85% of Canadians say technology has made starting a business feel more accessible
Nearly half of Gen Z business owners in Canada are running a side hustle while holding down a full-time job, according to the 2026 RBC Small Business Poll released Sept. 16 – a pattern that points to a growing client base with income that does not fit conventional planning models.
The survey found 46% of current Gen Z business owners are balancing a side venture with full-time employment, while two-thirds of Gen Z Canadians overall said they have considered starting a business, more than any other generation. Eighty-four per cent of Gen Z owners said they are optimistic about the future of entrepreneurship in Canada, compared with 76% of business owners overall.
A generation with two income streams
Thirty-two per cent of Gen Z Canadians said they aspire to start a side hustle, and 49% said entrepreneurship is more accessible today than it was for previous generations. Forty-two per cent defined success as being able to support themselves or their family, while 35% pointed to building long-term wealth rather than scaling a business.
The high cost of living was the most commonly cited barrier to entrepreneurship, including among 42% of Gen Zers surveyed. Eighty-one per cent of Canadians agreed that financial uncertainty is acting as a catalyst, pushing more people toward entrepreneurship to offset financial pressure.
Amy Childs, RBC's vice-president of small business and partnerships, said Canadian entrepreneurs have continued to demonstrate resilience by identifying opportunities to adapt.
Advisory research suggests this dual-income pattern extends beyond Canada's borders. Certuity, an advisory firm serving high-net-worth families, said in a February 2026 brief that Gen Z clients demonstrate elevated interest in entrepreneurship, creator economies, gig work and portfolio careers that combine multiple income streams, and that wealth advisers should anticipate working with clients whose income profiles may be more variable and whose career paths may follow non-linear patterns.
Advisers face clients before the traditional trigger points
InvestmentNews reported in March that many Gen Z investors remain in experimental phases of engagement and have not yet experienced major financial "right-time" moments such as inheritance, home purchases or career transitions – meaning the advisory relationship, where one exists, is beginning earlier and around different income structures than in past generations.
That earlier engagement is complicated by the accessibility of digital tools. Eighty-five per cent of Canadians surveyed by RBC agreed that technology and digital platforms have made starting a business feel more accessible, and the same share of Gen Z business owners said they feel confident using technology to run their business. More than eight in 10 Gen Z owners said entrepreneurs today are expected to learn and adapt to technology more than previous generations, and 63% said they feel pressure to adopt artificial intelligence tools to remain competitive.
RBC pointed to several of its own tools built for this segment, including its Ownr incorporation platform, the Futurpreneur mentoring program for entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39, and a free course developed with Western University's Ivey Business School.
The RBC poll was conducted by Ipsos Canada from June 27 to July 6, 2026, drawing 3,137 self-completed online surveys from Canadian adults aged 18 and older across six regions. The results carry a credibility interval of plus or minus 2 percentage points had all Canadian adults been polled.
