More than half of Australian small business owners are feeling the financial strain, but despite the challenges, the vast majority remain proud of the business they have built.
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New research from BizCover State of Australian Small Business Owners 2026 report has found that financial pressure remains a major challenge for Australia’s small business community, with almost 64% of business owners experiencing financial stress due to their businesses over the past year.
The report also revealed that more than 51% of business owners have considered closing or selling their business at some point.
BizCover’s July 2026 report is based on a survey of 1,500 existing BizCover small business customers.
The survey explored the realities of running a small business in Australia today, including workload, financial stress, personal wellbeing, optimism and business confidence.
Australian small business owners weigh in
Funday Natural Sweets Founder Daniel Kitay says building Funday has been one of the greatest privileges of his life.
“But I’d be lying if I said there haven’t been incredibly difficult moments. When you care so much about what you’re building and the people around you, it’s hard to really switch off,” he says.
“The pressure is real, but so is the excitement of creating something that really makes people happy.”
The research also showed that more than 61% of business owners have overcome an illness rather than taking time off to recover, and almost 32% say they have never taken a single week off while running their business.
Soma and Brontë body care Founder Georgie Gilbert says neither she nor her co-founder Camille Peressini have taken an extended break since launching their businesses.
“As a business owner, you never really switch off. But that’s also the great thing about it,” he says.
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For both Gilbert and Peressini, building their businesses has meant working late into the night, working on weekends, and putting things like exercising, socializing, and sometimes sleeping on hold.
However, his approach has always been in their families and build something they are really proud of.
While they quickly learned that you can’t do everything at once, Gilbert says seeing Soma and Brontë in people’s homes and knowing they are elevating everyday moments for their clients makes every sacrifice worth it.
Gilbert says starting and growing a business in today’s economy is not for the faint-hearted. Every day is a new challenge, but that’s exactly what makes it so rewarding.
“If someone asked if we would do it all over again, the answer would be a resounding yes,” he says.
“Seeing an idea solve a gap in the market, become a new business and have a real impact on the lives of our customers is an incredible privilege, and we’re just getting started.”
Shelby Van Zwol, founder of Chain Social says running a small business requires a level of mental, emotional, and physical dedication that’s hard to explain until you’ve lived it.
“As a business owner, you’re often the firefighter. You’re the person who faces the biggest problems, faces the toughest situations, and makes the tough decisions,” he says.
“While your team can help solve challenges, the ultimate responsibility falls on you at the end of the day.”
Van Zwol says there are days when you have to keep going and it would be easier to quit.
“I remember several times when I would come home from work and tell my husband that it was time to sell, because at that time I was mentally at my limit,” she says.
“This includes coming in after a sleepless night, (while) balancing motherhood and being a small business owner, working in the business during my business hours, 5 to 9 pm, or making difficult financial decisions.”
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Van Zwol says he truly believes resilience becomes the most important role in a business owner’s job description.
Most entrepreneurs are proud of what they have built.
However, despite increasing financial and personal pressures, the report revealed that most homeowners remain deeply attached to what they have built. More than 85% are proud of the business they have built, 79% have never regretted starting their business and 75% are optimistic about the next 12 months.
In fact, only 8% say they regret starting their business and still feel that way.
When asked about the most rewarding aspect of running a business, the survey found that personal fulfillment and purpose ranked highest at nearly 35%, and only 10.5% say financial rewards are the most satisfying part of running a business.
Jessy Marshall, founder of Hive HQ, says she’s owned her business for seven years and in that time she hasn’t had a full day where she’s completely offline.
“Even on weekends, holidays, or while traveling, I’m checking emails, taking client calls, or responding to something that comes up. PR doesn’t stop, and when you’re the founder, neither do you,” he says.
One statistic from the BizCover survey that really resonated with Marshall was how to overcome illness.
“There have been many times when I have moved on because there was simply It was no other option. As a business owner, your customers and your team trust you and you often put the needs of others before your own,” he says.
Marshall says financial pressure is also something he believes every founder experiences, regardless of how successful the business appears from the outside.
“You are responsible for paying salaries, reinvesting in growth and making decisions that affect other people’s livelihoods. That’s a pressure that never leaves you,” he says.
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However, Marshall says he wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“Building Hive headquarters from the ground up over the past seven years has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” he says.
“For me, success has never just been about money; it’s about creating something that has a lasting impact and provides opportunities for others.”
BizCover’s report also found that, looking back, more than 43% of business owners would have set clearer work boundaries, more than 38% would have sought more support or mentoring and 35% would have built stronger reserves before starting.
BizCover General Manager Brad Miller says small business owners are incredibly resilient, but resilience doesn’t mean there’s no pressure.
“What stands out in this research is that many owners remain deeply committed to their businesses despite experiencing financial stress, long work hours and personal sacrifice behind the scenes,” he says.