We’ve just rung in a new year, and for a lot of Canadians, that means it’s time to stop simply dreaming about starting a business and finally get that winning entrepreneurial idea off the ground.
To better understand what’s driving Canada’s aspiring small business founders in the new year, we conducted a survey via Pollfish asking over a thousand Canadians about what’s holding them back—or pushing them forward—in the world of entrepreneurship.
The result? Ownr’s 2026 Entrepreneurial Outlook, an insightful look into the hopes and concerns of Canada’s future business owners.
Key Takeaways
- Entrepreneurship is top-of-mind: Nearly nine out of 10 (87%) respondents say they’ve thought about leaving their job to start a business. More than half (53%) say they consider it regularly or daily and 34% do so occasionally, while just 13% rarely or never think about it.
- Interest is strong: Of 1,076 respondents, 46% say they’re interested in starting their own business within the next year, with 17% being very interested and 29% somewhat interested.
- Pre-launch jitters: Only 11% say they feel very prepared to start a business today, while 53% feel not very or not at all prepared.
- Support is key: The most commonly named areas where support is needed are compliance (43%), business setup (42%), financial management (41%), and funding and growth (41%).
- Fears and uncertainties: The top barriers to starting a business include not feeling financially ready (45%) and fear of failure (41%), followed by uncertainty about where to begin (31%).
- Top concerns: Affordability (51%) and entering a competitive landscape (34%) are respondents’ leading worries.
From inspiration to action
Everyone has their own reasons for starting a business. Maybe it’s to define your own goals, to achieve financial freedom, or the satisfaction of creating something you can truly believe in.
Whatever their reasons, many Canadians will find themselves questioning their careers this year: what they do, why they do it, and where it’s taking them. The survey results back this up, with almost 90% of respondents saying they’re thinking about leaving their job to be their own bosses.
But when asked how ready they were to make that change, only 11% of respondents said they felt “very prepared.” Meanwhile, 41% reported feeling “not very prepared,” 37% said they were “somewhat prepared,” and 12% were “not at all prepared.”
This stark contrast shows how even the most brilliant idea might not be enough without the right education, guidance, and support.
Confusion and clarity
In the crucial early days of bringing a business to life, every step can seem like an obstacle. From drafting a business plan to dealing with legal paperwork, it can all feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. Especially in a time of economic uncertainty, taking that leap can be intimidating.
When asked which aspects of starting a new business held them back, nearly half (45%) of respondents said they didn’t feel financially ready, while 41% said “fear of failure” was their primary reason for not taking the plunge. Confusion about legal and compliance issues (43%) and uncertainty about business setup (42%) were specific concerns, with worries about financial management and funding following close behind. Meanwhile, 31% of respondents said they simply didn’t know how to even get started.
These results make one thing clear: it isn’t a shortage of ideas keeping Canadians from launching new business ventures. It’s a lack of clarity on how to begin.
“Ambition isn’t the problem in Canada,” says Jordan Casey, CEO of Ownr. “It’s the ‘activation’ that’s broken. This data shows that Canadians are ready to work for themselves, but they’re being sidelined by a complex administrative landscape and a lack of education and support.”
Making sense of it all
Fortunately, overcoming these dilemmas is far from impossible. Casey offers four simple suggestions to help Canadians overcome their anxieties and pave the way for a smoother business journey this year.
- Build the plan and make it official. Creating a clear business plan early provides a practical framework to build upon. With a solid plan in place, you can then take on important administrative decisions with confidence.
- Demystify compliance confusion. Use tools that simplify and automate time-consuming tasks like contracts and minute books. By streamlining the administrative process, you’ll be free to focus your energy on improving your product and connecting with customers.
- Adopt a “minimum viable launch” mindset. Breaking the starting process down into manageable “micro-milestones” makes progress feel more achievable. Taking care of tasks like completing business registration can create momentum to help overcome the pressures of those first stages.
- Claim your digital real estate early. Securing your business name, domain, and social handles early on is an easy but powerful way to establish credibility and lay an essential foundation for successes to come.
Ownr: 2026 Entrepreneurship goals made easy
At Ownr, we understand how daunting launching a small business can be. But making the leap into a new career of entrepreneurship doesn’t have to mean going it alone.
To help small business founders get through those vital starting phases, we offer a range of simple solutions, including business registration, tailored legal documents, setting up company stock options, and more.
Visit ownr.co to learn how we’ll help you pursue your goals with confidence in 2026, one milestone at a time.
Note: The findings cited are drawn from an online survey conducted by Prodege between December 18-22, 2025, on behalf of Craft Public Relations, commissioned by Ownr. The survey included n=1,000 Canadians aged 18 and over. Respondents reflect the natural demographic distribution of members of Prodege’s research panel. No other demographic quotas or post-survey methodologies were applied. At a sample size of 1,000, the margin of error for the study is ± 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, though margins of error are higher among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to, coverage error and measurement error.
This article offers general information only, is current as of the date of publication, and is not intended as legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. While the information presented is believed to be factual and current, its accuracy is not guaranteed and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the author(s) as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by RBC Ventures Inc. or its affiliates.