Although this year’s financial news has had ups and downs, the economy has remained resilient so far. One positive sign is that many small businesses are stable and growing. For some, it’s because they’re in the fastest growing industries – and for most, it’s because they’ve learned to adapt strategies to minimize risk and waste while leveraging technology and focusing on quality.
Here’s a rundown of the fastest growing industries in 2026 and insight to help you adapt their lessons to grow your business in 2026 and beyond.
What determines growing and declining industries?
The line between growing and declining industries and businesses is often rooted in assets and debt – what a business owns compared to the debt it owes. These are also impacted by inflation because even in growing industries, businesses that purchased large and long-term income-generating assets in prior years may be feeling the impact of higher interest rates from debt on these assets. Conversely, those that are lighter on assets have more flexibility.
Here’s a look at the fastest-growing industries in 2026 and lessons to be learned for small businesses within these or in any industry.
Flexibility is key for leisure, hospitality, and personal services
After experiencing tremendous growth in recent years, personal services, leisure, and hospitality remain strong overall. Inflation is a factor to watch, though, especially for travel and leisure if gas prices remain high.
Areas with growth potential: So far, personal services have remained strong, thanks to the public’s increased interest in health and beauty segments and mental-health and wellness care. These areas are positioned for continued growth.
Lessons to learn: Many small businesses in these industries have lower costs than other industries, which can result in increased pricing flexibility and higher gross profit margins, even in the face of economic uncertainty:
- If you own a full-service spa, for example, focusing on core services now can help you strengthen your financial foundation while building your customer base. Setting up an additional financial incentive can establish steady revenue streams, such as wellness benefits covered by health insurance or through company-sponsored wellness programs.
- For travel-related businesses, 2026 may be the time to market to guests closer to your location. For many would-be vacationers, for example, a road trip to your nearby inn may be more feasible than flights to Europe.
Focusing on core goods and services can keep costs lower, while leveraging emerging trends can lead to steady revenue.
Restaurants face change and opportunity
In 2026, the restaurant industry demonstrates mixed results. Highlights from the National Restaurant Association’s 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry report point to a challenging business environment, changing consumer preferences, and the need for increased investment in talent development for the industry as a whole:
- Studies show that people are drinking less alcohol overall, which impacts cocktail/wine/beer-forward business models, including craft breweries, which boomed in the last decade. There is also a trend toward lower-alcohol beverages, too.
- Lifestyle changes – including dietary considerations, weight-management therapies, and even a focus on sleeping better (leading to earlier evening activities) – have also led to changes to the restaurant and bar industries.
- People are becoming more health- and value-conscious overall but are still willing to splurge for special occasions.
Venues that can adapt to changing consumer preferences have great potential for success.
Areas with growth potential: Recent trends show that people are still spending a significant amount of disposable income on restaurants, but:
- At fast-food, fast-casual, and other lower-cost or mid-level restaurants, customers are more focused on value-to-price perceptions.
- For higher-end restaurants, customers are happy to pay more, but the quality of the food and the overall experience have to be both high and consistent.
Lessons to learn: In 2026, restaurants that simplify their offerings and execution can do well:
- Flexibility is key for profitability – optimize hours, menu offerings, and even vendors to better manage costs and improve profitability while still keeping customers happy.
- Managing costs is essential: Inflation is a key factor because it impacts margins, as well as consumer sentiment about spending. Leverage software programs and AI to improve scheduling and staffing costs, to reduce kitchen and bar waste, and to help you inexpensively and efficiently stay in touch with customers.
- When feasible for your business, consider keeping assets lighter by opening a kiosk, market stall, or pop-up.
- Keeping a high-quality team will go a long way toward customer satisfaction, repeat business, and help hold down staff-turnover costs.
For all restaurants, ensuring consistency and a perception of value is essential.
Healthcare stays resilient
In 2026, the healthcare industry continues to be resilient. The need for services, medical equipment, medications, and more continues to grow as the U.S. population ages.
Areas with growth potential: For 2026 and beyond, many sectors of the healthcare industry are positioned for continued growth:
- Home healthcare and daily-assistance staffing: Whether you’re launching or growing a staffing agency that focuses on health-related issues, like a nursing agency, or you focus on assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), your business’s services are vital to the physical and emotional well-being of your clients. With more people than ever needing home care, the opportunities are immense.
- Home-healthcare equipment: Small businesses that offer a personal touch can do well, because people who need equipment at home for themselves or their loved ones often need assistance, and reassurance.
- Medical-transportation businesses: Contracting with hospitals and nursing homes can be lucrative, although small businesses in this industry may face competition from larger, more established companies.
