Meaning ● Cognitive surplus, in the realm of SMBs, represents the collective excess time and talent available to be harnessed for productive activities, going beyond traditional work. Considering SMB growth, automating workflows liberates employee hours, fostering a larger surplus. ● Realizing this potential enables SMBs to crowdsource innovation, optimize existing processes, and engage in strategic initiatives that were previously unfeasible due to limited resources. Specifically, implementing agile methodologies paired with automation, empowers SMBs to allocate cognitive surplus to higher-value projects, leading to more effective problem-solving and strategic advancement. In fact, this liberated intellect can be channeled into areas such as market research, product development, or enhanced customer service, driving competitive advantage. Consequently, strategic implementation of AI-driven solutions can further amplify cognitive surplus, optimizing operations and enabling greater resource allocation towards creative problem-solving and innovation within the business. This unlocks growth opportunities and empowers SMBs to compete more effectively in their respective markets by capitalizing on readily available human capital. Essentially, by integrating automation, SMBs can create, allocate, and optimally utilize the resulting cognitive surplus.
