{"id":98942,"date":"2026-09-18T10:49:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T14:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/?post_type=rbc_my_money_matter&p=98942"},"modified":"2026-09-18T10:50:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T14:50:42","slug":"rbc-small-business-poll-gen-z-is-changing-what-business-ownership-looks-like","status":"publish","type":"rbc_my_money_matter","link":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/business\/right-sized-business-advice\/small-business\/rbc-small-business-poll-gen-z-is-changing-what-business-ownership-looks-like\/","title":{"rendered":"RBC Small Business Poll: Gen Z Is Changing What Business Ownership Looks Like"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The new RBC Small Business Poll finds Gen Z is building businesses alongside full-time jobs \u2013 and starting earlier than any generation before them.<\/p>\n

RBC Small Business Poll: Gen Z Is Changing What Business Ownership Looks Like<\/h2>\n

Gen Z wants in on business ownership. Two-thirds (66%) of Gen Z Canadians have thought about owning a business, more than any other generation. But the shape of entrepreneurship has changed: nearly half of Gen Z business owners (46%) are running their side business alongside their primary career.<\/p>\n

Entrepreneurship goes mainstream \u2013 but not necessarily full-time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The latest\u00a0RBC Small Business Poll<\/a>\u00a0reveals a generation for whom entrepreneurship has gone mainstream. Half of Gen Z (50%) believe most people are starting their first business or side hustle before the age of 25, and 49% believe it is more accessible for their generation than it was for the ones before. For many, the entry point is a side hustle \u2013 26% have one already, and another 32% want to start one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short? Younger Canadians aren\u2019t trading a job for business. In many cases, they\u2019re running both.<\/p>\n

\u201cSmall businesses are the backbone of Canada\u2019s economy, and the next generation of entrepreneurs will help shape its future,\u201d says Amy Childs, Vice President, Small Business and Partnerships, RBC. \u201cGen Z is showing that business ownership doesn\u2019t have to follow a traditional path, with success increasingly defined by flexibility, financial stability and independence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What motivates Gen Z, and what counts as success<\/h2>\n

Part of what\u2019s driving interest in entrepreneurship is the pressure Canadians are feeling elsewhere. Eighty-one per cent of Canadians agree that financial uncertainty is causing more people to consider working for themselves. Among business owners, the rising cost of living (90%) and difficulty finding employment (80%) rank as the strongest factors shaping that interest.<\/p>\n

While the flexibility and independence gained through entrepreneurship are appealing to all generations, Gen Z owners agree at a lower rate than their older counterparts. For this group, success is not so much about autonomy, but a range of unique factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Technology: the great enabler, and the great pressure<\/h2>\n

Technology and digital platforms have made starting a business feel more accessible, according to 85% of Canadians \u2013 and Gen Z is the generation most fluent in them. But access comes with expectations attached, and the same tools that lower the barrier to entry raise the bar for keeping up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gen Z is building businesses alongside full-time jobs and treating uncertainty as part of the job. They\u2019re optimistic about what\u2019s ahead, and they\u2019re not waiting for permission or the right moment. They\u2019re starting now, on their own terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Starting something of your own? We can help with the first steps \u2013 and the ones after<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

From registering your business to opening a business account to planning for growth, RBC has advice and tools for wherever you are in the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get Started<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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