Starting a Business

Whether you're following the American dream or you never want to have a boss again, the idea of starting a business holds a powerful grip on the American imagination.

While entrepreneurship is often glamorised on social media, the reality can be more frightening.

From the fear of going broke to the pressure of public failure, launching a business isn't just a financial gamble, it's an emotional one too.   In fact, a new nationally representative survey suggests that many Americans would rather take a boring, well-paid job than risk everything chasing their dream.

So how do Americans feel about starting a business? Who do they trust? and what do they fear and how far would they go to make the American dream work?

To find out, our data team at Pink Storage surveyed 200 working-age adults across the U.S. to dig into the hopes, hangups, and hidden truths of would-be entrepreneurs.

Key Stats

Dream vs. Stability: 68% of Americans would rather take a boring job that pays well than start a business with no guaranteed income.

Escape Plan: 63% have considered quitting their job to start a business.

Risk Factor: 44% believe starting a business is riskier than getting married or buying a house.

Emotional Toll: 36% say going broke is their biggest fear, while 24% fear failing publicly.

Financial Sacrifice: 19% of Americans say they’d risk everything to launch their dream business.

Motivation Matters: 41% say financial freedom is their biggest motivation, but 25% just want to escape a bad boss.

Social Consequences: 1 in 10 say they’d give up their closest friendships for guaranteed success.

Entrepreneur Envy: 45% believe most business owners exaggerate how much money they make.

Humiliation Factor: Nearly 1 in 3 say they’ve had a business idea laughed at.

Business Partners to Avoid: 44% say they’d never go into business with an ex.

Methodology

This report reflects the results of a nationally representative online survey of 200 U.S. adults.

After all responses were collected, the data was normalized by age, gender, and income to ensure the sample accurately reflects U.S. demographics.

Full Survey & Responses

Have you ever thought about quitting your job to start a business?

Yes – 63%

No – 37%

What do you think is riskier?

Starting a business – 44%

Getting married – 31%

Buying a house – 25%

What’s your biggest fear about starting a business?

Going broke – 36%

Failing publicly – 24%

Letting down my family – 15%

Not being good enough – 13%

Submitting taxes – 7%

I’m not scared at all – 5%

How much would you be willing to lose to chase your dream business?

$0 – 19%

Up to $5,000 – 34%

$10,000+ – 28%

I’d risk it all – 19%

Would you rather...

Take a boring job that pays well – 68%

Start a dream business with no guaranteed income – 32%

What would you trade for guaranteed business success?

Never take a holiday again – 26%

Give up weekends for life – 22%

Lose touch with your closest friends – 12%

I wouldn’t trade anything – 40%

Which of these do you think most business owners fake?

How much money they’re making – 45%

How happy they are – 27%

How much they work – 18%

None, I believe them – 10%

Have you ever pitched a business idea that got laughed at?

Yes – 29%

No – 54%

Not yet, but I’m scared it’ll happen – 17%

What would be your biggest motivation to start a business?

Financial freedom – 41%

Escaping a bad boss – 25%

Wanting to be my own boss – 23%

Doing something meaningful – 11%

Who would you least want as a business partner?

A close friend – 19%

A family member – 27%

Your ex – 44%

Your current boss – 10%

Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.