Dreamforce hit home for so many small and medium business (SMB) owners this year. The theme was all about the agentic enterprise, and empowering startups and growing businesses to start embracing artificial intelligence (AI) in unique ways.
Thousands of business owners (millions all over the globe on Salesforce+) saw a peek behind the curtain of Dreamforce into Agentforce 360 for sales, marketing, service, commerce and operations. We couldn’t help but get excited as we saw AI agents being built right before our eyes, and all the new tech innovation happening. So we put together some takeaways from the #1 AI conference of the year, right here, just for you.
What we’ll cover:
- Why startups and SMBs are attending Dreamforce
- Takeaway #1: The agentic enterprise is for everyone
- Takeaway #2: Agentforce 360 is SMB’s gateway to success
- Takeaway #3: Data is the new growth
- Get on the list for Dreamforce ‘26
Why startups and SMBs are attending Dreamforce
Dreamforce gives business owners of all types a deep dive into the latest technological advancements across all Salesforce products that is unparalleled anywhere else. Beyond high-level keynotes, Dreamforce provides hands-on workshops, demos, and breakout sessions, letting you learn practical applications and strategies directly from Salesforce experts and Trailblazers. In fact, you can curate your own Dreamforce experience with Agenda Builder.
The charismatic atmosphere of Dreamforce always builds a sense of community and shared purpose. For SMBs who attend, this is a powerful motivator, reminding them that they are part of a larger movement of innovation and growth.
AI Tools for Small Business
It also provides unique opportunities to interact with Salesforce leaders, product managers, and a wide array of industry experts — not to mention seeing some amazing musical guests.
(Source: Salesforce, Dreamforce 2025)
For startups in particular, Dreamforce is a fertile ground for identifying potential partners, investors, or collaborators. The sheer volume of attendees and exhibitors increases the chances of making serendipitous connections that can fuel growth — plus, Salesforce Launchpad connects with startups looking for serious scale.
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Takeaway #1: The agentic enterprise is for everyone
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff opened Dreamforce ‘25 with a question: “What if everyone had the power to build agentic enterprises?”
For too long, AI-driven transformation was reserved for enterprises with money to spend. Using the words “small business” and “artificial intelligence” in the same sentence was practically unheard of.
(Source: Salesforce, Dreamforce 2025)
But now, that’s changing. Thanks to leaps in predictive and generative AI, the agentic enterprise is here. It can elevate human capabilities and drive customer success across all areas of your business, so that you and your employees can focus on higher-value work. Marc emphasized that AI should not replace humans but rather work alongside them to handle the busywork and empower people to drive greater value. And the key to this business transformation is Agentforce 360.
Takeaway #2: Agentforce 360 is SMB’s gateway to success
The platform driving this transformation is Agentforce 360, which is designed to be a deeply unified platform that scales alongside growing SMBs, preventing them from needing to spend time or money integrating technologies they will outgrow, said Whitney Hillyer, SVP, sales, Salesforce.
AI tools and agents provide an incredible opportunity for small businesses, allowing them to “punch up above their weight” and execute like much larger companies, said Adam Alfano, EVP, global SMB and emerging products, Salesforce.
- Increased efficiency and velocity: Agents are designed to augment human workers, taking on autonomous and mundane tasks so that employees can focus on higher-value growth efforts. The goal is to increase worker velocity, aptitude, and ability to access resources.
- End-to-end application: Agentforce 360 integrates agents across every app, making functions like Sales Cloud, Commerce, Field Service, and Slack collaboration “agent first.”
- Addressing competitive pressure: SMB customers are embracing AI to grow faster and stay ahead of competition, which often includes facing enterprise-level competitors and new AI-native entrants in every market. AI can improve the success rate of small businesses by leveling the playing field against companies with more resources.
Spilling the Dreamforce Tea with Meghana Dhar
The tea is still hot –and Salesforce influencers are spillin’ it. Watch this tiny mic moment with tech influencer Meghana Dhar from Spilling the Tea in Tech™, a Salesforce strategic advisor as she shares her experiences at “Dreamforce Disneyland” and her favorite activation from Agentforce City.
“Salesforce is bringing creators behind the scenes at Dreamforce and right into the fold, and it has been really interesting to see how AI is actually figuring into everything. I really liked the William Sonoma session — just understanding of the full behind the scenes of how Agentforce 360 works, how you can do everything from season your turkey to actually buying it through the agentic enterprise implemented at William Sonoma. It was really interesting to see in person. It got me into Thanksgiving mode.”
Connect with Meghana on LinkedIn or Instagram.
Takeaway #3: Data is the new growth
Data can be incredibly challenging for SMBs: “Most SMBs have seven disparate systems that don’t speak to each other,” said Hillyer. SMBs need to prioritize unifying a data foundation, because every piece of data matters. It’s not just about automation, it’s about building a 360-view of their customers. Enter Data 360.
- The problem of siloed data: As SMBs grow, they often accumulate different technologies, resulting in a “Frankenstein tech stack monster” said Hillyer, forcing teams to manually stitch data together in spreadsheets to gain a holistic view.
- The Data 360 solution: SMBs should prioritize setting up a solid data foundation by unifying and activating said data with Data 360. It works with SMBs’ existing data warehouses and third-party apps to bring all data together into a single, activatable model across all Salesforce apps and channels, without duplication or moving data.
- The AI agent context: Every interaction, from FAQs and product reviews to service inquiries, is data fuel for the agentic enterprise. By integrating structured data and unstructured data, Data 360 ensures that the agent has the entire context to work accurately.
As Marc said in his opening keynote, the future is already here. Here’s how current Agentforce customers like DeVry University and Equinox are already transforming their industries with AI.
That’s a Dreamforce wrap: Your AI-powered future is here
That’s a wrap! Catch up on all the Dreamforce goodness on Salesforce+, including the SMB Keynote, and save the date for next year here.
New to Salesforce? Start your journey with a free trial of Starter Suite today. Looking for more customization? Explore Pro Suite. Already a Salesforce customer? Activate Foundations to try out Agentforce 360 today.
AI supported the writers and editors who created this article.
