared to the previous year. The trend is clear: consumers want speed, personalization, and convenience.
Challenges and opportunities for small businesses
Professionals who decide to start their own businesses instead of seeking formal employment face various difficulties. Initial investment and customer acquisition are two of the most common challenges, despite the existence of service platforms and marketplaces that assist in this process today.
With the growth of e-commerce after the pandemic, the digitalization of businesses has become virtually mandatory for most entrepreneurs. Gaining visibility and presence on the internet has become a new challenge and a priority for many freelancers, small and medium-sized businesses.
Now, in addition to digitizing communication and sales channels, there is a need to adapt to other new technologies, such as AI.
The good use of the currently available Artificial Intelligence tools can help entrepreneurs and business owners improve their internal efficiency, making better use of time and minimizing possible errors.
In general, the integration of AI solutions into business processes appears to be related to a better customer experience and greater loyalty, especially when there is consistency between the physical and digital channels.
Currently, there are accessible and available AI tools for anyone, which can be very useful for various tasks: product recommendations, appointment scheduling, inventory management... There are even solutions to automate customer service and streamline tasks related to business accounting.
Furthermore, many tools aimed at professional use have already understood the need to adapt to the new times in order to offer the best solutions to entrepreneurs who want to carve out their space in the market. It is the case of theCronosharea service platform specialized in connecting clients with specialized professionals.
The platform allows professionals to register for free to receive requests from clients interested in their services. Then, each professional can choose which requests to attend to: to unlock the person's data who requested the service, it is necessary to use the platform's virtual currency, thechronos, and it is the professional's responsibility to close the deal with the client.
Professionals constantly monitor the investment they are making, and additionally, the platform offers a guarantee that allows recovering part of thechronosinvested in contacts that do not result in the completion of the service. Now, Cronoshare is seeking new ways to continue improving the product with the help of AI.
Carlos Alcarria, co-founder and CMO of Cronoshare, explainsWe have been working on an indicator for some time, which is already in the testing phase, to help professionals better filter the requests received, offering the highest possible transparency in this regard..
It is the CS Index: an indicator that will allow classifying requests on a scale from 1 to 10, according to the level of customer interest. The lowest scores will be assigned to clients who may need more time to decide, while the highest scores will indicate clients who are apparently more determined to hire the requested service.
To perform this filter, AI algorithms are being used, based on various criteria (contact method chosen by the customer, urgency of the service, origin of the request, etc.). The goal is for professionals to know in advance the likelihood of being hired, so they can make a decision based on this information.
Recent changes in the consumption habits of Spanish customers
More and more, consumers are taking advantage of tools like ChatGPT to get inspired, receive personalized shopping recommendations, or compare prices before purchasing a product or service. In fact, the number of customers willing to buy products increases when they receive a personalized recommendation from AI.
Returning to the data from the Adyen report, Generation Z (people between 16 and 27 years old) is the demographic group that most uses AI at the time of purchase. Specifically, until66%This group trusts Artificial Intelligence for this purpose.
This trend is also followed by 47% of Millennials (aged 28 to 43) and has been generating increasing interest among earlier generations. In the last 12 months, there was an increase of 64%in the use of AI by theBaby Boomers, and 48% among Generation X.
In summary, the data indicate a significant change in the consumption habits of most of the population, which justifies the efforts of entrepreneurs and small businesses to adapt to this new reality.
