Issue #8: Creators Are Small Businesses (It's Official) 💎

Issue 8
November 13th, 2025

Wow, I can’t believe we’re nearing the end of 2025, with parts of the northern United States already seeing snow! It’s been a really exciting year for the creator economy and this week’s stories give us something to get even more excited about in 2026 and beyond. Creators are finally starting to be recognized for their work and the creator economy as a whole being more legitimized by those who had been most critical (clears throat – family and friends). And according to a recent survey by Visa, almost 90% of creators see their businesses growing in a positive direction. That’s huge! 🙌

I’ll leave it there for this week, lots of exciting links to get clicking on! As always, reply and let me know what you’re working on or if you have any thoughts on anything we covered this week.

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A new creator report from Visa was released this week! This is not just another survey; it is a foundational, statistical portrait of the creator-as-entrepreneur, and its findings validate everything we already know about the size and tremendous growth of the creator economy.

The Visa report surveyed over 1,000 creators and paints a clear picture of a new class of global small business: They are Businesses, Not Hobbyists: ~70% of creators surveyed consider themselves small business owners. The cultural narrative has shifted accordingly: 94% report encouragement from friends and family, marking creation as a "valued career path". Exciting!! 🙌

Obviously a lot about finances coming from Visa, but still interesting. 30% of respondents said they want "faster access to earned funds". Payment delays from brands and platforms remain a "challenge" that directly impacts their ability to produce content.

Here’s a direct link to the report so you don’t have to give them your email address. 🤫

Also from the Visa report: 88% of creators expect their revenue to grow in the next year, and 52% are already receiving payments from outside their home country, cementing their status as global small businesses. Wow! 😮

This one is from Trovio’s CEO. Regardless of what your experience as a creator has been working with an agent, it’s interesting to think about it in these terms:

If you wanted to book a flight you had to call a travel agent. This person was able to see inventory of the airlines and work with them to get you booked where you wanted to go. Did they check every available flight? Did they offer you the best price? Did they find the seats you actually wanted? Who knows! Just book it and go, because if not, you don’t go on vacation. Oh, and the travel agent gained commission either from the airline, you, or both.

If you’re thinking about hiring an agent, this is one to check out. Or if you are an agent (there are definitely some good ones out there!) I’d love to get your take and maybe feature it in a future issue. Hit ‘reply’ and give me your thoughts.

The bee is out of the hive (see what I did there?). Beehiiv just now announced a ton of new features for creators and publishers. Everything from selling digital products to bring link-in-bio native to their platform. Watch the video for the full lineup of features – even including a chance to see a spinning cow! 🐮

YouTube knows its fastest-growing screen is the TV (4 out of every 5 minutes of long-form creator content are on TVs), and these updates confirm that. Features include:

The "Smarter Search" feature is key: when a viewer searches from your channel page, the results will now prioritize your videos, making it easier to keep them in your ecosystem.

A fresh take on some insights on the creator economy. Mostly stuff we’ve already seen and heard, but well written and just reaffirming things like storytelling, standing out amongst all the AI “slop,” and unique insights on creator/brand relationships.

The creator economy has blurred the line between personal and performative, turning private moments into brand content. While some creators achieve success, the majority earn modest incomes, and the system lacks protections for minors and equitable pay. Interesting to see how this is presented by a wildly respected publication like Time.