{"id":10504,"date":"2026-10-08T04:03:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T04:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/?p=10504"},"modified":"2026-10-08T04:04:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T04:04:12","slug":"solo-founder-digital-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/solo-founder-digital-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"How solo founders build and run their businesses online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Running a business on your own means deciding what deserves your time and budget. A social media account might come first, while a website or email list waits until there&rsquo;s a clearer reason to build one.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In September 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/hostinger.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hostinger<\/a> surveyed 640 U.S. side-hustle founders and solo business owners about those decisions, from launching a website to finding customers and using AI. Their self-reported answers show how respondents operated online, what they hadn&rsquo;t set up, and where they wanted to keep doing the work themselves.<\/p><p>\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_75 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/solo-founder-digital-habits\/#Key_takeaways\">Key takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/solo-founder-digital-habits\/#A_website_wasnt_always_the_first_step\">A website wasn&rsquo;t always the first step<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/solo-founder-digital-habits\/#Platforms_brought_customers_and_business_risks\">Platforms brought customers and business risks<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/solo-founder-digital-habits\/#AI_helped_with_core_tasks_with_owners_setting_limits\">AI helped with core tasks, with owners setting limits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/solo-founder-digital-habits\/#Choose_the_next_step_that_fits_your_business\">Choose the next step that fits your business<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/solo-founder-digital-habits\/#Methodology\">Methodology<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/solo-founder-digital-habits\/#Fair_use_statement\">Fair use statement<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading h-t-title-2\" id=\"h-key-takeaways\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_takeaways\"><\/span>Key takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The average solo founder waits 7 months after their first sale before finally building a website.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>36% of solo founders with a website couldn&rsquo;t last a month without it. Among hypergrowth founders (those reporting 40%+ revenue growth over the past 12 months), it&rsquo;s 49%, compared with 28% of slower-growing founders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>61% of hypergrowth founders have an email list, compared with 43% of founders whose revenue was flat or declining.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>54% of solo founders run on three or more third-party platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If Etsy vanished tomorrow, 28% of the solo founders who sell there could not last a month without it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>63% of solo founders who planned to hire say AI has delayed that hire.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nearly 1 in 2 solo founders (47%) have never collected a single email subscriber for their business.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading h-t-title-2\" id=\"h-a-website-wasnt-always-the-first-step\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_website_wasnt_always_the_first_step\"><\/span>A website wasn&rsquo;t always the first step<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Solo founders started building their online presence in different ways. Social media accounts and marketplace listings were more common before a first sale than a website or an email subscriber.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"6ac83f7e6fbdf\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ac83f7e6fbdf\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"941\" height=\"2560\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A1_the-first-90-days-scaled.png\/w=1024,h=1024,fit=scale-down\" alt=\"Infographic showing when solo founders launched websites, which tools they set up before their first sale, and why they delayed building a site.\" class=\"wp-image-10505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A1_the-first-90-days-scaled.png\/w=941,fit=scale-down 941w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A1_the-first-90-days-scaled.png\/w=110,fit=scale-down 110w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A1_the-first-90-days-scaled.png\/w=376,fit=scale-down 376w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A1_the-first-90-days-scaled.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A1_the-first-90-days-scaled.png\/w=753,fit=scale-down 753w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 941px) 100vw, 941px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" data-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly one-third of respondents (32%) launched their website before their first sale. Another 14% did so within 3 months afterward, and 20% waited longer than 3 months &mdash; 34% hadn&rsquo;t launched one yet. The reported average wait after a first sale was 7 months.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before their first sale, 41% had created a social media account, 40% had registered a domain name, and 39% had set up a marketplace listing. Store or booking tools were in place for 27%, while 22% had started working on search engine optimization (SEO). Just 12% had collected their first email subscriber.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The order tells its own story. More founders had a domain in place before their first sale (40%) than had a website live (32%), and fewer still had started on SEO (22%). Founders secure the name first, build on it later, and worry about being found later still.