On their own: Solo entrepreneurs thriving in Charlotte, new census report shows
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Charlotte added 6,000 new non-employer businesses from 2022 to 2023 alone.
- Solo enterprises generated $13.9 million in revenue in Charlotte in 2023.
- Non-employer businesses outpaced employer firms in U.S. growth since 2012.
Running a small bakery out of your home is not easy. But for Charlotte resident Shannon Morris, the upside is having a house that smells like sugar cookies.
“You wouldn’t think baking cookies and things would take that much time,” Morris said. “But when you’re doing big orders or preparing for a vendor event, it usually takes the entire day.”
Morris’ business, One Dough at a Time, is among a growing number of businesses that has just one employee in the Charlotte metro area. In fact, a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau found that new single-person establishments are outpacing the growth of businesses with paid employees.
Solo businesses on the rise in Charlotte
For the Charlotte area, the number of solo establishments has seen a significant increase. Since 2017, the region saw a 28.1% increase in the number of solo businesses and a 53.8% increase in revenue in just six years.
In 2023, the Charlotte region had a total of 259,791 solo, or “non-employer” businesses, generating $13.9 million in revenue, according to recent data from the Census Bureau. This is a 2.4% increase in solo businesses from 2022, which saw a corresponding 2.3% increase in revenue during that time.
Nationally, the number of solo U.S. businesses has grown every year since 1997, with the exception of the 2008 financial crisis and a slight slowdown during the pandemic.
These businesses have consistently grown faster than traditional businesses with employees, and now comprise an increasing share of all U.S. businesses, according to the Census Bureau.
From 2012 to 2023, solo businesses grew nationally by an average of 2.7% per year, while employers grew by 1.1% per year. After the pandemic, non-employers saw some of their fastest growth rates in nearly two decades, although growth slowed slightly in 2023.
Facing challenges but having fun
Morris, a Manassas, Virginia, native, started her bakery business in May. The name was inspired by her journey to sobriety from alcohol since November 2022 and a nod to the recovery saying, “One day at a time.”
Her treats even have recovery-themed names like “Soberdoodles.”
Morris developed a love for baking from her grandmother, who taught her family recipes. She feels she’s carrying on her grandmother’s legacy.
As a fairly new one-person operation, Morris is taking a day-by-day approach to her business with no specific revenue goals. She loves being her own boss and having the flexibility to set her own schedule from home or to sell sweets at farmers’ markets and large vendor events.
But the biggest challenge is having only one pair of hands to bake and package labeled products.
“I’m making hundreds of cookies with just a normal house oven,” she said. “It takes a lot of work and preparation because I’m just one person. I can only do so much. But it’s so fun.”
Even though she enjoys working alone, she hopes her business outgrows her home. “Maybe one day I’ll have to get a brick-and-mortar building and hire employees, and that would be crazy,” she said. “But yeah, I love doing it on my own.”
Morris said anybody thinking about starting a solo business should “just go for it.”
“Take the leap because you never know what’s going to happen, and you know it’s not going to happen unless you do it,” Morris said. “Even if there’s fear there, most good things come from fear and a challenge and a change.”
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A new start after corporate layoffs
For many, work in the corporate world comes with a steady paycheck, but job security isn’t guaranteed due to unpredictable economic shifts or unexpected problems like global health crises.
Tamika Porter had to deal with the stress of corporate layoffs during the pandemic before deciding to work for herself. She previously worked in financial services for United Technologies Corporation, a company providing products for aerospace and building industries.
After moving from Florida to Charlotte in 2014 when UTC moved operations to the region, she decided to leave the manufacturing industry after a couple of years because of downsizing.
“Manufacturing companies were laying off people and over-utilizing workers,” Porter said. “Basically they’ll lay somebody off and you get the work, and it was overworked and underpaid.”
She transitioned from manufacturing to Charlotte’s banking world. Everything was fine before COVID struck. “I had to think smart and fast,” Porter said. “The consistency of the workforce was questionable. I had to come up with a backup plan.”
With her background in finance, accounting and banking, she started Porter Financial Services in 2020. She offers financial administration for companies, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll compliance. Her clients are typically small business owners.
Like Morris, Porter also works from home, which allows her to be flexible with her daughter’s school schedule and saves her time commuting.
“It’s amazing,” the New Orleans native said. “You have the autonomy to plan your day and your life. I’m still a mother, so I can go to award shows, PTA meetings. I can be flexible with my work-life balance.”
For Porter, starting a solo business comes with financial risks and challenges like slow seasons, requests for discounts or people not prioritizing spending money on tax services.
“They’ll go take a trip, but they won’t pay for your accounting services,” she added. “They rather wait till the last minute, get a bill from the IRS and then call you. So that’s a frustrating part of my business.”
But the potential financial payoffs are often much greater than a corporate salary.
“It’s different because you’re leaving a routine and a fixed income for what is basically 100% commission,” Porter said. “But if you plan accordingly, the payouts are huge.”
