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New ZenBusiness Report: 37% of Entrepreneurs Are Running Their Business Solo, and AI Is What’s Making It Possible
New ZenBusiness report surveying current and prospective entrepreneurs reveals a new portrait of the American entrepreneur: largely self-funded, operating independently, and leaning on AI to close the gaps a bigger team once filled
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ZenBusiness®, the AI company providing nearly one million small business owners with personalized guidance through their Velo® AI guide, today released its State of Entrepreneurship Report 2026. Based on a national survey of U.S.-based small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, the report offers a fresh look at the changing face of American entrepreneurship, including who is starting businesses today and how they’re building them – which we’re seeing is largely first-timers leaning on AI to run their businesses solo.
“Entrepreneurship has traditionally been seen as something that takes a lucky break, a big network, or a willingness to risk it all,” said Ross Buhrdorf, CEO and Co-Founder of ZenBusiness. “But that picture is changing. Through these findings, we’re seeing today’s entrepreneurs choosing this path deliberately because they have tools and resources that simply didn’t exist one or two years ago. With AI in particular helping to close gaps that used to require a full team, they’re moving faster, operating more independently, and finding new ways to compete without the resources of a larger company. The rules for starting a business are changing, and that’s exciting because it means more people with an idea and the drive to pursue it can build something of their own.”
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AI has become essential: 75% of entrepreneurs have already used AI for at least one core business function. For 23%, AI is the only reason they can compete with larger <a href="https://bitcomme.com/climate-protesters-say-tech-companies-not-ai-are-the-real-danger-to-humankind/” title=”Climate protesters say tech companies, not AI, are the real ‘danger to humankind’”>companies.
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Most founders are running lean by design: 37% are running their business solo, and 20% plan to keep it that way. Nearly half (47%) say AI is either doing the job of a co-founder or handling work they’d otherwise pay someone for.
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Entrepreneurship has become a choice rather than a response to hardship:The two most common reasons people started a business were genuinely wanting to pursue an exciting idea (23%) and hitting a personal “now or never” inflection point (23%). Only 12% reached a breaking point at a corporate job, and just 7% were motivated by a layoff.
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First-timers are leading the wave:91% of respondents are first-time business owners, and 62% say they felt confident going in.
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Success is being redefined:More than half (56%) define it as $100,000 in total revenue or less. For 14%, earning the very first dollar is enough to consider the business a success.
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Gen Z is entering entrepreneurship faster and with more confidence than any other generation: 78% of Gen Z first-time founders say they’re confident about starting a business, compared to 62% overall. More than a quarter believe they can achieve in one year what typically takes others five, and 26% say AI directly inspired them to start.
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Entrepreneurship takes a real emotional toll:More than half of founders (52%) describe the experience as stressful, anxious, or difficult in some way, while 16% call it the best decision they’ve ever made.
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Most entrepreneurs are operating under serious financial pressure: 68% expect to generate less than $100,000 in first-year revenue, and 42% say they need to be profitable within 12 months or they’ll walk away. Only around one in four could sustain operations for less than six months without revenue.
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Self-funding is the new norm:Nearly 70% are funding their businesses with personal savings, and just 16% plan to raise outside investment. 15% have no financial safety net at all, yet 21% believe they can bootstrap their way to seven figures.