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Email remained the least-used step: only 53% had ever collected a subscriber. That share was higher among hypergrowth founders (61%) than among slower-growing founders (43%). Other steps were also unfinished, with 38% having never worked on SEO and 30% having never registered a domain.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among founders who delayed building a website, 31% said social media or a marketplace already worked for them, and 30% cited the cost of building or hosting a site. Another 28% didn&rsquo;t think they needed one, while 26% were waiting until the business felt ready. Not knowing where to start (19%) and lacking technical skills (18%) were less commonly cited reasons.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When respondents looked back at their biggest financial regret, underpricing came first at 34%. Relying too heavily on a platform they didn&rsquo;t control followed at 14%, while 11% named waiting too long to launch a website.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading h-t-title-2\" id=\"h-platforms-brought-customers-and-business-risks\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Platforms_brought_customers_and_business_risks\"><\/span>Platforms brought customers and business risks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Third-party platforms were the main source of new customers for most respondents. Owners also described how dependent their businesses were on the channels they used, including their own websites.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"6ac83f7e707b0\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ac83f7e707b0\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"865\" height=\"2560\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A2_rented-land-scaled.png\/w=1024,h=1024,fit=scale-down\" alt=\"Infographic showing solo founders' customer sources, losses from platform disruptions, reliance on websites and other channels, and income from channels they owned.\" class=\"wp-image-10506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A2_rented-land-scaled.png\/w=865,fit=scale-down 865w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A2_rented-land-scaled.png\/w=101,fit=scale-down 101w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A2_rented-land-scaled.png\/w=346,fit=scale-down 346w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A2_rented-land-scaled.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A2_rented-land-scaled.png\/w=519,fit=scale-down 519w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A2_rented-land-scaled.png\/w=692,fit=scale-down 692w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" data-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Six in 10 respondents (60%) named a platform they didn&rsquo;t own as their biggest source of new customers. Referrals or in-person connections led the way at 26%, while 14% named a channel they owned. More than half (54%) operated on at least 3 third-party platforms, averaging 3 platforms per person.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That reliance came with some difficult experiences. More than 2 in 5 respondents (44%) reported losing money when a platform changed its rules, locked their account, or went down.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked how long their business could last without a particular channel, 36% of website owners said they couldn&rsquo;t last a month without their site. That figure rose to 49% among hypergrowth founders, compared with 28% of slower-growing founders. Among users of each channel, the same was true for 28% of Etsy sellers and 27% of email list users.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The channels that founders own also contributed to their income. Nearly one-third (32%) reported earning 75% to 100% of their yearly income through those channels, while 19% put the share at 50% to 74%. Another 20% earned 25% to 49% that way, and 30% earned less than a quarter.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite email&rsquo;s role for some businesses, 57% of respondents would rather gain 10,000 followers than 1,000 email subscribers. That preference captures the appeal of a larger audience, but it doesn&rsquo;t tell us which option would generate more sales. <\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For an owner reviewing their own business, the useful question is where customers actually come from and how they could stay in touch if that channel became unavailable.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading h-t-title-2\" id=\"h-ai-helped-with-core-tasks-with-owners-setting-limits\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AI_helped_with_core_tasks_with_owners_setting_limits\"><\/span>AI helped with core tasks, with owners setting limits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than half of respondents used AI for at least one core business task. Adoption varied with the work involved, and many owners wanted to maintain direct control over customer service and pricing.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"6ac83f7e713c6\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ac83f7e713c6\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1046\" height=\"2560\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A3_the-payroll-of-one-scaled.png\/w=1024,h=1024,fit=scale-down\" alt=\"Infographic showing how solo founders used AI for business tasks, which responsibilities they kept themselves, and how AI affected hiring plans and estimated costs.