Published 07-14-23
Submitted by GoDaddy
As originally published by GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative
According to microbusiness owners, most start their venture to become their own boss and pursue success on their own terms. Many also want to keep their enterprises small. Venture Forward, a GoDaddy research initiative established in 2018 to study the impact of online microbusinesses on their local economies, defines microbusinesses as businesses with fewer than ten employees, a unique domain, and an active website.
The Big Fact
43% of microbusiness owners listed ‘be their own boss’ as one of their top three reasons to begin, according to GoDaddy’s most recent Venture Forward national survey of online microbusiness owners. This represents a 5% increase over the previous year.
Other popular reasons to start a business include supporting a cause or hobby (32%) and wanting or needing flexibility that a typical job doesn’t allow (29%). Only 22% of microbusiness owners said flexibility was a top reason for them to start a business the year before.
The Research
GoDaddy's Venture Forward one-of-a-kind research initiative provides a unique view into the attitudes, demographics, and needs of these entrepreneurs. The U.S. national survey started in 2019 and occurs twice a year, typically capturing responses from over 3,500 entrepreneurs per instance to identify and explore trends, as well as deliver insights to advocates of microbusiness entrepreneurs.
GoDaddy analyzes more than 20 million online microbusinesses in the U.S. who have a unique domain and active website. While these microbusinesses may be small, their impact on the U.S. economy is outsized even though they are often too informal or too new to show up in government statistics.
Who Stands Out
While the desire to be their own boss is a commonality among most microbusiness owners, there are some notable outliers:
Long-Term Ambitions
Nearly three-quarters of microbusiness owners (68%) want to keep their business small with either no employees or only some employees. Most entrepreneurs who want to keep their businesses small are retired. Only 7% of microbusiness owners want to grow their business to a large size with a billion-dollar valuation. Most entrepreneurs who want to grow their business to a large size are resource-constrained.
GoDaddy is empowering everyday entrepreneurs around the world by providing all of the help and tools to succeed online. GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers, sell their products and services, and manage their work. Our mission is to give our customers the tools, insights and the people to transform their ideas and personal initiative into success. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
GoDaddy focuses on making opportunity more inclusive for all in the communities where we work, live and play across the globe. We rally behind inclusive entrepreneurship and other critical local needs that empower people to succeed through philanthropic and in-kind donations, volunteerism, strategic partnerships and advocacy.
Empower by GoDaddy is GoDaddy's global community and philanthropic program equipping entrepreneurs in underserved communities with training, tools and peer networks to accelerate their journeys. GoDaddy rallies behind entrepreneurs in underserved communities by building their confidence and skills to strengthen their small business’ digital presence. Entrepreneurs engage in customized learning experiences, work 1-1 with GoDaddy volunteer coaches and local mentors, and gain access to wrap-around services, in-kind products and networks boosting their small businesses success.
More from GoDaddy