Despite economic uncertainty, 42% of US small business owners are ‘very happy’

This National Small Business Week, VistaPrint, the print and design partner to small businesses, released new research evaluating the current state of small business happiness – and the factors contributing to it – in the United States. According to updated survey findings*, 42 per cent of small business owners (SBOs) are currently ‘very happy’ and 39 per cent of SBOs are ‘somewhat happy’, revealing that American entrepreneurs continue to showcase resilience and optimism despite economic uncertainty. Only 10 per cent of respondents say they are currently ‘somewhat’ or ‘very unhappy’.

“Small business owners are inherently positive people and they find fulfillment by charting their own course,” said Emily Whittaker, Executive Vice President, North America and Global Marketing, VistaPrint. “This research recognizes the vitality of America’s entrepreneurial spirit and the pride millions of small business owners take in shaping their own future.”

According to earlier research**, over one-half (53 per cent) of entrepreneurs are ‘much’ or ‘somewhat happier’ now compared to when they first opened their small business. Fifty three per per cent are ‘much happier’ now being an SBO compared to when working for someone else.

The survey also found that internal or day-to-day influences contribute more to improved SBO happiness than external or macro factors. Of the 53 per cent of SBOs who are ‘much’ or ‘somewhat happier’ now compared to when they first opened their business, 32 per cent attribute their current level of happiness solely to internal factors rather than solely to external influences (8 per cent).

Overall, SBOs rank “freedom to set my own schedule” (42 per cent), “doing something I love or am passionate about” (41 per cent) and “interacting with people/customers/society” (30 per cent) as the top 3 things they enjoy most about being an entrepreneur. The “certainty or control of their income” (28 per cent) is less of an influence on SBO happiness than independence and passion.

Earlier findings also found:
Bigger small businesses are happier: SBOs with 51-100 employees reported higher levels of happiness, with 68 per cent saying they are currently “very” happy, compared to 57 per cent of SBOs with 11-50 employees and 36 per cent of SBOs with 1-10 employees.

The happiness sweet spot: 60 per cent of SBOs in operation for 6-10 years are currently ‘very happy’, compared to 46 per cent of SBOs in operation for less than 6 years and 43 per cent of SBOs in operation for more than 10 years.

Gen Z happiness: 54% of Gen Z SBOs say they are currently “very” happy, skewing slightly higher compared to about 47 per cent of Millennial, Gen X and Baby Boomer SBOs. Along with freedom of schedule, Gen Z ranks “learning new things to improve the way I run my business” or “learning new ways to grow or expand my business” as key internal factors contributing to their current happiness.

SBOs value upskilling: Overall, 73 per cent of SBOs say “continued learning” is one of the things they enjoy most about being an SBO, with technology/innovation (66 per cent) and marketing management (66 per cent) ranking as the topics of most interest.

Human touch is preferred over AI for marketing: With artificial intelligence factoring more into the daily lives of entrepreneurs, SBOs say they prefer a human touch over AI for marketing strategy/planning (48 per cent vs. 28 per cent) and campaign execution (43 per cent vs. 30 per cent).

“Determination is synonymous with entrepreneurship,” Whittaker said. “While every small business owner’s pathway to happiness is different, it’s evident that by focusing on what they can control and seeking out learning opportunities, SBOs have what it takes to persevere even in the midst of macroeconomic uncertainty.”

Click here to learn more about VistaPrint’s small business happiness research.

*April 2025 Methodology: This data was updated by VistaPrint via YouGov as part of a recontact effort for select survey questions conducted between April 17 – April 21, 2025. Responses were collected from 450 of the same SBOs as the February 2025 survey. Recontact data are weighted to the February 2025 sample composition using company size (number of employees) and tenure (first year as an SBO) to rebalance the April 2025 sample to the February 2025 sample prior to any comparisons.

**February 2025 Methodology: All findings following** were collected by VistaPrint via YouGov between Feb. 3 – Feb. 20, 2025. Qualified responses were collected from 1,000 small business owners, aged 21 to 64, with between 1-100 employees located in the United States. At that time, 48% of SBOs said they were currently “very” happy with 41% saying they were currently “somewhat” happy.

About VistaPrint
VistaPrint is a Cimpress company. VistaPrint helps small business owners bring their ideas to life through custom print products, easy-to-use digital tools and expert design support.