\" class=\"wp-image-10507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A3_the-payroll-of-one-scaled.png\/w=1046,fit=scale-down 1046w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A3_the-payroll-of-one-scaled.png\/w=123,fit=scale-down 123w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A3_the-payroll-of-one-scaled.png\/w=419,fit=scale-down 419w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A3_the-payroll-of-one-scaled.png\/w=628,fit=scale-down 628w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/A3_the-payroll-of-one-scaled.png\/w=837,fit=scale-down 837w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1046px) 100vw, 1046px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" data-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among solo founders who had planned to hire, 63% delayed hiring because of AI. Overall, 56% of respondents used AI for at least one core task, with 63% of hypergrowth founders and 46% of slower-growing founders reporting use. Marketing content and copy were the most common uses, at 40%. Building or updating a website followed (28%), alongside legal or contract-related work (27%). These are tasks that might otherwise require outside help or additional staff, which may help explain why some founders are reconsidering when they need to make their first hire.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, founders drew clear boundaries around what they wanted to handle themselves. Seven in 10 said they set their own prices, answered their own customers, and wouldn&rsquo;t hand either responsibility to AI. Using AI for one part of a business didn&rsquo;t mean wanting it involved in every decision.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For founders interested in trying AI, a manageable starting point is a task they can review themselves, such as drafting a product description or updating website copy. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/hostinger-agent\">Hostinger Agent<\/a> can help with marketing content and other business tasks, while owners decide what to use and what needs more work. <\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The survey&rsquo;s most useful insight here is that support can be selective. Founders can choose the tasks where they want help.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading h-t-title-2\" id=\"h-choose-the-next-step-that-fits-your-business\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Choose_the_next_step_that_fits_your_business\"><\/span>Choose the next step that fits your business<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The survey showed a range of ways to run a solo business online. Many respondents found customers through third-party platforms, almost half hadn&rsquo;t collected an email subscriber, and AI was part of the workload for more than half. Those choices don&rsquo;t establish a single formula for growth.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start by reviewing one part of your business you&rsquo;d like to improve. If customers need a place to find your services or book with you, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ai-builder\">AI website and app builder<\/a> can help you create that page without coding. <\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you already have a reliable way to reach customers, focus on a practical next step, such as inviting them to opt in to email updates or to get help with a recurring task.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading h-t-title-2\" id=\"h-methodology\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Methodology\"><\/span>Methodology<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hostinger surveyed 640 U.S. side-hustle founders and solo business owners in September 2026 about their use of websites, customer acquisition channels, and AI. All respondents were adults aged 18 or older. Among respondents, 8% were pre-launch and hadn&rsquo;t made a sale; 15% had been selling for less than a year; 26% for 1 to 3 years; and 51% for more than 3 years.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article focuses on overall results, with channel-specific findings reported among users of the relevant channel. The accompanying graphics also include selected comparisons between respondents reporting revenue growth of 40% or more over the previous 12 months (106 respondents, labeled &ldquo;hypergrowth&rdquo;) and those reporting flat or declining revenue (220 respondents, labeled &ldquo;slower growing&rdquo;). These comparisons are descriptive and do not show that any particular tool or business practice caused growth.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Respondents&rsquo; average age was 43. Of those surveyed, 49% were women, 49% were men, and 2% self-described or preferred not to say. By generation, 8% were baby boomers, 29% were Gen X, 50% were millennials, and 13% were Gen Z.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All findings were self-reported and describe the people surveyed; they should not be interpreted as nationally representative of U.S. solo business owners. Percentages may not total 100% because of rounding or questions that allowed multiple selections. The findings do not establish cause and effect or guarantee business outcomes.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading h-t-title-3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fair_use_statement\"><\/span>Fair use statement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The data and images in this report are available for noncommercial use. If you share any part of it, please credit Hostinger with a link back to this page so readers can review the full methodology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Running a business on your own means deciding what deserves your time and budget. A social media account might come first, while a website or email list waits until there&#8217;s a clea\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":257,"featured_media":10508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2417],"tags":[],"hashtags":[],"class_list":["post-10504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights"],"hreflangs":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/257"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10504"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10509,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10504\/revisions\/10509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10504"},{"taxonomy":"hashtags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtags?post=10504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}