Lessons to learn: There are likely to be strong opportunities for small businesses in all facets of healthcare-related fields:
- Keeping an eye on potential cost increases for equipment, labor, and transportation will be essential for profitability. As with other growing industries, keep your assets lighter and focus on core goods and services to provide a consistently high level of service.
- Because of the importance of the health and well-being of customers and loved ones, people are often willing to pay a little more for reliable care and service.
- Take good care of your employees, as labor costs are high and turnover is one of this industry’s most significant challenges.
If your business can tap into insurance reimbursements or company-sponsored benefits, that provides an additional incentive to do business with you. However, depending on your business type, a direct-pay model may be attractive to clients who can afford it.
Professional services adapt
Professional services have experienced growth over the last several years and that may continue for some specific sectors, although these are among those most impacted by advances in AI. Still, many people want to talk to a human when faced with significant decisions or challenges.
Areas with growth potential: In 2026, an advantage for small businesses in this sector is the retirement of longtime professionals – accountants, attorneys, and others. There may be opportunities to acquire an existing business and its clientele, which can position your business for growth.
Lessons to learn: Keys to ensuring long-term success are to integrate and leverage technology for profitably while demonstrating the value of long-term, human relationships. For example:
- If you’re an attorney, you can offer a service to review AI-generated business-formation documents or wills at a lower fee than you’d normally charge to draw them up yourself. This helps you build longer-term relationships.
- If you have a graphic-design business, offer a service package that includes reviewing and improving your clients’ existing AI-generated websites and branding. This is a lower-cost way to introduce them to your services, knowledge, and creativity.
- If you’re an accountant, focus on marketing financial strategy and tax planning, rather than the standard tax-preparation model that people often associate with this field. This shows potential clients that working with you can help them make better financial decisions at every stage of their business and personal lives.
In the professional services fields, you may need to be creative and flexible, rather than taking a traditional route to success.
Online sales continue growth
Retail sales at in-person stores continue to dominate, but online sales also have steady growth – a trend that’s forecast to continue in 2026 and beyond. According to the research firm, Salsify, more than 21% of retail sales are anticipated to be made online in 2026. A key factor to consider, though, is increasing shipping rates. To be profitable, it’s imperative that e-commerce businesses manage these costs.
Areas with growth potential: If 2026 is the year to keep asset-based expenses low, e-commerce has tremendous advantages in terms of occupancy, inventory, and labor costs, while opening national and worldwide markets for your business.
Lessons to learn: There are benefits to online and onsite retail sales, and savvy business owners can leverage both:
- If you have a physical location, be sure to also have an online store. Then, offer an incentive to purchase items online and pick them up in-store. This helps you and your customers avoid high shipping or delivery expenses – and they may purchase additional items while there.
- While online sales are possible through social-media sites, customers still prefer to buy through websites. Don’t skip this option – it’s easy and inexpensive to create and operate an online store.
- Tailor your online marketing to your primary target audience to make the most of limited marketing budgets. Software programs and AI make it easy to create on-brand digital promotions to reach existing and new buyers.
While today’s customers are enjoying in-person experiences, many will do online research before making a final purchase. Be sure your goods and services stand out through clear, attractive, and easy-to-use e-commerce channels.
Businesses leveraging AI
Just a few years ago, “AI” was something that only tech entrepreneurs and a few early adopters gave much thought to – but even then, its potential was apparent. Now, it’s embedded in nearly everything we do online.
Areas with growth potential: Small business owners that use AI to strengthen their business, or use it as the core of their offerings, have the potential to do well in 2026 and beyond.
Lessons to learn: Figuring out how to integrate and leverage AI can put you ahead:
- Find the angle that makes your use of AI the most beneficial to you and your customers. If you have a bakery, for example, you can use AI to develop and scale recipes for bread and other baked goods that are higher in protein to meet current consumer trends while saving you time and money on trial-and-error recipe development.
- If you love AI and want to focus your business on it, then you may be able to build a consulting business to help other entrepreneurs. Using the previous bakery example, you can show the baker how to develop recipes with AI, how to better manage ingredient costs, how to optimize a baking schedule, and more.
The ability and willingness to integrate AI will be a key advantage for small businesses in 2026, especially if it frees up time and resources for more personalized customer service and care.
Pursuit helps small businesses strengthen and grow
Although current economic uncertainty may mean holding off on big-ticket investments, it’s a great time to clarify your plans and prepare for potential opportunities.
Pursuit can help – we’ve worked with thousands of businesses to transform and grow. With more than 15 different business loan programs and a line of credit to support nearly any business use, our team of expert lenders is ready to get you the funding you need.
Contact us today to learn more.
