Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia now have a powerful tool to claw back time and money as Notion, the AI-powered connected workspace, launches locally with its new Sydney headquarters.
Valued at $10 billion and trusted by over 100 million users globally, Notion is targeting the AU$228 billion Aussie businesses lose each year to inefficiency—13% of the nation’s 2024 GDP—and SMEs stand to gain the most.
For small business owners drowning in “tech bloat”—the chaos of juggling too many software tools—Notion’s arrival is a game-changer. Research from the company shows Aussies waste an hour daily on inefficient tasks, switching between platforms six times a day, with 48% feeling the stress of constant context-shifting. For SMEs, where every minute and dollar counts, this is a hidden cost they can’t afford.
“We’re not just another tool,” says Andrew McCarthy, Head of ANZ, SEA, and India at Notion. “SMEs can ditch the app overload and save hours with a workspace that adapts to them—powered by AI to handle the busywork.”
Why SMEs should care
Notion combines writing, planning, and collaboration into one customizable platform, letting small teams build exactly what they need without breaking the bank. Its AI features—like automating repetitive tasks or instantly surfacing info across projects—tackle the pain points SMEs know too well. Research reveals 71% of Aussies would adopt AI if it cut time spent searching across apps, and 74% crave tools that fit their workflows, not the other way around.
Australia is grappling with stagnating productivity, driven by an overload of digital tools. Notion’s recent research reveals Aussies lose an hour daily to inefficient tasks, while BetterCloud reports businesses juggle over 100 SaaS apps on average. Workers switch platforms six times a day, with 48% citing stress from the constant flip-flopping. The result? Billions in lost potential and a workforce stretched thin.
Notion’s study also highlights a missed opportunity: while AI is often used for isolated tasks, its real power lies in end-to-end workflows. A striking 71% of Australians would adopt AI if it slashed time spent searching or switching apps, and 92%—especially in IT and telecom—trust it to handle key responsibilities.
“We’re drowning in software but starving for productivity,” says Andrew McCarthy, Notion’s Head of ANZ, SEA, and India. “With Notion, we’ve seen solo users outpace teams, projects shrink from months to days, and costs plummet. AI workflows are the future—businesses just need to rethink how they use them.”
Notion offers a single, adaptable platform where teams and individuals can write, plan, and collaborate, powered by AI to automate tasks and unify knowledge. Unlike fragmented tech stacks, it’s a customizable toolkit—think of it as Lego for workflows. Global giants like OpenAI, Toyota, and Figma rely on it, but its appeal spans all scales. In Australia, millions of individual users are already hooked, often discovering Notion through personal projects like wedding planning before bringing it to work.
“People crave flexibility,” McCarthy adds. “Our research shows 74% of Aussies want tools that fit their flow, not force them to adapt. Traditional productivity vendors pile on complexity with multiple products—Notion simplifies it all.”
Recent updates amplify its value: Notion Mail offers a workflow-integrated inbox, Forms and Layouts streamline data collection, and a Marketplace boasts 30,000+ templates—some creators earning over $1 million. This month, Fast Company named Notion a Top 50 Most Innovative Company of 2025, ranking it #1 in the Workplace category, with 62% of Fortune 100 and 90% of Forbes Cloud 100 firms as clients.
Before today, Notion partnered with local venture funds and innovators like Airtree and Square Peg. Now, with Sydney as its base, the company plans to double its Australian team within a year to supercharge support for businesses here.
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Australia’s $228 billion productivity loss sounds staggering—but how real is it? Notion’s Sydney launch bets big on AI to fix a murky SME crisis. News, notion Dynamic Business
