{"id":995,"date":"2026-09-29T06:59:47","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T06:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/?page_id=995"},"modified":"2026-09-29T07:00:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T07:00:25","slug":"entrepreneurship-statistics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/entrepreneurship-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"Entrepreneurship Statistics 2026: U.S. Business Ownership &amp; Startup Data"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Entrepreneurship in the United States is much larger than the population of startups that raise venture capital or immediately hire employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millions of Americans operate businesses without paid employees. Others build employer firms, hire workers and grow into larger organizations. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of applications for new businesses are submitted in a typical month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding entrepreneurship therefore requires more than one statistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau counted approximately <strong>36.4 million employer and nonemployer businesses<\/strong> in its combined business-owner demographic data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Approximately <strong>30.4 million were nonemployer businesses<\/strong>, while about <strong>5.9 million were employer firms<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Separately, the SBA Office of Advocacy reported <strong>36.2 million small businesses<\/strong> in its February 2026 small-business statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These totals come from different statistical products and should not be treated as interchangeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide brings together current Census Bureau, SBA and Kauffman data to explain how many businesses operate in the United States, how new businesses are created, who owns them and how entrepreneurship can progress from individual business ownership to employer growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Last reviewed: September 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Methodology note:<\/strong> Entrepreneurship statistics come from multiple government and research datasets that measure different populations and events. A business application is not necessarily a new operating business. A nonemployer business is different from an employer firm. A person becoming an entrepreneur is different from an establishment birth. StartupWerx keeps these measures separate rather than combining them into a single invented entrepreneurship rate.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Entrepreneurship Statistics at a Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Measure<\/th><th>Latest Figure<\/th><th>What It Measures<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>U.S. small businesses<\/td><td><strong>36.2 million<\/strong><\/td><td>SBA small-business population<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Share of U.S. businesses classified as small<\/td><td><strong>99.9%<\/strong><\/td><td>SBA research measure<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Small-business employment<\/td><td><strong>62.3 million<\/strong><\/td><td>People employed by small businesses<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Share of private-sector employment<\/td><td><strong>45.9%<\/strong><\/td><td>Small-business employment share<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Employer + nonemployer businesses in latest combined Census demographic data<\/td><td><strong>36.4 million<\/strong><\/td><td>Reference year 2023<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Nonemployer businesses in latest Census demographic data<\/td><td><strong>30.4 million<\/strong><\/td><td>Businesses without paid employees<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Employer firms in latest Census demographic data<\/td><td><strong>About 5.9 million<\/strong><\/td><td>Businesses with paid employees<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Women-owned businesses<\/td><td><strong>14.2 million<\/strong><\/td><td>Employer + nonemployer businesses, 2023<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Veteran-owned businesses<\/td><td><strong>1.6 million<\/strong><\/td><td>Employer + nonemployer businesses, 2023<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Minority-owned employer firms<\/td><td><strong>1.3 million \/ 22.6%<\/strong><\/td><td>Census reference year 2022 aggregate<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>August 2026 business applications<\/td><td><strong>531,728<\/strong><\/td><td>Census qualifying business applications<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Projected employer formations from August 2026 applications<\/td><td><strong>28,501<\/strong><\/td><td>Projected payroll startups within four quarters<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Rate of new entrepreneurs, 2025<\/td><td><strong>0.36%<\/strong><\/td><td>Kauffman monthly rate<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Opportunity share of new entrepreneurs, 2025<\/td><td><strong>83.3%<\/strong><\/td><td>Kauffman indicator<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Startup early survival rate, 2025<\/td><td><strong>77.9%<\/strong><\/td><td>Kauffman one-year indicator<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Startup early job creation, 2025<\/td><td><strong>5.3 per 1,000 people<\/strong><\/td><td>Kauffman indicator<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These figures should not be combined as though they measure the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, however, they provide a broader picture of American entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Many Small Businesses Are There in the United States?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the SBA Office of Advocacy&#8217;s February 2026 statistics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>36,207,130 small businesses operate in the United States.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Small businesses represent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>99.9% of U.S. businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and employ:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>62.3 million people.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That equals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>45.9% of private-sector workers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA also reports that small businesses account for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>43.5% of U.S. GDP<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>38.7% of private-sector payroll<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>35.0% of private-sector receipts<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>97.2% of exporters<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Those figures demonstrate why entrepreneurship matters beyond individual business owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Small businesses represent a substantial part of U.S. employment and economic activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Most Small Businesses Don&#8217;t Have Employees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is one of the most important entrepreneurship statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA&#8217;s 2026 FAQ reports:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Small-Business Type<\/th><th>Number<\/th><th>Share<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Nonemployer firms<\/td><td><strong>29,811,495<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>82.3%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Employer firms<\/td><td><strong>6,395,635<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>17.7%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Total small businesses<\/td><td><strong>36,207,130<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>100%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More than four out of five U.S. small businesses have no paid employees.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This changes how entrepreneurship should be understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An entrepreneur does not need to employ a team to operate a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millions of businesses consist of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Consultants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contractors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Freelancers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creators<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Independent professionals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Owner-operated service businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Online sellers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other businesses without payroll employees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some will remain nonemployers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others may eventually hire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nonemployer Businesses Have Grown Substantially<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA reports that the number of nonemployer firms has nearly doubled over the longer term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There were approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>15.4 million nonemployer firms in 1997<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>compared with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>29.8 million in 2022.