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Is owning a small business still worth it in America? The answer may depend on which industry you’re in.
A new Small Business Expo Research Team survey of 2,215 respondents reveals a notable divide in how different industries view entrepreneurship. The findings highlight important small business industry trends, particularly in how entrepreneurs perceive the rewards and challenges of business ownership.
While 52.3% of respondents in Technology/IT believe business ownership is worthwhile more than ever, the same percentage in Restaurant/Food & Beverage say it’s still worthwhile, but harder than it used to be.
Overall, 84.5% of respondents believe small business ownership remains worthwhile. But that broad optimism masks important differences in how entrepreneurs view the challenges and rewards of running a business.
Highlights
- 52.3% of Technology/IT respondents say owning a business is worthwhile more than ever.
- 52.3% of Restaurant/Food & Beverage respondents say ownership is worthwhile, but harder than before.
- 50.0% of Construction/Engineering respondents also believe entrepreneurship has become harder.
- 84.5% of all respondents still consider small business ownership worthwhile.
Small Business Industry Trends: Technology Leads in Enthusiasm
Among the industries surveyed, Technology/IT stands out for its enthusiastic outlook on entrepreneurship.
More than half of respondents in Technology/IT (52.3%) believe business ownership is worthwhile more than ever, compared with 38.9% who say it’s worthwhile but harder than before.
Similar patterns emerge in Business Products & Services, where 51.2% express the strongest positive sentiment, and Banking/Finance/Accounting, where exactly 50.0% share that view.
These small business industry trends suggest that respondents in certain sectors are more inclined to see entrepreneurship as especially rewarding, even amid broader economic uncertainty.
Recent research from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation offers additional context for the positive outlook in technology. A 2026 survey of 750 small business owners and operators found that businesses frequently using artificial intelligence reported improvements in efficiency and work quality.¹ These findings highlight how emerging technologies are creating new opportunities for businesses to streamline operations, improve productivity, and strengthen their competitive advantage.
Restaurants and Construction See a Harder Road
The picture looks different in industries that depend heavily on physical operations, labor, and materials.
In Restaurant/Food & Beverage, 52.3% of respondents say owning a business remains worthwhile, but harder than it used to be. Only 36.4% believe it’s worthwhile more than ever.
Construction/Engineering/Environmental Services shows a similar divide: 50.0% report that ownership is worthwhile but harder, compared with 33.9% who express unqualified enthusiasm.
These small business industry trends reflect a broader contrast in how entrepreneurs perceive business ownership, with operating pressures providing important context for some industries.
According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry report, restaurants continue to face elevated operating expenses, uneven customer traffic, and pressure on profitability.²
The association’s subsequent analysis found that restaurant expenses had risen 36% compared with pre-pandemic levels, illustrating the financial pressures operators must navigate.³
Although the survey does not identify the specific challenges influencing respondents’ answers, these industry conditions provide useful context for understanding why some entrepreneurs may feel more cautious.
Optimism Doesn’t Mean Business Is Getting Easier
Perhaps the most revealing finding is that respondents can share a positive outlook while disagreeing about how difficult entrepreneurship has become.
In Technology/IT, 91.3% believe business ownership is worthwhile. In Restaurant/Food & Beverage, that figure is similarly high at 88.8%.
Yet the balance between enthusiastic and qualified optimism differs substantially.
Technology respondents are more likely to say entrepreneurship is worthwhile more than ever, while restaurant respondents are more likely to acknowledge that it has become harder.
Across the full survey, 43.2% say ownership is worthwhile more than ever, and another 41.4% say it’s worthwhile despite growing difficulty.
The distinction matters. A positive response doesn’t necessarily indicate that a business owner feels confident about operating conditions, profitability, or future growth. It may simply mean that the benefits of entrepreneurship continue to outweigh the challenges.
Final Takeaway
Small business optimism remains widespread, but it doesn’t look the same across industries.
For some respondents, entrepreneurship appears more rewarding than ever. For others, the commitment to business ownership persists despite a belief that the path has become more difficult.
Ultimately, these small business industry trends show why understanding entrepreneurial sentiment requires looking beyond whether owners remain optimistic and examining what kind of optimism they’re expressing.
Footnotes
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U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Small Business Owners Say AI Is Already Changing Work. July 14, 2026.
https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/workforce/what-small-business-owners-say-ai-is-actually-doing-at-work -
National Restaurant Association. 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry. February 11, 2026.
https://www.restaurant.org/research-and-media/research/research-reports/state-of-the-industry/ -
National Restaurant Association. Elevated Costs Continue to Pressure Restaurant Profitability. July 8, 2026.
https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/research/restaurant-economic-insights/analysis-commentary/elevated-costs-continue-to-pressure-restaurant-profitability/
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