Q1 2026 Newsletter: What Small Businesses Are Telling Us About The Economy

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 3, 2026 / Read the full report from GoDaddy’s Small Business Research Lab
Newsletter originally published on GoDaddy LinkedIn

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In the fourth quarter of 2025, GoDaddy’s Participation Index rose year-over-year, capturing renewed growth in digital small business activity nationally. Historically, increases in the index have been associated with stronger payroll employment growth and declines in unemployment within three to four quarters.

We’ve always known small businesses are the backbone of the economy. What’s new is evidence that small business formation, especially the rise of digital entrepreneurship, may also help anticipate where parts of the economy are headed.

The report, ”What Small Businesses Tell Us About The Economy That Wall Street Can’t,” analyzes national data from 1990-2025 and incorporates real-time digital entrepreneurship data from GoDaddy. It finds that while stock market returns are statistically linked to economic outcomes, those relationships are relatively modest. By comparison, small business formation shows a stronger relationship with GDP growth, payroll employment, and unemployment – and often appears earlier in the data.

“This report is an important contribution to how we understand the real economy because it shines a spotlight on where Main Street employers and their employees live and work.

By pairing decades of macroeconomic data with GoDaddy’s real-time view of digital entrepreneurs, these data show what our local chamber of commerce partners see every day: small businesses are one of the most direct and timely signals of economic health in communities across America.”

– Curtis Dubay, Chief Economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Read the full article and paper

Microbusiness Data Hub: Latest Updates Now Live

Our Data Hub is refreshed through Q4/December 2025 across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. The update includes:

• Monthly microbusiness density trends

• The latest U.S. Microbusiness Activity Index

• Global e-commerce sector rankings by country

Below, you’ll also find the top five e-commerce industries by country:

To take a look at the newest findings and see what’s shifting: Download the full dataset

In the News

United States

The Real Reason Entrepreneurship Is Booming Right Now – Inc.

• Entrepreneurship is accelerating as more people seek flexibility, autonomy, and purpose in their work. Inc. highlights a broader shift away from traditional career paths, with individuals leveraging digital tools and changing economic conditions to start and sustain their own businesses. https://www.inc.com/victor-w-hwang/the-real-reason-entrepreneurship-is-booming-right-now/91297540

Meet The Small Business Savant Mixing Art And Commerce – Forbes

• Forbes spotlights Alexandra Rosen, global head of GoDaddy’s Small Business Research Lab, explaining today’s entrepreneurship surge. Alexandra frames the boom as a shift toward passion-led and accessible business creation, where founders are increasingly turning personal interests into income-generating ventures. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2026/02/27/meet-alex-rosen-the-small-business-savant-mixing-art-and-commerce/

United Kingdom

A Pint Down The Pub Inspired Me To Make A Life Changing Decision – Mirror

• New research reveals that nearly one in five Brits have come up with a business idea while at the pub, with many turning those casual conversations into real ventures. Younger generations are especially likely to translate social moments into entrepreneurial action, reinforcing the role of community spaces as informal startup incubators. https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/a-pint-down-pub-inspired-36716262

How The [TV Show] Traitors Has Inspired A Surge In Small Businesses In The Scottish Highlands – This Is Money

• A surge in small businesses across the Scottish Highlands is being linked to the cultural impact of The Traitors. GoDaddy data shows microbusiness density rising sharply in areas where the show is filmed, with some regions seeing growth of over 70%. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/smallbusiness/article-15635503/How-Traitors-inspired-surge-small-businesses-Scottish-Highlands.html

Find more stories and multimedia from GoDaddy at 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:
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Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/godaddy
Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: GoDaddy

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire