It’s incredibly hard to get money from investors and banks, especially for the minority women business owners I work with at The Repositioning Expert. But according to Inc. Magazine, some businesses are statistically getting approvals for funding much faster in 2026 than the average.

With mass layoffs increasing daily worldwide (especially in the United States), people are starting new businesses or branching into something of their own for financial security even while employed. Here’s what you should look at.

Number one, unsurprisingly: anything with AI, especially teaching small businesses how to deploy AI software tools around very specific problems. For example, last week I attended an AI course on cloning myself so I can be everywhere and anywhere sounding and looking like me. I’m such a spaz moving around unpredictably with gestures and hands that my AI clone does not look so great – my friends, relatives, and networks said it’s a little creepy and something’s off.

However, the point is that t any small business solving client problems using AI as a value-added service they provide or teach gets approved.

The Tech Triple Threat

You can help teach small businesses something or provide solutions to very specific problems. For big enterprises, the challenge is putting all their moving parts of information, data, and contextual background into AI systems so AI helps them make decisions rather than just handling repetitive tasks.

Last year, 64% of all North American venture capital deals were AI-based – they’re calling it red hot. I’m trying to do what I can in AI but I’m so not techy. You can’t get away from it, just like you couldn’t get away from texting or being on the internet. My parents both knew how to FaceTime – my mom can’t now, but my dad can still text and email (he refuses to, that’s different). You can’t say it’s beyond you – that’s the reality.

Number two: cybersecurity. With the AI onslaught, everything is at risk because all infrastructure for large enterprises has to be protected. They’re inputting all conversations, Zoom chats, internal boards, meeting notes, files – everything now subject to being available through AI providing strategic backbone.

Statistics say cybersecurity as an industry will double by 2030, becoming a $500 billion industry. Enterprise infrastructure especially – if you’re a tech company taking one piece of that pie, you’ll be a yes for investors and banks.

Old-School Businesses Making a Comeback

Number three: fintech (financial technology), which will 6x by 2033. For example although I love my financial wealth advisor, I love the freedom of using an app called Wealthsimple in Canada to do it myself – no fees, plus a sense of achievement, knowledge, and power.

Tech is in everything now: payment infrastructures, wealth advising, investing, insurance. It’s getting more prevalent with AI coming in as part of fintech along with cybersecurity. Banking especially is huge, 6xing by 2033 – I can’t believe any industry 6xing. If you have money for infrastructure or the ability, desire, or knowledge, those are the top three areas seeing banks and investors going after them.

What if you’re not techy? Number four: old-fashioned mobile everything, especially car-related. Car repair, especially diesel car repairs – huge. My mobile tire change truck is a huge hit among friends. Mobile car wash is huge (in cold climates you’d need a garage). Car repair businesses are getting tremendous attention and money from banks and investors.

The Recovery Play

Lastly, number five: towing and recovery. Any equipment repair, fleet tire replacement on-site, any repair and replacement is huge business that banks and investors fund.

If you already have a business, look at niching into these five. If you’re starting a new business because you’ve been repurposed, lost your job, or retired and you’re looking at what new career to start, get one of these new niches to start if you require almost-guaranteed funding in 2026.

Want to reposition your messaging to grow your leads? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, watch my Podcast onYouTube or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk.