£2bn on AI? “Totally wasted unless small businesses wake up,” warns Botterill
Reacting to the chancellor’s announcement of £2bn investment into artificial intelligence, leading UK business expert Nigel Botterill has warned that the funding “will be a total waste unless small business owners pull their heads out of the sand.”
Botterill’s comments were made on day 1 of the Entrepreneurs Circle Implementor Event, a two-day, hands-on business implementation workshop which took place in Birmingham from 23-24 June, with over 400 business owners attending.
Botterill, founder of Entrepreneurs Circle, said: “£2bn investment into AI sounds impressive – but it’ll be a total waste if Britain’s small business owners don’t pull their heads out of the sand. The government can’t save you from irrelevance.”
“AI is replacing tasks, slashing costs, and multiplying output – but most small businesses are still acting like it’s 2019. This isn’t optional anymore. You either learn how to use AI… or get left behind by someone who has.”
“So many entrepreneurs are leaving money on the table and handing their future to competitors who are already getting stuck into the ‘new normal’ – where AI is saving time, cutting costs, and growing businesses faster,” he says.
“The businesses that thrive in this new economy won’t be the biggest – they’ll be the smartest. That’s why events like Implementor matter. We’re not sitting around watching PowerPoints. We’re doing the work.”
The Implementor Event brings together hundreds of EC members from across the UK to work on their businesses, not just in them — with expert support on everything from marketing and systems to team-building and AI integration. The focus is clear: implementation over information.
Botterill adds: “Information is everywhere. Implementation is everything.”