Ownr’s Deep Dive into Canadian Entrepreneurship in 2026

Sometimes the hardest part of making a change isn’t the challenge of starting something new — it’s leaving what’s familiar behind and plunging forward into the unknown.

But when it comes to entrepreneurship, more and more people are taking that leap. From those just starting their careers to others further along and looking for a pivot, increasing numbers of Canadians are seizing the moment and making their dreams a reality.  

Everyone’s heard that old saying, “Don’t quit your day job.” But pursuing your passion doesn’t mean giving up on it altogether. It’s about starting fresh to pursue something you truly believe in — and possibly making a living doing it. 

Mapping the shifting small business landscape 

To better understand today’s entrepreneurs, Ownr recently teamed up with Ipsos Canada to survey more than 1,500 Canadians about what’s driving them to launch their small businesses — or preventing them from doing so. 

The result is our Canadian Side Hustle Report 2026, offering revealing insights into how side hustles are becoming increasingly mainstream and how, for some Canadians, what starts as merely supplemental income is the beginning of something much greater and more fulfilling.

The side hustle is coming out from the sidelines

What was once merely a way to boost one’s income is increasingly becoming a legitimate career choice. Almost half of Canadians (47%) we surveyed currently have a side hustle or are looking to start one. 

“There’s a lot of entrepreneurial ambition in Canada, and this data proves that even more of it may be hiding in plain sight,” observes Jordan Casey, chief executive officer at Ownr.

Starting a small business is always a leap of faith. But for many current side hustlers, that leap seems to be paying off: 22% say they’re generating enough income that they don’t need a regular job, while 19% say they’re likely to leave their current job to pursue their hustle full-time. 

This positive outlook is more pronounced among younger respondents. Almost one-third of Gen Zers (31%) say theirs is generating enough income without a regular job, and 29% say they expect to soon go full-time — confidence that bodes well for entrepreneurship in Canada. 

The motives: Money and more

Beyond the numbers, we wanted to know exactly what’s motivating Canadians to pick up a side hustle, as well as what might be holding them back. 

The top drivers participants cited were supplementing their current income (39%), keeping up with the rising costs of living (33%), and paying down existing debt (26%). 

Again, generational distinctions emerge. Perhaps due to fewer financial obligations, Gen Zers are more likely to cite their motives as turning a hobby or talent into income (26%) or building experience or developing practical skills (13%). Millennials, meanwhile, are more focused on paying down debt (30%), building a financial safety net (22%), and saving for a specific goal (15%). 

These responses reveal a clear shift in how the side hustle incentive changes over time, reflecting evolving personal and professional goals across life’s stages. 

Time and energy are challenges

Turning from your day job to a more personal pursuit can be an invigorating change, but it doesn’t mean the work stops. Picking up a side hustle requires extra energy and time — both of which are often in short supply. 

The side hustlers we surveyed are devoting an average of 13 hours weekly to their ventures, a significant addition to any workload. 

This demand presents an obvious challenge for many aspiring small business founders. When asked what prevented them from starting a side hustle, 28% said it was finding the time for it among their job and other obligations, and 25% said it was concerns about potential burnout and a loss of work-life balance. An equal number (25%) said the greatest barrier they faced was simply not knowing where to start.

Confidence is high — but knowledge needs work

Despite the potential obstacles, current side hustlers are feeling positive about their entrepreneurial abilities. Most feel confident in managing the day-to-day business of their ventures, like tracking income and expenses (83%), and keeping their business and personal finances separate (80%).

But when it comes to the administrative tasks of formalizing a business, that confidence wanes slightly. In our survey, 37% of respondents said they don’t know when to register their business, and 38% said they don’t understand the applicable legal requirements. Only 58% could answer with certainty whether incorporation is right for their business.

When asked what factors would need to be met before they took their hustle full-time, the top two answers were earning more than their current day job (37%) and seeing the side business become profitable (36%).

While the entrepreneurial spirit is strong, it seems tomorrow’s founders aren’t quite ready to take the plunge without first ensuring a level of financial safety.

The future is bright — but the hustle doesn’t stop

With more Canadians pursuing side hustles, entrepreneurship looks to be one of the engines driving our economic future. But to turn those ventures into viable career paths, small business owners will need to be equipped with the right knowledge.

“What often starts as a means to an end turns into ‘Hey, I might be good at this.’ But it’s the leap to ‘I can do this full-time’ that is hard,” says Casey. “It gets to a point where Canadians are making trade-offs with their time, and it’s while trying to manage it all that making sure a business is legal and compliant can slip through the cracks.”

Casey notes three key “must-knows” for aspiring side hustlers:

• Know your numbers. Before making any major changes, set clear targets that reflect your expectations, both professional and personal. In our survey, income and profitability were the two main factors side hustlers said they’re weighing before going full-time.
• Know when it’s time to make it official. As your hustle grows into a thriving business, you’ll face questions such as when registration is required, what legal and tax obligations apply, and whether incorporation makes sense. Ownr can help simplify many of those steps, from registration or incorporation to managing ongoing compliance requirements — no lawyers or accountants needed.
• Know what growth looks like for you. Going full-time isn’t the only measure of success. Consider what you want the business to become, both in the near term and further down the road, and what indicators would signal each stage of growth. After all, only you’ll know when your business dream becomes a reality. 

Small Business Month: The journey begins

October is Small Business Month in Canada, a perfect time to bring that great idea to life or elevate your current side hustle to the next level. 

Ownr has helped launch over 270,000 small businesses across Canada, supporting them as they build upon today’s great ideas to create the success stories of tomorrow. 

“Eventually, a side hustle becomes something more than extra income — it becomes a business,” says Casey. “We want to help give those Canadians the confidence and tools they need to turn what they’re building on the side into their dream business.”

If you’ve been thinking about quitting that day job today or a little further down the road, you’re definitely not alone. Ownr’s all-in-one dashboard helps aspiring entrepreneurs start their new venture off strong. Contact Ownr to get started now. 

Explore the full Canadian Side Hustle Report 2026 and download it for free.