ZenBusiness is expanding access to its AI business guide, Velo, in a move aimed at helping aspiring entrepreneurs move from an idea to a more structured business plan before they pay for formal services or make key startup decisions.
The Austin, Texas-based company announced Tuesday that Velo is now available across the ZenBusiness website and mobile app, giving anyone free access to AI-guided business planning tools. The expansion includes a new feature called Velo blueprint, which creates a step-by-step plan based on where a person is in the process of starting or growing a business.
For small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, the update addresses a common problem: many people do not know which step to take first. Some may be deciding whether to form an LLC, while others may be trying to validate an idea, estimate startup costs, hire workers, open a bank account, build a website, or determine whether they need a business license.
Rather than starting with a product menu, Velo is designed to respond to the user’s stage in the business journey. According to ZenBusiness, the blueprint feature surfaces only the steps that are relevant to a person’s current situation and connects users with tools, guidance, and expert support as needed.
The expansion matters because many new business owners struggle with the early planning stage, long before they file formation documents or open their doors. For someone testing an idea, the tool can help generate business concepts, evaluate opportunities, estimate startup costs, and provide guidance on entity selection. Users who create a free account can save their blueprint and return to it later from any device.
ZenBusiness said Velo has handled more than 2 million conversations since launching in July 2025. More than half of ZenBusiness customers have used the AI guide, and 53% return within the same month. The company said those numbers show that small business owners are using AI not only to get basic answers, but also to make decisions, reduce uncertainty, and understand what obligations may apply to them.
“After helping nearly one million people start businesses, we’ve seen firsthand how many great ideas never make it past the planning stage,” said Ross Buhrdorf, CEO and co-founder of ZenBusiness. “We recently surveyed over 1,000 entrepreneurs and nearly 60% told us they’d turn to AI for guidance on starting or running a business. Most of what’s holding them back comes down to three things: fear of making a mistake, not knowing where to start, and finding guidance they can trust. People are looking for confidence, clarity, and a practical way to move forward. Velo gives them a place to explore possibilities, build a plan, and take action. As more people turn to AI earlier in the entrepreneurial journey, we’re focused on helping them move from idea to business with guidance they can trust.”
For busy entrepreneurs, the practical value may come from reducing the number of disconnected searches and decisions required to start a business. A person launching a side business, for example, may need to understand whether to form an LLC, how much money they need to begin, whether their idea has a clear market, and what compliance tasks they should expect after formation. ZenBusiness is positioning Velo as a guide that can organize those questions into a more manageable sequence.
The company also emphasized that Velo does not replace human support in every situation. ZenBusiness said the AI guide resolves customer needs without a human handoff in about 72% of conversations. When Velo determines that a person is better suited to help, it routes the user to a human expert. According to the company, about 60% of those handoffs happen because Velo decides human judgment, empathy, or added certainty is needed.
That distinction may be important for small business owners using AI tools to make legal, financial, or compliance-related decisions. AI can help users organize their thinking and identify next steps, but business owners may still need expert advice when decisions involve state-specific rules, tax treatment, licensing requirements, contracts, or other areas where a mistake can create long-term consequences.
ZenBusiness highlighted the experience of Ashley Rector, founder of Quimby Digital and a ZenBusiness customer for more than a year, who used Velo while preparing to launch a new product line that she planned to spin off as its own LLC.
“I set out to launch a new product line and wanted LLC protection for it, so I had Velo help me figure out whether the business idea even made sense. It gave me the building blocks and had my brain marinating on what I needed to do next,” said Rector. “From there, Velo kept me on track with everything from keeping my LLC in good standing, to annual filings and obtaining my EIN, the kinds of tasks I wouldn’t have known where to start on my own. I even asked Velo about my target market and it walked me through exactly how to run the analysis. Having that kind of guidance right in the ZenBusiness platform and instantly accessible made such a difference for me and my business.”
For new entrepreneurs, those examples point to several possible uses. Someone can use Velo to explore whether an idea has enough market potential before spending money on branding, inventory, or registration. A founder can use the blueprint to understand the difference between forming an entity and maintaining it after formation. A business owner can also use the tool to identify follow-up tasks, such as applying for an EIN, staying current with annual filings, or researching a target market.
The expansion also reflects a broader shift in how entrepreneurs are using AI. Rather than turning to AI only after they have a specific question, users are increasingly using it earlier in the process to think through uncertainty. ZenBusiness said its usage data shows small business owners often begin by describing where they are in the journey instead of asking for a specific service.
That could make the tool especially relevant for first-time founders, freelancers formalizing a side business, or owners preparing to launch a new product line under a separate entity. Still, entrepreneurs should treat AI-generated guidance as a starting point, not a substitute for professional advice when the decision involves legal liability, taxes, licenses, or financing.
Velo is available through ZenBusiness.com/velo and through the ZenBusiness mobile app. The company said the expanded access is intended to support entrepreneurs at the earliest stage of ownership, when they are still evaluating ideas, weighing risks, and deciding whether to move forward.
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