Poll: Nearly half of young business owners have two jobs
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.
