The idea
I believe AI is turning solo work into a real career path, with one person now doing what used to take a small team. Millions of these one-person businesses will need the same basic plumbing, so I own the companies selling it rather than guessing who wins at the business level. The core sits in back office tools for taxes, books and payroll, with the rest spread across payments, storefronts, and the software that keeps customers and projects organized, weighted toward established platforms over riskier growth names.
What it owns
- Software and services that handle the administrative work solo owners want automated: taxes, bookkeeping, payroll, and sales tax compliance. · IntuitIt owns QuickBooks for bookkeeping, TurboTax for taxes, and Mailchimp for marketing, touching solo businesses at three critical moments in their year., Bill HoldingsIt automates invoice payment and collection workflows that solo owners spend hours managing, handling the paperwork they most want to eliminate., VertexIt automates sales tax calculation for small sellers shipping across multiple states and countries, a task that grows more complex as a solo operation scales., PaychexIt manages payroll and HR compliance for very small businesses, including solo owners who employ only themselves or one additional person., H&R BlockIt serves self-employed tax filers and owns Wave, bookkeeping software aimed at solo owners, betting on growth from rising self-employment.33%
- Payment processors and money movement tools that help solo operators and small sellers accept payments and reach customers across borders. · BlockIts Square unit processes card payments for small merchants while Cash App reaches individuals who often become them, covering both sides of the small business lifecycle., PayPalIt enables freelancers and tiny online sellers to receive payments, especially from international clients and marketplaces where cross-border friction remains high., PayoneerIt moves money for freelancers and marketplace sellers working with clients in other countries, serving a corner of the gig economy with fewer alternatives., ToastIt powers payments and operations for small restaurants, the classic owner-operator business, with AI tools that reduce staffing needs as locations grow.24%
- Software for managing customers, projects, contracts, and marketing that lets a single owner coordinate work that once required multiple staff. · HubSpotIt sells customer relationship and marketing software designed for small companies, with affordable starter tiers built for solos to manage clients and outreach alone., DocusignIt handles contract signatures and document workflows that every freelancer and small business encounters, operating in a space where free alternatives continue to emerge., monday.comIt sells project and work tracking software that a solo owner can use to manage their entire operation, with AI features designed to make one person feel like a larger team., KlaviyoIt handles email and text marketing for online stores, much of it built on Shopify, so its growth mirrors the expansion of small ecommerce sellers.20%
- Platforms that let one person build and run an online store or website without hiring designers or developers. · ShopifyIt hosts online stores for one-person brands and continuously adds AI tools that let a solo owner run operations that once needed multiple employees., Wix.comIt lets one person build a professional website and booking page without design skills, and its AI site builders make that process faster and more accessible.14%
- Cash8%