Forbes2025Named among the top global personal branding expertsAmong the top personal branding expertsRead the feature
Bhavik SarkhediNewsroom
AnnouncementFrom Bhavik SarkhediAhmedabad, India · 26 October 2026

I have exited Blushush, my third bootstrapped exit, and I'm going all in on Solo Not Small

I have stepped out of the London studio I co-founded. Next, I'm building Solo Not Small, an initiative for solopreneurs and small business owners.

Read the announcement

I have exited Blushush, my third bootstrapped exit, and I'm going all in on Solo Not Small

Bhavik Sarkhedi, serial entrepreneur, press photo
Bhavik SarkhediDownload photo

Ahmedabad, India, 26 October 2026.I'm Bhavik Sarkhedi, and I have exited Blushush, the London studio for brands and Webflow websites I co-founded with Sahil Gandhi in 2025.

This is my third exit. I bootstrapped all three companies and never took outside money.

The first was Dad of Ad, an advertising agency I sold in 2021. The second was Write Right. I started it in 2016 with two people. It grew to 75, and I sold it in 2023 with its sister companies.

Blushush keeps running from London. I'm now going all in on Solo Not Small.

"I have built teams of two and teams of 75. I know what it costs a founder to grow alone. I want to make that road easier for solo founders."

What comes next

Solo Not Small is an initiative for solopreneurs, solo founders and small business owners. Anyone running a one-person business is welcome.

It teaches one system per job, built in Claude. There are ten lessons. Research, posts, proposals, the website, being found on Google and AI. Each one gets a system.

I run thirteen jobs alone on these systems today. I didn't build them to teach them. I built them because I needed them. Now I want every solo founder to have them.

Watch: Solo Not Small in two minutes · 2:01

The numbers behind Solo Not Small

One-person businesses are growing fast. Forbes reported on 24 October 2026 that US one-person businesses grew from 22.7 million in 2012 to 30.4 million in 2023, citing the US Census Bureau.

They are not small, either. Gusto's data, reported by Forbes in May 2026, shows these businesses spent $72 billion on outside help in 2025.

"The numbers say what I have felt for years. A big team is no longer the only way to build something serious."

I'm a best-selling author of 21+ books. My work has been featured in The New York Times and Forbes. I sit on the Fast Company Executive Board. Google shows a verified Knowledge Panel for me.

My personal letter on the exit is on bhaviks.com. The mission behind Solo Not Small is here, with the numbers.

###

Timeline

From an engineering job to three exits. Pick a year.

Twelve years, in my own words. Every date is on my public record.

2026

Exit three, and Solo Not Small

I exited Blushush in October. Now I'm going all in on Solo Not Small, the work I had wanted to do for years.

The three exits

Three companies. Three lessons I carried forward.

Each exit taught me something about building. Now I build for solo founders.

3

Blushush, October 2026

A London studio for brands, Webflow websites and marketing, co-founded with Sahil Gandhi.

What I took from it

"I don't need a bigger team to do bigger work. I need better systems, and more time for the work I love."

The numbers

I have run a team of 75. Now the world is going solo.

Left: my own company at its biggest. Right: the rise of one-person businesses in three countries.

Write Right, people on the team
  1. 20162
  2. 201825
  3. 202255+
  4. 202375

In 2026 I run my work alone, with thirteen jobs on systems I built in Claude.

Source: my own LinkedIn record: two people at the start (2016), 25 (2018), 55+ (June 2022), 75 by the 2023 sale.

One-person businesses, then and now (millions)
United States2012: 22.7M
2023: 30.4M
United Kingdom2010: 3.3M
2023: 4.3M
Australia2011: 1.3M
2025/26: 1.8M

Grey is the earlier year. Red is the latest count.

Source: Forbes, 24 Oct 2026, citing the US Census Bureau, UK government statistics and the Australian government. UK start figure is "just under 3.3 million".

Fact sheet

The companies, in one table.

CompanyWhat it wasYearsOutcome
Dad of AdAdvertising agencyBuilt and soldSold, 2021
Write RightContent company, two people to 75, plus sister companies2016 to 2023Sold, 2023
BlushushLondon studio for brands, Webflow websites and marketing2025 to 2026Exited, October 2026
Solo Not SmallInitiative for solopreneurs and small business owners2026 onwardBuilding now
Blushush homepage, a London studio for brands and Webflow websites
blushush.co.uk, captured 26 October 2026. Blushush keeps running from London.

About Blushush

A London studio, still building.

Blushush works on brands, Webflow websites, marketing and AI systems. It is a Certified Webflow Partner. I co-founded it with Sahil Gandhi and led its content work until my exit.

Visit blushush.co.uk

Further reading

The reporting behind the solo shift.

Six pieces that show why one-person businesses matter now. Each link opens the original.

PublicationArticle and key finding
Forbes24 Oct 2026Solo Businesses Are Multiplying. This Founder Is Putting Them On The Map

US one-person businesses grew from 22.7 million in 2012 to 30.4 million in 2023 (US Census Bureau). The UK and Australia show the same climb.

Forbes20 May 2026One-Person Businesses Fuel $72 Billion In Demand For Freelance Help

About 30 million US one-person businesses spent $72 billion on contractors in 2025 (Gusto data). 43.5% paid at least one.

Forbes2026Want To Run A Business By Yourself? What It Looks Like To Start A One-Person Company

Nearly 30 million US businesses have no employees and add about $1.7 trillion to the economy (US Census Bureau). Zoom puts it at about 82% of US small businesses.

Forbes Business Council6 Aug 2026The One-Person Company Has Finally Arrived, Thanks To AI

One founder no longer has to be the CEO, marketer, researcher and assistant at the same time.

Forbes on LinkedInNov 2025The Race To Create A Billion-Dollar, One-Person Business

A big headcount is no longer the status symbol. A small team with big results is.

The Startup on Medium19 May 2024Forbes Predicts The Growth of $1M+ One-Person Businesses

In 2017, 36,879 US businesses with zero employees made over $1 million.

Watch

Hear it from me.

Built to Explore, the film · 4:33
The words are mine · 0:28
More AI, more value in being human · 1:51
Likes don't pay rent · 0:39

Media kit

Copy what you need.

About Bhavik Sarkhedi

I'm Bhavik Sarkhedi, a serial entrepreneur, personal branding consultant and best-selling author from Ahmedabad, India. I have made three bootstrapped exits: Dad of Ad (2021), Write Right (2023) and Blushush (October 2026). I'm now building Solo Not Small, an initiative that helps solopreneurs, solo founders and small business owners run like full companies with AI. I have written 21+ books, and my work has been featured in The New York Times and Forbes. I'm a member of the Fast Company Executive Board, and Google shows a verified Knowledge Panel for me.

About Solo Not Small

Solo Not Small is my initiative for solopreneurs, solo founders and small business owners. It teaches one system per job, built in Claude, across ten lessons, so one person can run a real business and still have a life. Its line: Learn AI. But also live. solonotsmall.com

Questions

The Blushush exit, answered.

Has Bhavik Sarkhedi left Blushush?

Yes. I exited Blushush, the London studio I co-founded with Sahil Gandhi, in October 2026. It is my third exit.

What are Bhavik Sarkhedi's three exits?

Dad of Ad, my advertising agency, sold in 2021. Write Right, a content company I grew from two people to 75, sold in 2023 with its sister companies. Blushush, exited in October 2026. I bootstrapped all three.

Is Blushush still running?

Yes. Blushush continues as a London studio for brands, Webflow websites, marketing and AI systems.

What is Bhavik Sarkhedi doing next?

I'm going all in on Solo Not Small, an initiative for solopreneurs and small business owners. It teaches one system per job, built in Claude, across ten lessons.

Who is Solo Not Small for?

Solopreneurs, solo founders, freelancers, consultants and small business owners who run most of the work themselves and want their hours back.

How can journalists reach Bhavik Sarkhedi?

Email me at wr.sarkhedi@gmail.com. A press photo and both boilerplates are on this page, ready to copy.

More

Everything else about me.