Entrepreneurship in 2026: How Australians plan to build wealth through business

Jump ahead: Money and Control | Starting a Business in Challenging Conditions | Financial Setbacks | Starting a Side Hustle | Turning a Side Hustle into a Full-Time Business | Risk Perception | Use of AI | Taking the Next Step | Entrepreneurs in 2026 | Methodology

New research shows that while most Australians feel happy with their lives, financial pressure remains a powerful source of dissatisfaction—and it’s pushing more people towards entrepreneurship. 

Findings from the Intuit QuickBooks Entrepreneurship in 2026 study show that two-thirds of Australians (67%) say they’re satisfied with life, yet 69% say earning more money would make them feel even more satisfied. Increasingly, Aussies see entrepreneurship as a practical way to bridge that gap—offering greater income control at a time when financial pressures continue to shape everyday decisions.

As home ownership continues to slip further out of reach, Australians appear to be rewriting the “Aussie dream”—replacing home ownership with business ownership as their driving motivation. This is reflected in our research, which shows that in 2026, 41% of Australians plan to start a business or side hustle as part of their wealth-building strategy. This reflects a broader shift in how Australians want to work and how they want to build wealth.

With the right support—from simple financial tools to accessible advice—2026 could be the year more Australians turn their entrepreneurial intent into a reality. Keep reading to learn more about our nation’s ambitions.

[Download the data (.xlsx file)]

Why money and control matter to Australians

Money may not guarantee happiness, but for Australians, it’s a big part of improving life satisfaction. Our study shows that earning more money is the single most important factor Aussies believe would improve their lives, with 69% saying higher earnings would make them feel more satisfied. That figure far outweighs other priorities such as improving mental health (43%), having more control over their destiny (30%), or spending more time with family (27%). 

Crucially, this focus on money isn’t about chasing wealth for its own sake. With traditional pathways to financial security feeling less reliable, the pros of being an entrepreneur are becoming more compelling. Becoming self-employed offers something many Australians feel they’re missing—direct control over their working lives. The combination of income potential, autonomy, and flexibility explains why entrepreneurship is emerging as an increasingly popular alternative to traditional employment.

Australians are willing to start businesses despite challenging conditions

Even amid economic uncertainty, many Australians feel a growing urgency to take action. More than half (58%) say they feel pressure to start a business or side hustle within the next year, and 45% say they’re prepared to move forward even if conditions aren’t ideal. Rather than making a clean break from employment, most are choosing a more cautious path—starting their side projects while maintaining financial stability. This reflects a pragmatic mindset—Australians aren’t waiting for perfect conditions, they’re finding ways to move forward despite them.

The financial setbacks of starting a business in Australia

Despite strong entrepreneurial intent, financial barriers continue to slow many Australians down. Money remains the biggest obstacle to starting a small or medium-sized business, with 43% saying a lack of capital holds them back. For others, it’s not just the upfront cost but the fear of what could go wrong—39% say concerns about failure or losing money prevent them from taking the next step. 

Time is another constraint. Nearly one in four Australians (24%) say time pressure makes it harder to get a business off the ground, particularly for those juggling full-time work or family responsibilities. Yet perceptions don’t always match reality. While many assume starting a business requires significant upfront investment, the median startup cost is $20,000—lower than many expect. For aspiring founders, this gap between perception and reality highlights how better information and financial clarity could remove some of the barriers standing in the way.

Why more Australians are using side hustles to get ahead 

For many Australians, side hustles offer a practical and low-risk way to explore entrepreneurship without the pressure of a full business launch. According to the research, 43% of Australians earned income from a side hustle in the past year, using it as a way to test ideas, build skills, and generate extra income alongside existing work. Online selling is the most common entry point, with 40% choosing e-commerce and digital-based activities that are easier to start and scale with minimal upfront costs.

Rather than demanding long hours or significant investment, most side hustles fit around everyday life. Many Australians spend between 11 and 20 hours per month on their side venture, typically earning between $100 and $499 or $500 to $999 per month. While these earnings may start small, they play an important role in building confidence and momentum.

Notably, many side hustles remain informal—only 21% are registered as a business—reinforcing their role as a testing ground rather than a high-risk commitment. For aspiring founders, side hustles offer a realistic first step towards long-term business ownership.

The reality of turning a side hustle into a full-time business 

While interest in entrepreneurship is strong, most Australians are realistic about what they want from their side ventures. For more than half (55%), the goal isn’t to quit their job altogether, but to maintain a steady source of additional income alongside existing work. At the same time, ambition remains high—40% say they hope to grow their side hustle into a full-time business.

Most aspiring founders expect any transition to take place over one to two years, allowing time to build a customer base and refine their offering before making a full commitment. Key enablers for making that leap include consistent customer demand, clearer marketing strategies, access to affordable tools, and more time to focus on the growth stage of the business life-cycle. Rather than rushing the process, Australians are using side hustles to test viability and create a more sustainable path into full-time business ownership.

Risk perception and the new Aussie wealth mindset

Australians are increasingly rethinking what risk really looks like when it comes to building wealth. While options like crypto and share trading are widely seen as high-risk—often due to volatility and limited understanding—starting a small business is viewed differently. In fact, only 14% of Australians see small business ownership as the riskiest option, highlighting a clear distinction in how people assess control versus chance.

For many, business ownership feels less like gambling on unpredictable markets and more like backing themselves—their skills, effort, and ability to influence outcomes. This mindset helps explain why side hustles and small businesses are gaining traction as a more confidence-driven approach to building wealth in Australia.

AI is helping new businesses move faster 

For many aspiring entrepreneurs, AI is becoming a practical tool for getting started sooner, rather than a mere buzzword. Two-thirds of Australians (66%) say they’re likely to use AI tools to help start a business, particularly to tackle early-stage tasks that often slow people down. Increasingly, this includes agentic AI—tools that can take initiative and guide next steps. Common use cases include generating business ideas, conducting research, building websites, and creating branding.

By helping automate or simplify these steps, AI is reducing the setup burden that many Australians worry about, especially around marketing, administration, and getting a business off the ground efficiently. While greater education and understanding are still needed, AI is already playing a meaningful role in helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into action.

What would help Australian founders take the next step in business? 

For many Australians, the decision to start or grow a business hinges on access to the right financial support. Nearly six in ten (58%) say they would be more likely to take the next step if financial guidance were easier to access. When seeking advice, Australians most often turn to familiar sources such as banks, accountants, and online tools to help them understand costs and next steps. Practical support also matters—grants and lower-interest loans would significantly increase readiness, with 28% saying even a small grant of $500 to $5,000 would make starting a business feel more achievable.

What this means for entrepreneurs in 2026

The picture emerging for Australia is one of cautious optimism. Australians are looking for new ways to build wealth, take greater control over their income, and reduce risk in an uncertain economic environment. Rather than waiting for ideal conditions, many Aussies are choosing practical pathways—using side hustles to test ideas, AI to move faster, and accessible tools and guidance to build confidence along the way.

With more flexible ways to start a business and lower barriers to entry, 2026 has set the foundations for a new wave of Australian founders. Driven by realism and resilience, not by hype, this next generation of entrepreneurs is redefining what success looks like—and creating more achievable pathways to get there.

Methodology

In December 2025, Intuit QuickBooks commissioned an online survey of 1,500 Australian adults aged 18+, alongside 3,000 adults in the United States and 1,500 adults each in Canada and the United Kingdom. The survey explored entrepreneurship trends and expectations for 2026, including respondents’ intent to start a business or side hustle, levels of financial confidence, funding expectations, use of AI tools, and perceived barriers to starting a business.

To ensure the findings are as representative as possible, survey results were re-weighted using post-stratification. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number, so figures shown in charts and graphics may not total 100%. Responses to multiple-choice questions are shown as a percentage of respondents, not total responses, and may therefore sum to more than 100%. Responses were collected using Pollfish audience pools and partner networks, with double opt-ins and random device engagement sampling to support accurate targeting and high-quality results. Respondents received remuneration.