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."

Key findings include:

• 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 companies.
• 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.
• 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.
• First-timers are leading the wave: 91% of respondents are first-time business owners, and 62% say they felt confident going in.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

These findings point to a meaningful shift in who's becoming an entrepreneur and how. The barriers that once kept people on the sidelines, like professional expertise, a full team of support, and access to capital, are coming down. For the growing number of entrepreneurs building something on their own terms, AI is what's making that possible.

The full State of Entrepreneurship Report 2026 is available here.

Methodology

This report is based on two national surveys of U.S.-based aspiring and current entrepreneurs and small business owners, with 1,000 respondents each (2,000 total), conducted between January 2026 and July 2026. Respondents answered quantitative questions about their business backgrounds, motivations, funding strategies, technology use, marketing approaches, and definitions of success.

About ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness is a company that empowers entrepreneurs to start, run, grow, and stay compliant, all in one place. As a leader in business formations and compliance, ZenBusiness blends AI with award-winning human support to simplify and accelerate small business success. We help business owners protect their personal assets, meet compliance requirements, and grow confidently through one seamless, intuitive platform.

ZenBusiness believes that everyone should have the opportunity to pursue business ownership. With a mission to champion the dreams of entrepreneurs, we enable small business owners to achieve success on their own terms by doing what they love.

Nearly 1 million businesses have turned to ZenBusiness for their entrepreneurial journey. For more information, visit www.zenbusiness.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Media Contact: zenbusiness@haymaker.co

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SOURCE ZenBusiness