Upwork Helps Businesses Go Big, Even When They’re Small

Running a small business today looks very different than it did in the past. Today’s entrepreneurs need more than hard work and a great idea—they need the ability to pivot quickly, access highly specialized skills, and scale efficiently without the burdens of traditional hiring. Enter Upwork. As the world’s largest work marketplace, Upwork is more than just a freelance platform—it’s an essential tool in the small business toolkit, empowering business owners to meet the unique challenges of today’s rapidly evolving labor market.

At Upwork, we believe in the power of small businesses to drive innovation, create meaningful work opportunities, and enrich communities. This Small Business Saturday, we’re proud to celebrate the entrepreneurs who are transforming their dreams into reality—with the help of Upwork’s flexible, independent talent pool across more than 10,000 skills in over 180 countries. Small businesses form the backbone of economies worldwide, and we're honored to be part of their journeys. 

Upwork’s diverse talent network enables businesses to access critical, in-demand skills—like data analytics, predictive modeling, advertising automation, and cybersecurity—without the need for long-term hiring commitments. By leveraging these specialized skills, small businesses can make smarter, data-driven decisions, tap into automation to streamline and scale operations, and build robust online presences to reach their customers more effectively.

Moreover, small business clients often build long-term relationships with freelancers on Upwork, with over one-third re-engaging the same professionals for ongoing projects. In today’s challenging macroenvironment, Upwork’s on-demand access to highly skilled talent has become essential, empowering small businesses to maintain flexibility and workforce quality without the commitment and cost burden of full-time hires.

Below, we feature four inspiring stories of small business owners who’ve harnessed talent on Upwork’s work marketplace to grow their businesses.

Kinetic Investments: Launching AI Businesses Faster

Kinetic Investments, a small investment firm, faced the challenge of quickly scaling two AI startups. By turning to Upwork, Kinetic found skilled freelancers to handle everything from prompt engineering to app development. This approach not only sped up the hiring process by three to four times but also cut costs significantly, helping Kinetic launch its ventures with efficiency and speed. The team also engages skilled data analysts from Upwork to build tools and monitoring systems to improve ROI for both Kinetic Investments and its portfolio companies.

"Upwork is an essential part of every company in our portfolio. It's second nature now to ask whether a role or skills gap is going to be filled by a full-time employee or an independent professional from Upwork," says David Merry, co-founder of Kinetic. 

Ensemble Consultancy: Innovating Government Contracting

Michael Contreras founded Ensemble Consultancy in Washington, D.C., to provide flexible, cutting-edge solutions for government agencies like NASA and the CDC. By leveraging Upwork’s platform, Ensemble has been able to streamline the proposal writing process, access top talent quickly, and save clients over $5 million. 

"We can build benches of talent from Upwork. I’m not aware of any other platform that’s able to be so customizable. It’s a big productivity boost for us," says Michael. “I see Upwork continuing to be a key part of our company strategy. I see talent on Upwork helping us develop new intellectual property and helping us grow.”

Michael’s use of flexible talent has allowed his small agency to compete with much larger firms in the government contracting space, offering high-level expertise without the overhead of a traditional agency.

Terrashroom: Reimagining Home Mushroom Cultivation

For Jared Steele, founder of Terrashroom, growing mushrooms was a passion project that quickly turned into a booming business. But when technical challenges threatened to derail production, Jared turned to Upwork to find an electrical engineer who could help develop the core technology for his mushroom-growing device. In just three days, Terrashroom had a working prototype, allowing Jared to move forward with manufacturing and sales.

"Working with independent professionals has allowed me to free up my time and energy to raise money, recruit, and do things that are more directional for growing a business," says Jared. 

Thanks to Upwork’s flexible talent, Terrashroom now serves thousands of customers and continues to grow​.

Emerald Tiger: Designing Premium Dinnerware with Global Talent

Kim Darling, CEO of Emerald Tiger, had a vision to bring vibrant, restaurant-quality ceramics to homes around the world. While she and her co-founders had marketing expertise, they needed help with packaging design to ensure their products stood out and arrived safely. Within just 24 hours on Upwork, Kim connected with Daniel Gamez, an Expert-Vetted structural packaging designer. Daniel quickly turned around an ideal design in three weeks—months faster than anticipated—streamlining production and significantly reducing costs.

What Kim gained from the experience is a tangible understanding of how Upwork gives every client access to quality talent. 

“I was a small business that hadn’t sold anything yet. But through Upwork, I can access high-caliber talent with the same level of creativity, experience, and professionalism as the specialists I worked with when I was a VP at a large tech company. It’s amazing.” 

Emerald Tiger’s stunning packaging and seamless customer experience are a testament to the outsized impact skilled freelancers can have on small businesses​.

At Upwork, we see every small business as a success story waiting to be told. The entrepreneurs on our platform aren’t just building businesses—they’re building dreams, step by step, fueled by their vision and the independent talent that help bring those visions to life. This Small Business Saturday, we celebrate those dreamers and doers who remind us that big things often start small.