The State of Solopreneurship in 2026

Running a business solo in 2026 is hectic in ways that are hard to explain until you are living it.

A typical day can move quickly from a client call to working on a new sales deck, then to emails that were supposed to wait. Somewhere in between, there is planning to be done and decisions to be made. And all of it happens without a team to hand things off to.

This is the reality for millions of solopreneurs. And it’s no longer a niche way to work.

Zoom sees (and supports) this shift every day. In one-person meetings. In solo presentations. In conversations that move a business forward without a team behind the screen. This is not just how more people work. It’s how work itself is changing.

Solopreneurship is bigger than a trend. It’s now a significant economic force.

Across the United States, about 29.8 million solopreneurs—businesses with no paid employees—contribute roughly $1.7 trillion to the economy, equal to nearly 7% of total U.S. economic activity. At the same time, 82% of small businesses operate without paid employees, showing that most business activity happens without traditional teams.

In other words, solopreneurs are not outliers. They are a large and growing segment of the business landscape, including consultants, designers, strategists, developers, coaches, and creators. Many are experienced professionals who chose independence to build something personal and sustainable. Others are first-time founders who never planned on hiring staff at all.

What they share is ownership. Their work reflects who they are. Their reputation travels with them. Their business depends on the quality of every interaction.

Amid their growing influence, solopreneurs remain underserved by the tech they rely on every day. Most tools are designed for teams. Most advice is written for startups chasing scale. The result is constant context switching, bloated tool stacks, and mental overhead that pulls attention away from actual work. For a team of one, lost focus quickly turns into lost time.

Yet solopreneurs keep moving forward—adapting quickly and building relationships. Connection is not a department. It’s the business. Zoom has supported this kind of work for years by making it easier to meet, explain ideas, and collaborate without friction, even when building alone.

For solopreneurs, time and focus are everything. 

When you are running a business alone, every hour has to deliver real work. There is no extra capacity to absorb admin, follow-ups, or loose ends. That is why AI has become especially useful for solo builders. It offers support that feels similar to adding another set of hands, without the cost or complexity of hiring.

In practice, AI shows up in small, practical ways throughout the day. It helps manage email. It keeps schedules moving. It captures notes and action items that might otherwise slip through the cracks. These moments matter more when there is no one else to pick them up.

According to the Zoom + Upwork Small Business AI Report, 64% of solopreneurs say their business would not have grown without AI. Growth, in this case, is tied to consistency. Fewer dropped details. Less time spent backtracking. More energy directed toward clients and decisions.

The shift is structural. 91% say AI has reduced administrative work, and 74% have been able to scale their business without hiring. For a team of one, that shift is significant. Tasks that once consumed hours now fit into the natural flow of the day.

That sense of support matters. AI becomes most valuable when it helps solopreneurs maintain focus instead of breaking it apart. Fewer interruptions. Fewer context switches. Way more continuity between tasks.

Zoom sees this pattern play out in the spaces where solopreneurs already work. Meetings, messages, shared documents, and follow-ups often happen in quick succession. When a tool like Zoom AI Companion reduces friction inside those moments, the benefit is immediate. Work stays connected. Mental load decreases without adding complexity.

For solopreneurs, that kind of headspace supports sustained growth because it gives time back where it matters most. Time to add value for clients. Time to deepen relationships. Time to bring in new work without burning out.

Zoom has always been shaped by how people actually work.

Long before solopreneurship became a headline, solo builders were using Zoom to meet clients, explain ideas, and build trust (without a team behind them). Those essential interactions demonstrated what solopreneurs need most. Reliability. Simplicity. Tools that support focus without competing for attention.

Zoom sees this firsthand. Solo operators use AI to capture notes, stay organized, and move from conversation to action without breaking momentum. The value comes from greater continuity. When AI removes friction, work feels connected instead of fragmented.

That insight led us to a broader commitment to the solopreneur community. Zoom’s focus on human connection and technical reliability aligns closely with how solo builders operate. Their work depends on clear communication and tools that simply work, every time.

Recognition and community matter here, as well. Solopreneurs often build in isolation, even as their influence grows. Creating space to acknowledge their work and bring their stories forward is part of supporting the ecosystem they are shaping.

This perspective is what informed the creation of the Zoom Solopreneur 50.

Solopreneurs are shaping the future of work. It’s time to recognize them. You might be a solopreneur who’s built a steady business without burning out. A consultant, designer, or founder delivering at the level of a full team, on your own terms. Someone who chose focus and sustainability over constant expansion, and made it work.

Stories like yours are everywhere. They’re just rarely celebrated.

The Zoom Solopreneur 50 was created to change that. It’s an opportunity to get the recognition you deserve, boost your business, and access new tools, resources, and visibility to support what you’re building next. You can apply for yourself through the link below, or nominate someone else who’s shaping the future of work through clarity, creativity, and consistency.

Being named a Zoom Solopreneur 50 honoree is more than recognition. It’s an opportunity to gain visibility, support, and community at a national level.

Honorees receive: 

• Increased visibility through features across Zoom-owned channels, along with amplification via media and content partnerships
• Meaningful connections with a national network of fellow solopreneurs, mentors, and experts working at the forefront of entrepreneurship
• Practical support through Zoom’s technology, collaboration opportunities, and tools designed to help solo businesses grow
• Funding opportunity, with a total of $150,000 awarded to five standout honorees to help accelerate their work, announced after the full group of 50 and at the program’s launch event

If someone comes to mind as you read this – or if you see yourself reflected here – we encourage you to apply. Recognition creates momentum, and visibility can open doors that solo builders often have to push through alone.

Building a business alone takes focus. It also takes room to think.

In 2026, many solopreneurs are leaning into small shifts that drive meaningful progress. Fewer distractions. Clearer conversations. Better follow-through. The kind of changes that make work feel sustainable instead of overwhelming.

Technology plays a role in that, but only when it stays out of the way. When tools support how people already work, rather than forcing new habits, growth feels more natural.

Solopreneurs are showing what is possible when independence, creativity, and clarity come together. Their work is shaping the future of modern business, one conversation at a time.

If you know a solopreneur whose work deserves recognition, now is the moment to bring their story forward. And if you are building solo yourself, having the right support can make all the difference.

Learn how Zoom AI Companion helps you scale without burnout.