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is an increase of approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>14.4 million businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>over 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA also reports that the number of small employer firms has increased each year since 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two trends represent different dimensions of entrepreneurship:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>more people operating businesses without employees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>millions of small businesses operating with paid employees.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Census Provides Another View of the Business Population<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Census Bureau&#8217;s latest combined business-owner demographic release covers reference year 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It reports approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>36.4 million employer and nonemployer businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$50.0 trillion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The population includes approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nonemployer Businesses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>30.4 million<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$1.8 trillion in receipts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Employer Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5.9 million<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Census figures and SBA figures should not be expected to match exactly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They come from different statistical products, definitions and reference periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx therefore identifies the source and population rather than treating every business count as interchangeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is a Nonemployer Business?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Census nonemployer universe includes businesses without paid employees or payroll that file federal income tax and meet applicable receipt requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For most industries, the universe includes businesses with annual receipts of at least:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$1,000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The construction threshold differs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These businesses can be economically active even though they do not maintain a payroll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That distinction matters because entrepreneurship is often discussed as if every business begins by hiring employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The data show otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">StartupWerx Entrepreneurship Pipeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A useful way to understand entrepreneurship is as a progression rather than one event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 1: Entrepreneurial Intent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Someone identifies an opportunity and decides to pursue a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 2: Business Creation Activity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The entrepreneur begins taking concrete steps such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Researching the market<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choosing a business model<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Selecting a name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Applying for an EIN<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Forming a legal entity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obtaining licenses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Opening financial accounts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 3: Operating Business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The company begins selling products or services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It may initially operate without paid employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 4: Nonemployer Business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The owner operates an economically active business without payroll employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millions of U.S. businesses operate this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 5: Employer Business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The company hires one or more employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 6: Growing Employer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The company increases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Employment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Revenue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Locations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Operational complexity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every entrepreneur follows every stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some businesses are intentionally designed to remain owner-operated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others begin with employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The framework explains why entrepreneurship statistics measuring different stages should not be treated as identical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More Than Half a Million Business Applications Were Filed in August 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Census Bureau reported:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>531,728 business applications in August 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>on a seasonally adjusted basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>7.8% lower than July 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>531,728 applications do not mean 531,728 new operating businesses opened in August.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That distinction is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Business Application Is Not a Business Formation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Census Bureau separately estimates which applications are likely to develop into businesses with payroll tax liabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the August 2026 application cohort, Census projected:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>28,501 business formations within four quarters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That projection was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4.6% lower than the analogous July 2026 projection.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two numbers answer different questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business Applications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>531,728<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Measures qualifying business applications submitted during August 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Projected Business Formations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>28,501<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Estimates startups from that application cohort expected to develop payroll tax liabilities within four quarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Application \u2260 operating business<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Application \u2260 employer formation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a deeper explanation, see <a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/business-formation-statistics\/\">Business Formation Statistics 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Many Americans Become Entrepreneurs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship provide another way to measure entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than counting firms or business applications, the <strong>Rate of New Entrepreneurs<\/strong> measures the percentage of adults who become entrepreneurs in a given month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For 2025, the national rate was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>0.36%<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a person-level entrepreneurship indicator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It should not be interpreted as the percentage of businesses created in a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Entrepreneurship Increased in 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s 2025 national report found that the Rate of New Entrepreneurs increased and remained above pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This does not mean every measure of entrepreneurship increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Different indicators track different aspects of business creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the Kauffman data indicate that entry into entrepreneurship remained elevated compared with the period before the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Most New Entrepreneurs Were Opportunity-Driven Under the Kauffman Definition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s <strong>Opportunity Share of New Entrepreneurs<\/strong> distinguishes people entering entrepreneurship from a non-unemployed status from those entering after unemployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2025:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>83.3% of new entrepreneurs met Kauffman&#8217;s definition of opportunity entrepreneurship.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman reports:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Year<\/th><th>Opportunity Share<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>2019<\/td><td><strong>86.9%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2020<\/td><td><strong>69.8%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2021<\/td><td><strong>80.9%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2022<\/td><td><strong>88.3%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2023<\/td><td><strong>85.2%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2024<\/td><td><strong>82.3%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2025<\/td><td><strong>83.3%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The sharp 2020 decline occurred during the unusual labor-market conditions surrounding the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By 2025, the measure had recovered substantially, although it remained below its 2019 level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does \u201cOpportunity Entrepreneur\u201d Mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The phrase can be misunderstood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It should not be interpreted as Kauffman determining whether an entrepreneur has a good business opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, the indicator identifies new entrepreneurs who were not unemployed and looking for work before entering entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is therefore a labor-market-based indicator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx preserves that distinction rather than treating \u201copportunity entrepreneur\u201d as a judgment about the quality of a business idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opportunity Entrepreneurship Varies by Age<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s 2025 data show:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Age<\/th><th>Opportunity Share<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>20\u201334<\/td><td><strong>82.0%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>35\u201344<\/td><td><strong>83.5%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>45\u201354<\/td><td><strong>81.7%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>55\u201364<\/td><td><strong>87.2%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Among these age groups, entrepreneurs ages 55\u201364 had the highest opportunity share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That does not mean they started the most businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It means a larger share of new entrepreneurs in that age group met Kauffman&#8217;s definition of opportunity entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Entrepreneurship Is Not Just for Young Founders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Popular startup culture often emphasizes founders in their twenties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The entrepreneurship data describe a broader population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s opportunity indicator includes entrepreneurial activity across:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ages 20\u201334<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ages 35\u201344<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ages 45\u201354<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ages 55\u201364<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2025 opportunity share was highest among the 55\u201364 group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That does not establish which age group starts the most businesses or creates the most successful companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It does show that entrepreneurship should not be framed exclusively as a young-founder phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opportunity Entrepreneurship by Sex<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s 2025 opportunity-share data report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Group<\/th><th>Opportunity Share<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Women<\/td><td><strong>87.5%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Men<\/td><td><strong>81.1%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This does not mean women started more businesses than men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It means that among new entrepreneurs in each group, a larger share of women met Kauffman&#8217;s definition of opportunity entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opportunity Entrepreneurship by Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s 2025 estimates include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Education<\/th><th>Opportunity Share<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Less than high school<\/td><td><strong>78.2%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>High school graduate<\/td><td><strong>82.7%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Some college<\/td><td><strong>85.9%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>College graduate<\/td><td><strong>84.6%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Entrepreneurship occurs across education levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These statistics measure the opportunity share within each education group\u2014not business success or profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opportunity Entrepreneurship by Nativity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman reported similar opportunity shares in 2025:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Group<\/th><th>Opportunity Share<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Immigrant<\/td><td><strong>83.8%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Native-born<\/td><td><strong>83.4%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These percentages describe opportunity entrepreneurship within each population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They should not be interpreted as the rate at which each population becomes an entrepreneur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Many Minority-Owned Businesses Are There in the United States?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no single current number that StartupWerx should create by adding the latest race and ethnicity categories together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is because Census race and ethnicity classifications can overlap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Hispanic ethnicity is measured separately from race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adding Hispanic-owned, Black-owned, Asian-owned and other categories would therefore risk double counting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, StartupWerx uses official Census aggregate minority-owned estimates when Census publishes them and separately reports the newer individual race and ethnicity statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Latest Explicit Census Aggregate for Minority-Owned Employer Firms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2023 Annual Business Survey, covering reference year <strong>2022<\/strong>, reported approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.3 million minority-owned employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>22.6% of U.S. employer firms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an official Census aggregate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It applies specifically to <strong>employer firms<\/strong> and to <strong>reference year 2022<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It should not be described as the number of all minority-owned businesses in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does Census Mean by Minority-Owned?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Census has historically defined minority ownership using race and ethnicity classifications rather than simply adding every demographic category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The important point for readers is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Minority-owned is an official statistical classification\u2014not a number StartupWerx should reconstruct by summing overlapping demographic groups.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the newest 2023 business-owner data, StartupWerx therefore presents the individual race and ethnicity categories directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Minority-Owned Businesses Extend Far Beyond Employer Firms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest Census demographic data demonstrate why employer-only statistics provide an incomplete view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For reference year 2023:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Ownership Group<\/th><th>Employer Firms<\/th><th>Nonemployer Businesses<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Black or African American-owned<\/td><td><strong>201,000<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>4.4 million<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hispanic-owned<\/td><td><strong>496,000<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>5.3 million<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Asian-owned<\/td><td><strong>685,000<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2.8 million<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>American Indian or Alaska Native-owned<\/td><td><strong>55,000<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>378,000<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned<\/td><td><strong>9,000<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>102,000<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These categories should <strong>not be added together<\/strong> to produce a minority-owned-business total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Race and ethnicity classifications can overlap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the table reveals something important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Millions of minority entrepreneurs operate nonemployer businesses.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A discussion of minority entrepreneurship that looks only at employer firms misses a substantial part of the business-owner population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black-Owned Business Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Census reported approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>201,000 Black or African American-owned employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>in reference year 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They represented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3.4% of employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and generated approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$249.0 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among nonemployer businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4.4 million were Black-owned<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>14.4% of nonemployer businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$128.7 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference between the employer and nonemployer populations is substantial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hispanic-Owned Business Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Census reported approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>496,000 Hispanic-owned employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>in reference year 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They represented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>8.4% of employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and generated approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$730.3 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among nonemployer businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5.3 million were Hispanic-owned<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>17.5% of nonemployer businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$244.2 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hispanic is an ethnicity classification and can overlap with race categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Asian-Owned Business Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Census reported approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>685,000 Asian-owned employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>11.5% of employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$1.2 trillion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among nonemployer businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.8 million were Asian-owned<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>9.2% of nonemployer businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$163.6 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">American Indian and Alaska Native-Owned Business Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Census reported approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>55,000 American Indian or Alaska Native-owned employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>0.9% of employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$70.8 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among nonemployer businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>378,000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>were American Indian or Alaska Native-owned, representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.2% of nonemployer businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$15.5 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander-Owned Business Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Census reported approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>9,000 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>0.2% of employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$13.1 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among nonemployer businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>102,000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned, representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>0.3% of nonemployer businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$4.4 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Employer and Nonemployer Minority-Business Statistics Look So Different<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This distinction is one of the most useful insights in the Census data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Employer businesses have paid employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nonemployer businesses do not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A business owner can therefore operate a legitimate revenue-producing company without appearing in employer-firm statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Independent consultants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contractors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Professional services businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creators<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Online businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Owner-operated service companies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sole proprietorships<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other businesses without payroll<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For minority entrepreneurship, the difference is particularly important because millions of minority-owned businesses appear in the nonemployer population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Many Businesses Are Owned by Women?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest combined Census demographic data report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>14.2 million women-owned U.S. businesses in 2023.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those businesses generated approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$2.8 trillion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The combined figure includes both employer and nonemployer businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Women Own 42.3% of Nonemployer Businesses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the approximately 30.4 million nonemployer businesses in the 2023 Census NES-D:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>12.9 million were women-owned.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That represented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>42.3% of nonemployer businesses.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Women-owned nonemployer businesses generated approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$423.1 billion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Women Own 22.9% of Employer Firms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Among approximately 5.9 million employer firms in the 2024 Annual Business Survey, covering reference year 2023:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.4 million<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>were women-owned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That represented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>22.9% of employer firms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference between:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>42.3% of nonemployers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>22.9% of employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>illustrates why ownership demographics can look very different depending on the population being measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Veteran Entrepreneurship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Census reported approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.6 million veteran-owned employer and nonemployer businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, they generated approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$1.0 trillion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among employer businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>261,000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>were veteran-owned, representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4.4% of employer firms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among nonemployer businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.4 million<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>were veteran-owned, representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4.5% of nonemployer businesses.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Veteran entrepreneurship therefore also extends far beyond employer firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Entrepreneurship Creates Jobs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Entrepreneurship is not only about business ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Employer startups can create new jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s <strong>Startup Early Job Creation<\/strong> indicator measures startup job creation in the first year, normalized by population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For 2025, the national indicator was approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5.3 jobs per 1,000 people.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman reports that startup early job creation had recovered from its pandemic decline and was above pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Small Businesses Employ 62.3 Million People<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The broader SBA measure shows the scale of employment associated with small businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the SBA&#8217;s February 2026 statistics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>62.3 million people work for small businesses.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That represents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>45.9% of private-sector employment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Entrepreneurship therefore operates at two very different scales:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Owner-Operated Entrepreneurship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Millions of businesses have no employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Employer Entrepreneurship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Millions of small firms collectively employ tens of millions of workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both are economically important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Entrepreneurship and Survival<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting a business and building a durable business are different challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s 2025 <strong>Startup Early Survival Rate<\/strong> was approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>77.9%<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>under its methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Longer-term BLS establishment data provide another perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, private-sector employer establishments born in March 2013 had survival rates of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>79.6% after one year<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>50.6% after five years<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>34.7% after ten years<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These statistics come from different methodologies and cohorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They should not be treated as interchangeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a detailed explanation, see <a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/small-business-survival-rates\/\">Small Business Survival Rates 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">StartupWerx Entrepreneurship Funnel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The available data illustrate why a simple count of \u201centrepreneurs\u201d cannot explain the entire startup economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx organizes the ecosystem into four measurable layers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Layer 1 \u2014 Entrepreneur<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A person enters business ownership<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example measure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman Rate of New Entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Layer 2 \u2014 Business Creation Activity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Formal business-creation activity occurs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example measure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Census Business Applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Layer 3 \u2014 Operating Business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A business generates economic activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example measures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Census nonemployer businesses and employer firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Layer 4 \u2014 Employer Growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A business hires employees and potentially expands<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example measures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Census employer firms, SBA employment and Kauffman startup job creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This framework prevents a common statistical mistake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>counting activity at one stage as though it represents another.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">531,728 Applications Did Not Mean 531,728 New Employers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>August 2026 provides a useful example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Business applications:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>531,728<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Projected employer formations from that cohort:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>28,501<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those numbers should not be divided to create a universal entrepreneur \u201csuccess rate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The formation figure is a Census projection under a specific methodology and observation window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the gap demonstrates something important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Entrepreneurial activity is much broader than immediate employer formation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some applications may never become operating businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some businesses may operate without employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some may hire later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Entrepreneurship is a process\u2014not a single administrative event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">StartupWerx Entrepreneurship Measurement Framework<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When evaluating entrepreneurship data, identify what stage is actually being measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intent \u2192 Application \u2192 Formation \u2192 Operation \u2192 Employment \u2192 Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Intent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Someone decides to pursue a business opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Application<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Administrative activity occurs, such as a qualifying business application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Formation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A legal or statistical business formation occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Operation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The company begins conducting business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Employment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The company develops payroll employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The business expands revenue, employees, customers, locations or capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These stages are related.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are not equivalent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Legal Formation and Statistical Formation Are Different<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An entrepreneur may legally form an LLC or corporation before generating revenue or hiring employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Census Business Formation Statistics use a different concept when estimating future employer formations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Legal entity formation \u2260 Census projected employer formation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An LLC can be a legitimate operating business for years without hiring an employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is especially relevant given that more than four out of five small businesses have no paid employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Entrepreneurship Statistics Don&#8217;t Tell Us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Entrepreneurship statistics are useful\u2014but limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They do not automatically tell us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Whether a business is profitable<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether the owner works full time in the business<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether the business is the owner&#8217;s primary income<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether a business will eventually hire<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether an entrepreneur will succeed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why a business closes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether a business application becomes an operating company<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether a surviving company produces a good return for its owner<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Those questions require different data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the Data Suggest About Modern Entrepreneurship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Several themes emerge from the latest statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Entrepreneurship Is Primarily Small Business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA classifies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>99.9% of U.S. businesses as small.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Most Small Businesses Don&#8217;t Employ Anyone<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>82.3% of small businesses are nonemployer firms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Entrepreneurship Extends Far Beyond Venture-Backed Startups<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Millions of entrepreneurs operate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Service businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Professional practices<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Independent businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Local companies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Online businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Owner-operated companies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Business Creation Activity Remains High<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>More than:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>531,000 qualifying business applications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>were submitted in August 2026 alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Most New Entrepreneurs in 2025 Entered From a Non-Unemployed Status<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s opportunity share was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>83.3%.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Entrepreneurship Is Demographically Broad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Women owned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>14.2 million businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>in the combined 2023 Census data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest Census data also document millions of Black-, Hispanic-, Asian-, American Indian or Alaska Native-, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-, and veteran-owned businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Minority Entrepreneurship Is Much Larger Than Employer-Firm Counts Alone Suggest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest explicit Census aggregate found:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.3 million minority-owned employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>for reference year 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the newer 2023 demographic data separately identify millions of minority-owned nonemployer businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That distinction is essential when describing minority entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Nonemployer Entrepreneurship Is Enormous<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Census counted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>30.4 million nonemployer businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>in its 2023 demographic dataset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That population should not be treated as a footnote to entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What This Means for Someone Starting a Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The statistics show there is no single required path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A business can begin as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A solo consulting practice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An ecommerce store<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A local service company<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A professional business<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A side business<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A contractor business<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A company designed to hire immediately<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The important question isn&#8217;t whether your company resembles the stereotypical startup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s whether the business has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A real customer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sustainable economics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Appropriate capital<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A workable business structure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reliable operations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A path that fits your goals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You Don&#8217;t Need Employees to Build a Real Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The nonemployer statistics make this especially clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A business without employees can still:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Generate revenue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Serve customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build assets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish a brand<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use contractors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Invest in technology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Generate income for its owner<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eventually hire employees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For many entrepreneurs, remaining lean can be intentional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For others, nonemployer status is simply the first stage of growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI and Automation May Change the Entrepreneurship Equation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology increasingly allows small teams and individual business owners to perform work that once required more employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI and automation can assist with areas such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Marketing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customer service<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bookkeeping workflows<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scheduling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sales operations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data analysis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Administrative processes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>That does not mean every entrepreneur should avoid hiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It means employee count alone is an incomplete measure of business capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For current adoption data, see <a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/ai-for-small-business-statistics\/\">AI for Small Business Statistics 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">StartupWerx Entrepreneur&#8217;s Operating Framework<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Entrepreneurship becomes more useful when statistics lead to better decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx organizes early business development around five questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. What Are You Selling?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Define:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Customer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Problem<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Product or service<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Price<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Value proposition<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Can the Economics Work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Estimate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Startup capital<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gross margin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customer acquisition<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fixed costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Working capital<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Operating reserve<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>See <a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/cost-to-start-a-business\/\">Cost to Start a Business in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. How Should the Business Be Structured?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Evaluate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sole proprietorship<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>LLC<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Corporation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tax considerations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ownership<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Administrative requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>See <a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/llc-vs-corporation-costs-by-state\/\">LLC vs Corporation Costs by State<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. What Must Happen Before Launch?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Form the entity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obtain an EIN<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open a bank account<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obtain licenses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Purchase insurance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish bookkeeping<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build sales and operating systems<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. What Does Growth Mean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Growth does not have to mean hiring hundreds of employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It might mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Higher owner income<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Better margins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More recurring revenue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Greater automation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hiring the first employee<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Opening another location<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Building a valuable company<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Define the outcome before designing the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ready to Become a Business Owner?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Millions of Americans operate businesses\u2014from solo entrepreneurs to companies employing hundreds of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve identified an opportunity and are ready to move from planning toward formation, StartupWerx can help you establish the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startupwerx.com\/incorporation\">Start your business \u2192<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many entrepreneurs are there in the United States?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no single official count of \u201centrepreneurs\u201d because government and research programs measure different populations and events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Census Bureau counted approximately <strong>36.4 million employer and nonemployer businesses<\/strong> in its combined 2023 demographic data, while Kauffman separately measures the rate at which individuals become entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A business count and an entrepreneur count are not necessarily identical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many small businesses are there in the United States?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA Office of Advocacy reported <strong>36,207,130 small businesses<\/strong> in February 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They represent <strong>99.9% of U.S. businesses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many small businesses have employees?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA reports approximately <strong>6.4 million small employer firms<\/strong>, representing <strong>17.7% of small businesses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many small businesses don&#8217;t have employees?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA reports approximately <strong>29.8 million nonemployer small businesses<\/strong>, representing <strong>82.3% of small businesses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many minority-owned businesses are there?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer depends on the population and reference year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest explicit Census aggregate cited in this guide reported approximately <strong>1.3 million minority-owned employer firms<\/strong>, representing <strong>22.6% of employer firms<\/strong>, for reference year 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The newer reference-year 2023 Census data provide individual race and ethnicity statistics for employer and nonemployer businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx does not add those categories together because race and ethnicity classifications can overlap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many Black-owned businesses are there?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For reference year 2023, Census reported approximately <strong>201,000 Black-owned employer firms<\/strong> and <strong>4.4 million Black-owned nonemployer businesses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are separate business populations and should not simply be added without respecting Census methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many Hispanic-owned businesses are there?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For reference year 2023, Census reported approximately <strong>496,000 Hispanic-owned employer firms<\/strong> and <strong>5.3 million Hispanic-owned nonemployer businesses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hispanic ethnicity can overlap with race classifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many Asian-owned businesses are there?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For reference year 2023, Census reported approximately <strong>685,000 Asian-owned employer firms<\/strong> and <strong>2.8 million Asian-owned nonemployer businesses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many businesses are owned by women?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Census reported approximately <strong>14.2 million women-owned employer and nonemployer businesses<\/strong> in reference year 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many nonemployer businesses are there?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Census Bureau&#8217;s latest 2023 NES-D data include approximately <strong>30.4 million nonemployer businesses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Different Census and SBA products can produce different totals because of definitions, datasets and reference periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many people work for small businesses?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA reports that small businesses employ approximately <strong>62.3 million people<\/strong>, representing <strong>45.9% of U.S. private-sector workers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many new business applications are filed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Census Bureau reported <strong>531,728 seasonally adjusted business applications in August 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Monthly totals change, so the figure should be identified by month rather than presented as a permanent rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does a business application mean a new business opened?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A qualifying business application does not establish that an operating business opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many new employer businesses are expected from August 2026 applications?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For the August 2026 application cohort, Census projected <strong>28,501 business formations with payroll tax liabilities within four quarters<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is a forward-looking estimate for that application cohort, not the total number of businesses that opened during August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What percentage of Americans become entrepreneurs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s Rate of New Entrepreneurs was approximately <strong>0.36% in 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The measure represents the percentage of the adult population becoming entrepreneurs in an average month under Kauffman&#8217;s methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are most entrepreneurs starting businesses because they lost their jobs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s 2025 Opportunity Share of New Entrepreneurs was approximately <strong>83.3%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under Kauffman&#8217;s methodology, these entrepreneurs were not unemployed and looking for work immediately before starting their businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do you need employees to be an entrepreneur?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The majority of U.S. small businesses have no paid employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA reports that <strong>82.3% of small businesses are nonemployer firms<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is an LLC automatically an employer business?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A legal entity can operate without employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Legal business structure and employer status measure different characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What percentage of startups survive their first year?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s Startup Early Survival Rate was approximately <strong>77.9% in 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>BLS reports separate establishment-survival statistics using a different methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See <a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/small-business-survival-rates\/\">Small Business Survival Rates 2026<\/a> for a detailed comparison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources and Methodology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx built this guide from multiple datasets because no single government statistic captures the entire entrepreneurship process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">U.S. Small-Business Population<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA Office of Advocacy&#8217;s <strong>Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2026<\/strong> provides:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Total small businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employer and nonemployer counts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>GDP contribution<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Payroll share<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Receipts and exporter statistics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBA Office of Advocacy generally defines a small business for research purposes as an independent business with fewer than 500 employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Industry-specific federal size standards can differ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Census Employer and Nonemployer Ownership Data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest Census combined demographic data draw from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2024 Annual Business Survey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>covering employer firms in reference year 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2023 Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>covering businesses without paid employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, the Census release reports approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>36.4 million employer and nonemployer businesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with approximately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$50.0 trillion in receipts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Minority-Owned Business Methodology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx does not create a current minority-owned-business total by adding Census race and ethnicity categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those classifications can overlap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest explicit Census aggregate used in this guide comes from the <strong>2023 Annual Business Survey