Solopreneurship is booming. According to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration, it’s been receiving 440,000 solopreneur applications per month—a rate over 90% faster than pre-pandemic averages.
Today, solopreneurs, individuals who independently operate their businesses without employees, make up over 80% of all small businesses in the U.S. and contribute $1.7 trillion to the economy.
However, the majority of these businesses launched post-2020, with minimal cybersecurity knowledge, limited access to business resources, and inconsistent cash flow, making them extremely vulnerable. They’re now using AI to accomplish what teams of 10-15 used to do.
In an interview, Chris Flood, Verizon Business’s new Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for Business Markets and SaaS, offers insights into how solopreneurs can scale faster with AI and other business technology.
Rieva Lesonsky: Recent SBA data shows the U.S. is seeing a surge of new solopreneur applications. What’s driving this explosion in one-person businesses—and do you expect the trend to continue?
Chris Flood: The rise of the solopreneur is undeniable. We’re seeing a new generation of entrepreneurs build and scale businesses entirely on their own. The barrier to entry has also dropped dramatically. Social media, digital advertising, and AI have given a single person the reach and ability to serve customers at a scale that once required a full team.
Lesonsky: Solopreneurs now make up more than 80% of all small businesses in the U.S. But many launched quickly after 2020. What foundational systems or infrastructure do you see many of these businesses missing?
Flood: The gaps tend to fall into three areas. The first being cybersecurity. Solopreneurs can sometimes overlook this without realizing that small businesses are as vulnerable as larger enterprises.
The second is automation. Without tools to handle the routine, time-consuming work, solopreneurs are often bogged down with tasks that don’t generate revenue for their businesses.
The third is payment infrastructure. Customers expect seamless digital purchasing today, and a clunky checkout experience can cost you a customer permanently. Getting these foundational systems in place early can separate a business that scales from one that stalls.
Lesonsky: One of the most interesting shifts is how solopreneurs are using AI and digital tools to operate like much larger companies. What are some of the most effective ways you see one-person businesses use AI today?
Flood: The most impactful use cases are those that give solopreneurs their time back. We’re seeing solopreneurs use AI for customer communication. These tools are helping handle routine inquiries 24/7, so the owner isn’t the bottleneck.
We’re also seeing AI used for marketing and social media, for written communications and, increasingly, for scheduling and workflow automation.
The common thread is that AI is helping handle the work that used to require a support team, which means a one-person business can now operate with the responsiveness and professionalism of a much larger company.
Lesonsky: At the same time, rapid growth and automation can create blind spots. Where do solopreneurs most often underestimate cybersecurity or operational risk?
Flood: Many think enterprise businesses are the only ones at risk of cyberattack, but the Verizon Business 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), which analyzed more than 12,000 confirmed breaches, shows smaller organizations are at risk as well. SMBs experienced ransomware in 88% of their breaches compared to just 39% for large organizations. Attackers don’t discriminate by size; they adjust their ransom demands accordingly.
Another threat is device risk. The 2025 DBIR found that 46% of compromised systems with corporate login data were non-managed, personal devices. For solopreneurs running their entire businesses on a personal laptop or phone, this means their customer records, financial information, or business logins could be compromised if their devices were stolen or hacked.
Security is not something solopreneurs can afford to invest in after an incident; it needs to be a foundational pillar of their businesses.
Lesonsky: Cash flow is one of the biggest challenges for any small business—but for a solopreneur without a team or financial staff, the stakes can be even higher. What practical steps can solo founders take to better manage cash flow and financial stability?
Flood: A few relatively simple steps can make a real difference for these founders. Small business owners should set up their invoicing and payment systems properly from day one so they’re never chasing cash. In fact, according to our 2025 Small Business Survey, more than half of SMBs have already upgraded their payment processing. It’s vital to make it easy for customers to pay easily and quickly.
All business owners should also separate their business and personal finances.
Using downtime between busy periods to build a financial cushion can also help solopreneurs maintain financial stability.
Lesonsky: Many solopreneurs are building businesses while also learning technology on the fly. What are the essential tech tools or capabilities every solo business should have in place early on to support long-term growth?
Flood: If I were launching a business today as a solopreneur, I would keep the tech simple, yet powerful. I’d start with reliable connectivity as the foundation, since everything else will run on top of it.
I’d next focus on cybersecurity, including device protection, strong passwords, and backups, because one breach can dramatically impact a small business.
Next, I’d look to implement AI tools to help handle routine customer communication around the clock, as responsiveness is a competitive edge for a solopreneur.
And finally, I’d explore ways to use AI to automate time-consuming admin workflows. No one hands you a playbook for running a small business, but these tools together can help set you up for success.
Lesonsky: Programs like Verizon Small Business Digital Ready are designed to help entrepreneurs build those skills. What kinds of resources or training are solopreneurs most actively seeking right now?
Flood: Most solopreneurs are experts in what they do, but running a business is an entirely different discipline. Many have shared that they need practical and actionable tools and resources to build something that lasts, not just something that starts. We saw that gap and stepped in.
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is a free online resource built specifically for small business owners with more than 60 on-demand courses covering AI, cybersecurity, financial planning, social media, marketing, and more. This platform also includes virtual events, expert coaching, and peer networking to provide confidence and support for its members.
More than that, we know keeping pace with new tools and technology is hard enough. Doing it alone is harder. That’s why community is at the core of what we built, because solopreneurship shouldn’t feel like isolation.
Lesonsky: Looking ahead, do you think the next generation of entrepreneurs will increasingly start as solopreneurs first and build teams later, or will the one-person business model become a long-term structure for many founders?
Flood: The future may be a mix of both. For some, solopreneurship is the launching pad: They build the skills, the customer base, and the confidence before hiring. For others, staying lean and tech-enabled is the strategy, not a stepping stone.
AI is making that second path more viable than ever. A single person can now manage what used to require a team of 10 or 15. What the next generation of entrepreneurs will have in common is that they’ll be more deliberate about the choice. The question won’t be ‘when do I hire?’ It will be ‘do I need to?’ And they will need to decide what makes the most sense for their businesses.
My Takeaway
The rise of the solopreneur isn’t just about independence—it’s about leverage. Today’s entrepreneurs can build and scale businesses faster than ever, often on their own. But that speed can hide real risks. The solopreneurs who succeed long term won’t just embrace AI and digital tools—they’ll build businesses with the right foundations in place, from cybersecurity to cash flow. Because in a one-person business, there’s no margin for error.
Rieva Lesonsky is the founder of Small Business Currents, a content company focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurship. You can find her on Twitter @Rieva, Bluesky @Rieva.bsky.social, and LinkedIn. Or email her at Rieva@SmallBusinessCurrents.com.
Photo courtesy Getty Images for Unsplash+
