A new global study from financial services giant Visa has found that the creator economy has cemented its place as one of the world’s fastest-growing small business sectors, with creators increasingly viewing themselves as entrepreneurs — but still needing stronger financial tools and guidance to fuel their growth.
According to the Monetized: Visa 2025 Creator Report, conducted with Morning Consult, 88% of surveyed creators expect their business revenue to increase over the next year. The research, based on responses from more than 1,000 creators across the US, UK, Australia, Brazil and the UAE, highlighted how creators are turning passion into profit — while navigating business challenges largely on their own.
Nearly seven in ten survey respondents identified as small business owners, and 76% said they feel no pressure to pursue traditional careers. However, almost half admitted to being self-taught in areas such as business strategy (66%) and financial management (71%), revealing a gap that financial institutions could help fill.
When it comes to revenue, most creators diversify across multiple platforms and income streams: 94% post brand partnerships, 78% engage in affiliate marketing and 77% promote their own services. Subscription content is also gaining momentum, theoretically offering creators more predictable, recurring income.
In terms of platform use, Visa said “Instagram, TikTok and YouTube represent the largest income opportunities for creators based on self-reported top income platforms from surveyed respondents — they’re the top three platforms both in terms of large followings and popularity for global monetisation. Despite the popularity of these top platforms, most creators get income from many platforms with a variety of formats, like Pinterest, Reddit and LinkedIn, to diversify their audience and income.”
Despite their business-oriented mindset, however, many creators still manage finances the same way they did when starting out. The study found 86% use personal funds to finance their work, while 62% rely on personal bank accounts for managing business income. Visa said this reliance on personal financial tools highlights a missed opportunity for banks and fintechs to design solutions tailored to the creator economy.
Payment delays remain another hurdle, with 30% of creators saying faster access to funds would significantly benefit their operations.
As the creator economy heads toward an estimated global value of half a trillion dollars by 2027, Visa suggested that financial providers can play a pivotal role by offering products that reflect how creators really work — with flexibility, speed and support for self-taught entrepreneurs driving the future of this dynamic industry.
Image and data sourced from Monetized: Visa 2025 Creator Report
