Starting a business in Spain remains a challenge marked by bureaucracy, regulatory obligations, and difficulties obtaining financing. This is reflected in bunq’s latest “AI for Business” report, conducted among entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals across Europe and the United States. The report shows that 60% of Spanish entrepreneurs consider starting a business still a difficult process.
The main obstacles appear even before the company gets off the ground. Administrative burdens and regulations are the biggest challenges for 30% of respondents, followed by difficulties in obtaining financing (21.5%) and attracting customers (17%). Red tape sets Spain apart from other markets analyzed by bunq. For example, only 13.2% of UK entrepreneurs cite administrative burden as the main obstacle to starting a business; this figure stands at 13.4% in the United States, where the main concerns are access to financing or getting the activity underway.
Despite these barriers, the entrepreneurial spirit remains strong. 61.5% of Spanish entrepreneurs say they would start their own business again even if they had known from the outset all the difficulties of the process. The pursuit of professional independence remains the primary motivation: 43.1% started a business to enjoy the freedom of being their own boss, while 21.8% decided to turn an innovative idea into a business.
AI Gains Ground as an Ally Against the Complexity of Entrepreneurship
With limited time and resources, entrepreneurs turn to technology to streamline their day-to-day. The report reveals that 73% have used artificial intelligence tools to support their business in the last twelve months. This adoption signals a shift in how small businesses are run, reducing operational load and freeing time for strategic activities, such as business development or customer acquisition.
Spanish entrepreneurs are leading this digital shift compared with other European markets where adoption is lower. In countries like the United Kingdom or Ireland, only around half of entrepreneurs (51.2% and 49%, respectively) say they have used AI tools to manage their businesses in the past year.
