How solo founders build and run their businesses online

Running a endeavor on your own method deciding what deserves your period and budget. A social media document power arrive first, during a website or email catalog waits until there’s a clearer logic to build one.

In September 2026, Hostinger surveyed 640 U.S. side-hustle founders and solo endeavor owners concerning those decisions, from launching a website to finding customers and using AI. Their self-reported answers display how respondents operated online, what they hadn’t set up, and anywhere they wanted to keep doing the activity themselves.

Key takeaways

• The average solo originator waits 7 months following their archetypal transaction before eventually construction a website.
• 36% of solo founders alongside a website couldn’t final a duration without it. Among hypergrowth founders (those reporting 40%+ income growth complete the former 12 months), it’s 49%, compared alongside 28% of slower-growing founders.
• 61% of hypergrowth founders have an email list, compared alongside 43% of founders whose income was flat or declining.
• 54% of solo founders run on three or additional third-party platforms.
• If Etsy disappeared tomorrow, 28% of the solo founders who market there could not final a duration without it.
• 63% of solo founders who planned to employ say AI has delayed that hire.
• Nearly 1 in 2 solo founders (47%) have never collected a sole email subscriber for their business.

A website wasn’t continually the archetypal step

Solo founders started construction their online existence in distinct ways. Social media accounts and market listings were additional average before a archetypal transaction than a website or an email subscriber.

Nearly one-third of respondents (32%) launched their website before their archetypal sale. Another 14% did so inside 3 months afterward, and 20% waited longer than 3 months — 34% hadn’t launched one yet. The reported average delay following a archetypal transaction was 7 months.

Before their archetypal sale, 41% had created a social media account, 40% had registered a domain name, and 39% had set up a market listing. Store or booking tools were in location for 27%, during 22% had started operating on hunt motor optimization (SEO). Just 12% had collected their archetypal email subscriber.

The command tells its own story. More founders had a domain in location before their archetypal transaction (40%) than had a website live (32%), and small motionless had started on SEO (22%). Founders safe the name first, build on it later, and concern concerning being established afterward still.

Email remained the least-used step: lone 53% had always collected a subscriber. That portion was higher among hypergrowth founders (61%) than among slower-growing founders (43%). Other steps were additionally unfinished, alongside 38% having never worked on SEO and 30% having never registered a domain.

Among founders who delayed construction a website, 31% stated social media or a market already worked for them, and 30% cited the disbursal of construction or hosting a site. Another 28% didn’t think they needed one, during 26% were waiting until the endeavor felt ready. Not knowing anywhere to commencement (19%) and lacking specialized skills (18%) were small commonly cited reasons.

When respondents looked rear at their biggest financial regret, underpricing came archetypal at 34%. Relying too heavily on a phase they didn’t authority followed at 14%, during 11% named waiting too lengthy to initiate a website.

Platforms brought customers and endeavor risks

Third-party platforms were the chief origin of new customers for most respondents. Owners additionally described how reliant their businesses were on the channels they used, including their own websites.

Six in 10 respondents (60%) named a phase they didn’t own as their biggest origin of new customers. Referrals or in-person connections led the way at 26%, during 14% named a conduit they owned. More than fractional (54%) operated on at smallest 3 third-party platforms, averaging 3 platforms per person.

That reliance came alongside several difficult experiences. More than 2 in 5 respondents (44%) reported losing prosperity whenever a phase changed its rules, locked their account, or went down.

When asked how lengthy their endeavor could final without a particular channel, 36% of website owners stated they couldn’t final a duration without their site. That fig rosy to 49% among hypergrowth founders, compared alongside 28% of slower-growing founders. Among users of all channel, the identical was true for 28% of Etsy sellers and 27% of email catalog users.

The channels that founders own additionally contributed to their income. Nearly one-third (32%) reported earning 75% to 100% of their annual earnings through those channels, during 19% put the portion at 50% to 74%. Another 20% earned 25% to 49% that way, and 30% earned small than a quarter.

Despite email’s function for several businesses, 57% of respondents would fairly acquire 10,000 followers than 1,000 email subscribers. That penchant captures the petition of a larger audience, but it doesn’t inform us which choice would create additional sales.

For an owner reviewing their own business, the helpful inquiry is anywhere customers really arrive from and how they could remain in contact if that conduit became unavailable.

AI helped alongside center tasks, alongside owners environment limits

More than fractional of respondents used AI for at smallest one center endeavor task. Adoption varied alongside the activity involved, and many owners wanted to keep straightforward authority complete client assistance and pricing.

Among solo founders who had planned to hire, 63% delayed hiring since of AI. Overall, 56% of respondents used AI for at smallest one center task, alongside 63% of hypergrowth founders and 46% of slower-growing founders reporting use. Marketing satisfied and copy were the most average uses, at 40%. Building or updating a website followed (28%), alongside lawful or contract-related activity (27%). These are tasks that power alternatively necessitate exterior assistance or additional staff, which may assistance explain why several founders are reconsidering whenever they need to create their archetypal hire.

Still, founders drew apparent boundaries about what they wanted to grip themselves. Seven in 10 stated they set their own prices, answered their own customers, and wouldn’t hand either duty to AI. Using AI for one part of a endeavor didn’t average wanting it engaged in all decision.

For founders curious in trying AI, a manageable starting item is a project they can assessment themselves, specified as example a merchandise clarification or updating website copy. Hostinger Agent can assistance alongside promotion satisfied and another endeavor tasks, during owners decide what to use and what needs additional work.

The survey’s most helpful understanding current is that assistance can be selective. Founders can choose the tasks anywhere they desire help.

Choose the next stage that fits your business

The study showed a range of ways to run a solo endeavor online. Many respondents established customers through third-party platforms, nearly fractional hadn’t collected an email subscriber, and AI was part of the workload for additional than half. Those choices don’t established a sole equation for growth.

Start by reviewing one part of your endeavor you’d akin to improve. If customers need a location to discover your services or publish alongside you, an AI website and app builder can assistance you create that leaf without coding.

If you already have a dependable way to attain customers, concentration on a applicable next step, specified as inviting them to opt in to email updates or to get assistance alongside a recurring task.

Methodology

Hostinger surveyed 640 U.S. side-hustle founders and solo endeavor owners in September 2026 concerning their use of websites, client acquisition channels, and AI. All respondents were adults old 18 or older. Among respondents, 8% were pre-launch and hadn’t made a sale; 15% had been marketing for small than a year; 26% for 1 to 3 years; and 51% for additional than 3 years.

This part focuses on general results, alongside channel-specific findings reported among users of the applicable channel. The accompanying graphics additionally contain selected comparisons between respondents reporting income growth of 40% or additional complete the former 12 months (106 respondents, tagged “hypergrowth”) and those reporting flat or declining income (220 respondents, tagged “slower growing”). These comparisons are descriptive and do not display that any particular tool or endeavor custom caused growth.

Respondents’ average age was 43. Of those surveyed, 49% were women, 49% were men, and 2% self-described or preferred not to say. By generation, 8% were baby boomers, 29% were Gen X, 50% were millennials, and 13% were Gen Z.

All findings were self-reported and depict the group surveyed; they should not be interpreted as nationally delegate of U.S. solo endeavor owners. Percentages may not total 100% since of rounding or questions that allowed multiple selections. The findings do not established logic and consequence or justify endeavor outcomes.

Fair use statement

The data and images in this study are accessible for noncommercial use. If you portion any part of it, delight credit Hostinger alongside a nexus rear to this leaf so readers can assessment the complete methodology.