covering reference year 2022<\/strong>, which reported:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.3 million minority-owned employer firms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>representing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>22.6% of U.S. employer firms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For reference year 2023, StartupWerx uses the newer Census employer and nonemployer figures for individual race and ethnicity categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This preserves the source definitions and avoids double counting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Census Business Formation Statistics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Business Formation Statistics use administrative data to measure qualifying business applications and estimate future employer formations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx does not interpret a business application as proof that a business opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kauffman&#8217;s Early-Stage Entrepreneurship indicators include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rate of New Entrepreneurs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Opportunity Share of New Entrepreneurs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Startup Early Job Creation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Startup Early Survival Rate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx identifies these as Kauffman measures rather than presenting them as Census or SBA statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Demographic Statistics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Business ownership percentages depend heavily on whether the population contains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Employer firms<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nonemployer businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Both<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx identifies the population whenever practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Race and ethnicity classifications can overlap and should not be added together as though all categories are mutually exclusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">StartupWerx Entrepreneurship Pipeline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx introduces:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Entrepreneurial Intent \u2192 Business Creation Activity \u2192 Operating Business \u2192 Nonemployer\/Employer Business \u2192 Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an editorial and planning framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is not a government statistical model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">StartupWerx Entrepreneurship Measurement Framework<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>StartupWerx also uses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intent \u2192 Application \u2192 Formation \u2192 Operation \u2192 Employment \u2192 Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to identify what stage a particular entrepreneurship statistic measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This framework is intended to prevent comparisons between statistics measuring fundamentally different events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Important Limitations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The statistics in this guide should not be interpreted as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A universal count of individual entrepreneurs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A prediction of entrepreneurial success<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A measure of business profitability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof that every business application becomes a business<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof that every nonemployer intends to hire<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof that employer businesses are more successful<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A universal 2026 minority-owned-business count<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A forecast of whether a specific entrepreneur will succeed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The datasets measure different aspects of entrepreneurship under specific definitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Primary Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/advocacy.sba.gov\/2026\/02\/03\/frequently-asked-questions-about-small-business-2026\/\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy \u2014 Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2025\/business-owner-characteristics.html\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Census Bureau \u2014 Characteristics of Employer and Nonemployer Business Owners<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/data\/developers\/data-sets\/nesd.2023.html\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Census Bureau \u2014 2023 NES-D Data<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2024\/employer-businesses.html\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Census Bureau \u2014 Minority-Owned, Veteran-Owned and Women-Owned Employer Businesses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/econ\/bfs\/current\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Census Bureau \u2014 Business Formation Statistics<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/abs\/technical-documentation\/NESDmethodology\/2023.html\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Census Bureau \u2014 Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/indicators.kauffman.org\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship \u2014 Early-Stage Entrepreneurship<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/indicators.kauffman.org\/report\/early-stage-entrepreneurship-national-2025\" rel=\"noopener\">Kauffman Indicators \u2014 2025 National Early-Stage Entrepreneurship Report<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Continue Building Your Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Entrepreneurship statistics show how many different paths business owners take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For broader guidance, see <a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/form-manage-grow-small-business\/\">Form, Manage, and Grow a Small Business<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continue with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/small-business-statistics\/\">Small Business Statistics 2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/business-formation-statistics\/\">Business Formation Statistics 2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/small-business-survival-rates\/\">Small Business Survival Rates 2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/ai-for-small-business-statistics\/\">AI for Small Business Statistics 2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/cost-to-start-a-business\/\">Cost to Start a Business in 2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/business-startup-costs-by-industry\/\">Business Startup Costs by Industry<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/llc-formation-costs-by-state\/\">LLC Formation Costs by State<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/llc-vs-corporation-costs-by-state\/\">LLC vs Corporation Costs by State<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ready to Start Your Business?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Entrepreneurship can begin with one person, one customer and a viable business idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you&#8217;re ready to turn that idea into a formal business, StartupWerx can help you move from planning to formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startupwerx.com\/incorporation\">Start your business \u2192<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Still Exploring Business Ideas?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You don&#8217;t need to have everything figured out before you begin researching opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startupwerx.com\/\">Not sure where to start? \u2192<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use StartupWerx to explore business ideas and identify opportunities that fit your experience, resources and goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Entrepreneurship in the United States is much larger than the population of startups that raise venture capital or immediately hire employees. Millions of Americans operate businesses without paid employees. Others build employer firms, hire workers and grow into larger organizations. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of applications for new businesses are submitted in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","rank_math_title":"Entrepreneurship Statistics 2026: U.S. Business Data","rank_math_description":"Explore entrepreneurship statistics for 2026, including U.S. business ownership, startups, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses and employment.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"entrepreneurship statistics","rank_math_canonical_url":"","rank_math_robots":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-995","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":[],"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"startupwerx","author_link":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/author\/startupwerx\/"},"comment_info":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=995"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/995\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":996,"href":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/995\/revisions\/996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/startupwerx.com\/business-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}