As 2026 approaches, the landscape for entrepreneurs is rapidly changing, defined by AI disruption, rising costs, cautious investors, and a more demanding customer.
Yet for British entrepreneur and investor Matt Haycox, the core principles of building a strong business remain the same: clarity, cash flow and character.
“Trends change every year,” he says. 'There are no principles. If you can manage money, manage people and keep promises, you will still win, whether it is 2006 or 2026.'
Haycox, known for his straightforward investment advice and practical advice, has spent more than two decades building, supporting and transforming businesses across the UK. Through his finance lending platform Funding Guru and the portfolio ventures of The Matt Hecox Group, he has helped raise and arrange over £1 billion for small and medium-sized companies.
He is one of the few investors who openly admits that failure taught him the most, not haste. He says, 'I learned more from losing my first business than from all the businesses that followed.' 'Starting over again gives you perspective.'
A more selective market
Entrepreneurs heading into 2026 face a funding market defined by selectivity rather than scarcity. According to Crunchbase's Global Venture Funding Report (Q3 2025), global VC investments reached $97 billion, up 15% year-on-year, but the number of deals declined by nearly 30%. Haycox says the money is still there, it's just harder to earn.
'Investors have not disappeared. They're just doing more homework,' he explains. 'If you can show genuine charm, cash discipline and a reliable plan, capital will still find you.'
This is in line with data from the British Business Bank's Small Business Equity Tracker (2025), which shows that UK deal volumes have declined for the second year in a row, despite an increase in average investment size. 'It's the survival of being focused,' says Hecox. 'Businesses that know their numbers and can prove them will continue to grow while everyone else blames the economy.'
AI, Automation and the Human Advantage
Artificial intelligence has become the defining force of modern entrepreneurship. A recent report by PwC UK (October 2025) estimates that AI integration could boost UK GDP by £230 billion by 2030, but Hecox warns that technology alone will not make or break a business.
“AI is a tool, not a strategy,” he says. 'It may increase your speed, but if you're going in the wrong direction, you'll get lost faster.'
He believes the winners of the next decade will be entrepreneurs who combine automation with emotional intelligence. He says, 'Your edge is humane.' 'Empathy, communication and leadership cannot be outsourced, at least not yet.'
According to LinkedIn's Global Future of Work Report (2025), 74% of employers say that soft skills such as adaptability, communication and leadership are now more important than technical expertise. This insight aligns closely with Hecox's business coaching philosophy: Technology should serve people, not replace them.
cash flow headlines
Hecox's own lending business, Funding Guru, is built around one principle: liquidity. He says, 'Cash is oxygen.' 'You don't die from bad thoughts; You die by running out of cash before the good cash is paid out.'
The Bibby Financial Services SME Confidence Tracker (Q3 2025) supports this view: 47% of UK SMEs say cash flow and profitability are their biggest challenges in 2026, the highest figure in four years. Haycox believes that many founders still underestimate how quickly growth consumes cash. 'Everyone is chasing scale,' he says. 'But if you don't understand your burn rate, growth becomes your biggest risk.'
His advice to new founders is simple: Keep an eye on daily cash movement and never assume that tomorrow's revenue will solve today's debt. He says, 'Confidence doesn't pay the bills.' 'Let's collect.'
beyond the pitch deck
Another emerging trend Haycox describes is the rise of 'founder transparency'. He says investors are giving priority to authenticity rather than theatrics. “We have 10 years of great LinkedIn stories,” he says. 'Now people want to know who you really are, especially the people who are funding you.'
This shift is reflected in LinkedIn and Edelman's 2025 Global B2B Thought Leadership Report, which found that content featuring real lessons and vulnerabilities from business leaders received 47% more engagement than polished promotional posts. 'If you can talk honestly about what went wrong and how you fixed it, you'll attract more trust than any glossy pitch deck,' says Hecox.
The rise of 'conscious commercialism'
Looking ahead, Hecox predicts that in 2026 more founders will focus on long-term value creation rather than hype. 'We are entering an era of conscious commercialism,' he says. 'Entrepreneurs have come to care about profits and principles, because customers do.'
According to Deloitte's Global Consumer Pulse Survey (Q4 2025), 57 per cent of UK consumers now prefer brands that demonstrate social responsibility and transparency over those offering low prices. For Hecox, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. 'Good values don't mean marketing,' he says. 'They are an operating system.'
Their own investments reflect that mindset, supporting SMEs that combine profit with purpose, from regional hospitality enterprises that prioritize local sourcing, to fintech firms creating fair-credit products for disadvantaged communities.
Timeless principles for a new era
For all the changes happening in modern entrepreneurship: AI, changing markets, new funding models, Hecox insists that the fundamentals of business haven't changed. 'Money still follows faith. Teams still follow the leaders. And success still follows implementation,' he says.
He encourages entrepreneurs to focus less on trends and more on timeless habits: know your numbers, build strong relationships, communicate clearly and treat setbacks as data, not disasters. 'If you can do those four things consistently, you'll always be relevant,' he says.
On Matt Hecox's official website and through his lending platform Funding Guru, he continues to share practical funding guidance, advice advice and case studies from his portfolio.
As 2026 begins, his message to founders is simple but hard-hitting: 'Forget the noise. The future does not belong to whoever moves fastest; It belongs to the one who walks best.'
