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Buyers: adoption, pain and where owners gather

How many small firms use AI, what holds the rest back, where owners meet and learn about vendors, and which public programs in Canada can pay.

In short

  • AI use among Canadian businesses is rising fast but is still a minority practice. Professional services and finance sit well above the average.
  • Firms without AI mostly say it is not relevant to them, that they do not know what it can do, or that they worry about privacy. Cost ranks lower.
  • Owners meet around their trade association, their software vendor and a few peer networks.
  • No public program reviewed pays directly for a small professional firm to buy a small automation.

Adoption in numbers

Canada

MeasureValueSource
Businesses that used AI to produce goods or deliver services19.2% in Q2 2026, up from 12.2% in 2025 and 6.1% in 2024StatCan, Q2 2026
Professional, scientific and technical services32.4%StatCan, Q2 2026
Finance and insurance40.4%StatCan, Q2 2026
Firms with 1 to 4 employees / 100 or more19.9% / 27.8%StatCan, Q2 2026
Businesses saying AI is "not relevant" to them40.0% overall; 41.4% of firms with 1 to 4 staff, 41.0% with 5 to 19, 21.3% with 100+StatCan, Q2 2026
Canadian businesses that used AI to produce goods or deliver servicesShare of all businesses, 0–100%
Canadian businesses that used AI to produce goods or deliver services
20246.1%
202512.2%
Q2 202619.2%

Source: StatCan, Q2 2026

StatCan's definition is narrower than most owner surveys. CFIB found that 41% of small and medium-sized firms use generative AI in some capacity but only 18% daily (April to June 2025; another CFIB page says "nearly 45%"). BDC reports 30% of SMEs using AI in 2025. These measure different things and should not be compared directly.

Manitoba

  • 32% of Manitoba businesses use AI "to some degree" (Probe Research, 202 business owners and managers, February to March 2026).
  • Active use is higher in Winnipeg (22%) than in rural and northern Manitoba (12%).
  • Among Manitoba adults, 54% hold a negative view of AI, up from 41% in 2025 (Probe Research, 725 adults).

United States

US figures run from about 18% of firms (Federal Reserve note on Census data, end of 2025) to 77% "regularly" (Intuit QuickBooks, 2026), depending on who is asked and how "use" is defined. The Census question wording changed in November 2025. In its data, under 20% of firms with four or fewer employees use AI, against 32% of firms with 100 to 249.

Professional services

  • Law: 79% of legal professionals use AI at all (Clio Legal Trends, 2025), but use declines in firms with fewer lawyers.

  • Insurance: 46% of US independent agencies use AI, up from 15% in 2024. Finding and screening job candidates is a top challenge for 45% (Big "I" Agency Universe Study 2026, 1,376 respondents).

    US independent insurance agencies using AI
    US independent insurance agencies using AI
    202415%
    202646%

    Source: Big "I" Agency Universe Study 2026

  • Mortgage: more than half of US brokers use AI regularly and about a third daily, mostly general-purpose tools (AD Mortgage survey, 250+ brokers). Hard Canadian figures are scarce.

What holds firms back

Reason given by firms with no AI plansShare (StatCan, Q3 2025)
Not relevant to goods or services78.1%
Limited understanding of what AI can do11.3%
Privacy or security8.1%
Too expensive4.7%
Lack of skilled workforce4.6%

Among all Canadian businesses, StatCan's Q2 2026 data show privacy and cybersecurity named as a limit on AI use by 13.4% and cost by 10.6%. Privacy concern rises with size (30.0% of firms with 100+ employees, 11.6% of firms with 1 to 4), and so does outside help: 30.2% of AI users with 100+ employees used external consultants or vendors, against 10.7% with 1 to 4.

CFIB asks owners about technology in general. The top challenges are lack of digital skills (51%), no time to explore options (49%), setup and investment cost (48%) and difficulty finding solutions that fit (43%).

Top technology challenges named by small business ownersShare of owners, 0–100%
Top technology challenges named by small business owners
Lack of digital skills51%
No time to explore options49%
Setup and investment cost48%
Difficulty finding solutions that fit43%

Source: CFIB

On time: Canadian businesses spend 256 hours a year on red tape, 35% more than in 2020. Compliance costs $10,208 per employee in firms under five people, against $1,374 in firms with 100 or more (CFIB Red Tape Report). CFIB generative-AI users report saving 1.08 hours a day.

