Subscribe to our newsletter to receive business tips, learn about new funding programmes, join upcoming events, take e-learning courses, and more.
Take the first step to successfully starting and growing your business.
Join for free)
Posted: Fri 30th Oct 2026
5 min read
Today marks a record for Enterprise Nation, with more than 250,000 founder-members now using our free advice, resources and support to start and grow their businesses.
The milestone follows our strongest year of growth yet. So far in 2026, 11,411 people have joined us, looking for practical help with starting up and scaling.
Many UK businesses now begin small and grow organically, and our research shows it.
In our Small Business Barometer, which has tracked UK small businesses since 2023, 43% of respondents said their business started as a side hustle. That share has barely moved over the years: 44% in 2023, 41% in 2024, 44% in 2025 and 41% in 2026.
Product-based businesses are the most likely to start this way, including homewares (61%), fashion (57%) and beauty (53%). Business services (31%), technology (36%) and engineering (28%) are the least likely.
By region, London has the highest share of side hustle starts at 53%, while the East of England has the lowest at 34%.
Appetite for starting up remains high too. Our 2026 Start Up Ambition Report found that 41% of UK adults are considering starting a business as part of their career path, rising to 62% among 18 to 24-year-olds.
Economics is now the leading motivation, with 36% of aspiring entrepreneurs citing financial reasons as their main driver. Four years ago, passion came first.
Many in our community are bootstrapping, at least at first. The Q2 2026 Small Business Barometer found that 76% of owners pay themselves less than £20,000 a year, up from 63% in 2025, and that appetite for outside funding is at a record low.
For these founders, free and accessible advice matters most in the early days.
Enterprise Nation membership is free to join and offers practical start-up support, followed by help with growth milestones such as taking on staff or raising investment.
Our CEO, Aaron Asadi, said:
“Business support and advocacy has fundamentally changed. Anyone can find the basics on YouTube now, so what founders want from us is different.
“In this difficult economic climate, with three in four owners paying themselves less than £20,000, they can’t afford to get things wrong, and they want to belong to an organisation they trust. That means quality support, fresh, pragmatic advice that reflects what’s happening right now, and access to big-name providers like NatWest and Google.
"They also want someone standing up for micro businesses with government, because the smallest firms are often left out of the conversation.
"More than 11,000 people have joined us this year, and I think that’s why. People don’t just want information; they want a community that’s on their side.”
Earlier this year we announced a strategic enterprise partnership with NatWest. The collaboration creates a more streamlined path to growth for early-stage businesses, and marks a shift in how UK firms receive support, as two major providers integrate their services into a comprehensive and accessible growth network.
If you’re starting or growing a business, join Enterprise Nation for free and get the advice, networks and support you need.