Where owners gather

NicheMain gatheringsVendor access
MortgageMortgage Professionals Canada: 15,000+ members; its National Mortgage Conference (Calgary, October 2026) sold out. DLC Group network: 9,000+ agents. Trade media: Canadian Mortgage Professional, Canadian Mortgage TrendsExhibitor and presentation packages
InsuranceIBAO (Ontario) and other provincial broker associations; IBAOcon (Toronto, October 2026) has an exhibitor program. Big "I" in the US represents more than 25,000 agency locationsApplied and Vertafore partner programs
ImmigrationAILA (US): 18,000+ lawyers. CAPIC (Canada): member counts differ by source. CBA Immigration Law Conference: 28-30 May 2026, OttawaExhibit hall at AILA's annual conference
Small and family lawThe Clio ecosystem (ClioCon, Boston, October 2026). ABA TECHSHOW (Chicago, 3 to 6 March 2027, 100+ vendors). Lawyerist Lab, a paid coaching community, allows no vendor boothsClio Certified Consultant program
Peer networksBNI: 355,000+ members worldwide. Vistage: about 45,000. YPO: 34,000+. EO: 18,000+Mixed industries; the last three skew to larger firms

Association and network sizes are self-reported or come from third-party listings, so treat them as approximate.

No North American survey was found on how owners pick AI providers. The nearest evidence is Australian: in a 2026 NAB survey, 15% of small businesses said talking to another owner already using AI would help, against 7% who named their bank, accountant or other adviser.

Software partner programs

Several vendors let outside consultants join their ecosystem. The directories are small.

ProgramTermsListed today
MyCase (law) Consultant ProgramReferral partner has no requirements; Certified status after three new account subscriptions; referrals pay 10% of annual contract value13 consultants
Lawmatics (law) agency partnersRevenue share for agencies and consultantsno directory
Clio (law) Certified ConsultantPublic directory; commissions mentioned, rates not publishednot counted
Applied Epic (insurance)Certifies software vendors, not consultants19 certified vendors plus 12 other integrations
Vertafore Canada (Keal) Orange Partner ProgramIntegration partners via APIs5 partners
Finmo / Lendesk (mortgage)Open API; contact form5 partner logos
Newton Velocity (mortgage)APIs on approval, at Newton's discretion; no direct competitorsn/a
HubSpot Solutions PartnerAt least $400 a month of HubSpot spend, or a membership fee; 20% commission for three yearsn/a
n8n Expert Partner ProgramClosed pilot with a waitlist; at least three active n8n customers; North America eligiblen/a

Who else can pay (Canada)

This section covers Canada and Manitoba only. US programs are not covered.

The programs most relevant to professional-services firms:

ProgramWhat it paysEligibility notes
PrairiesCan Regional AI Initiative (federal; an additional $500M over five years, $700M in total)AI adoption by SMEs; consultants' costs are eligible$250,000 to $5 million per project; businesses receive interest-free repayable funding for up to 50% of eligible costs; applicants must be incorporated. Non-profits that support businesses (chambers, accelerators) can receive up to 90% non-repayable
BDC LIFT, digital transformation and AI pathFinancing of $25,000 to $2 million for AI implementation, amortized up to six yearsFirms with $1M or more in revenue; a BDC Advisory plan is mandatory and is delivered by BDC
Manitoba AI Pathways (Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, Winnipeg Chamber, University of Manitoba Executive Education; supported by the Province)A free AI Readiness Assessment (ai-readiness.ca, built with the Manitoba Association of AI Professionals) and chamber workshops: Altona 5 Nov, Brandon 12 Nov and 2 Dec, Carman 18 Nov, Winkler 19 Nov 2026, Lac du Bonnet 27 Jan 2027Open to Manitoba businesses; no list of implementation providers is published
Building Up Manitoba (BUMP)50% of employee training costs, up to $10,000 per participant and $100,000 per employer per yearThe trainer must be a separate business whose main activity is training; consulting and coaching are excluded
NRC IRAPAdvisors and contributions for firms developing technologyFirms that develop or commercialize technology
Manitoba Innovation Growth ProgramUp to $100,000 at 50/50 cost-share, including third-party advisory servicesLaw and accounting practices and productivity-improvement activities are excluded; the last intake deadline was 30 September 2026
Canada Digital Adoption ProgramWas a grant of up to $15,000 for advisory fees plus a 0% loanClosed to new applications since February 2024; BDC points to LIFT as the successor
Industrial AI Readiness Program (NGen, with NRC IRAP)Up to $15,000 reimbursed for an AI provider's readiness evaluation and planManufacturers with fewer than 500 employees; the application is signed by both manufacturer and provider

Observations from the review:

  • For a 5 to 30 person professional firm buying a $5,000 to $30,000 automation, none of these programs pays for it directly. The federal AI program starts at $250,000 per project, BDC LIFT is a loan for firms with $1M or more in revenue, and BUMP covers training only.
  • None of the programs reviewed keeps a public approved-vendor list for AI implementation.
  • Manitoba AI Pathways and the Manitoba Association of AI Professionals are where local owners first meet the subject, through events and assessments. They are a channel rather than a subsidy.

Companies mentioned

Sources

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