If you’re a small business owner watching your hard-earned profits sit in a bank account earning 0.5% while inflation runs at 3-4%, you’re not alone. And if you’ve been curious about Bitcoin but intimidated by the tech jargon and crypto-bro culture, this guide is for you.
I’m a small family business owner serving my local community, and I’ve been buying Bitcoin since 2017—nearly a decade of experience through multiple market cycles. I’m not a tech expert or a financial advisor—I’m a business owner like you who discovered that Bitcoin offers something traditional banking can’t: a way to preserve the value of your profits over the long term.
This isn’t about getting rich quick or following some guru’s predictions. This is about understanding a new form of money that’s provably scarce, globally accessible, and increasingly adopted by businesses and institutions worldwide. The data speaks for itself, and in this guide, I’ll show you exactly what you need to know.
What Is Bitcoin? (The Non-Technical Explanation)
Bitcoin is digital money that no government, bank, or company controls. Think of it as digital gold—there will only ever be 21 million Bitcoin in existence, and no one can print more.
Here’s what makes it different from the dollars in your bank account:
Your dollars: The Federal Reserve can print unlimited amounts. Since 2020, they’ve printed trillions. More dollars in circulation = each dollar you own is worth less. That’s inflation.
Bitcoin: The supply is fixed at 21 million. Nobody can create more. Ever. This mathematical scarcity is why many business owners see it as a superior store of value compared to cash.
You don’t need to understand the technology any more than you need to understand how the internet works to send an email. Modern Bitcoin platforms have made buying, securing, and holding Bitcoin as simple as online banking.
Why Small Business Owners Are Buying Bitcoin in 2026
When I started buying Bitcoin in 2017, I was one of the few business owners I knew who owned any. Nearly a decade later, that’s changed dramatically. Here’s why:
1. Inflation is destroying cash savings
If you have $100,000 in your business savings account and inflation runs at 4% annually, you’re losing $4,000 in purchasing power every year. Your bank pays you maybe $500 in interest. Net loss: $3,500 per year, and that’s being conservative.
Bitcoin’s fixed supply means it can’t be inflated away. Over any four-year period since its creation, Bitcoin has outperformed cash, stocks, real estate, and gold as a store of value.
2. Banks are unreliable
We saw three major bank failures in 2023 (Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First Republic). Business owners with more than $250,000 deposited lost access to their funds, some for weeks. Even with FDIC insurance, the stress and uncertainty were real.
Bitcoin doesn’t depend on any bank. You can hold it yourself or with trusted third-party custodians who specialize in security. You’re not at the mercy of a regional bank’s risk management decisions.
3. It’s become mainstream
Major institutions now hold Bitcoin: MicroStrategy, Tesla, Square, and dozens of publicly traded companies have added Bitcoin to their balance sheets. Fidelity, BlackRock, and other investment giants offer Bitcoin investment products. Bitcoin ETFs are now widely available through traditional brokerages. Even countries like El Salvador have adopted it as legal tender.
This isn’t fringe anymore. It’s standard financial infrastructure.
4. The data supports long-term value
Since 2017 when I started buying, Bitcoin has gone from around $1,000 to over $100,000 as of early 2026. That’s not a straight line—there have been painful drops of 50-80%—but over any four-year period, the trend is unmistakable.
The reason is simple: more people want Bitcoin than the supply allows. As adoption increases and supply remains fixed, the price rises. It’s basic economics.
Common Objections (And The Honest Answers)
Let me address the concerns I hear most often from other business owners:
“It’s too volatile.”
True. Bitcoin’s price swings wildly—30% moves in a month aren’t uncommon. But volatility decreases over time as adoption grows, and we’ve seen this play out over the past nine years. Here’s the key: if you’re buying Bitcoin with profits you won’t need for 3-5 years, short-term volatility doesn’t matter. You’re not trading it; you’re storing value.
The solution is dollar-cost averaging (DCA): buying a fixed dollar amount every week or month regardless of price. This smooths out volatility and removes emotion from the equation. I’ve been doing this since 2017, and it works.
“I don’t understand the technology.”
You don’t need to. I don’t fully understand how credit card processing works, but I accept cards. You don’t need to understand blockchain cryptography to use Bitcoin any more than you need to understand TCP/IP to use the internet.
Modern platforms like River Financial and Coinbase have made buying Bitcoin as simple as online banking. If you can use QuickBooks or Shopify, you can buy Bitcoin.
“What if the government bans it?”
After nine years of regulatory development, it’s clear they won’t—it’s too late. Bitcoin is held by millions of Americans, dozens of publicly traded companies, and is offered by every major financial institution. Bitcoin ETFs are approved and trading on major exchanges. Banning it would mean banning Fidelity, BlackRock, and every investor with exposure.
Governments have moved from “should we ban it?” to “how do we regulate it?” Regulation brings clarity and legitimacy, which is good for long-term adoption.
“It’s for criminals.”
This was true in 2012. It’s not true in 2026. Every Bitcoin transaction is recorded on a public ledger that law enforcement can trace. The U.S. dollar is used far more for illegal activity than Bitcoin ever has been.
Today’s Bitcoin holders are business owners, investors, institutions, and retirees looking to preserve wealth. The criminal narrative is outdated by more than a decade.
“I’ll just wait for it to drop and buy then.”
I’ve heard this since Bitcoin was $1,000. Then $5,000. Then $20,000. Then $50,000. Then $75,000.
Timing the market doesn’t work. People who waited for “the big drop” missed years of gains. The best time to start was years ago. The second-best time is now, with a disciplined DCA strategy.
How to Get Started: Your 5-Step Framework
Here’s exactly how to buy your first Bitcoin as a small business owner:
Step 1: Decide Your Allocation
Before you buy anything, determine how much of your business profits you’ll allocate to Bitcoin.
Conservative approach (2-5%): You’re testing the waters. This is “speculation money” you can afford to lose if you’re wrong. Start here if you’re risk-averse or skeptical.
Moderate approach (5-15%): You understand the value proposition and want meaningful exposure. This is a real position that could significantly impact your long-term wealth if Bitcoin continues its adoption trajectory.
Aggressive approach (15-30%): You’ve done the research, understand the risks, and believe Bitcoin is the best long-term store of value available. This requires conviction and the ability to withstand volatility without panic-selling.
I personally fall into the moderate-to-aggressive category. After nine years of watching Bitcoin survive every prediction of its demise, I believe the data shows Bitcoin is the future of money, and I’m allocating accordingly. But you need to decide what fits your risk tolerance and financial situation.
Key principle: Only invest profits, never working capital. Your business needs cash flow to operate. Bitcoin is for surplus profits that would otherwise sit in a savings account.
Step 2: Choose a Platform
You need a platform to buy Bitcoin. Here are the best options for business owners in 2026:
River Financial (My Top Recommendation)
River offers a clean, professional platform with excellent security and customer service. They specialize in Bitcoin-only (no other cryptocurrencies), which keeps it simple and focused. They cater to serious investors and businesses, with an intuitive interface and top-notch educational resources. They’re designed for long-term holders, not traders. After nine years in Bitcoin, this is the platform I recommend to every business owner starting out.
Best for: Business owners who want a premium experience and plan to hold significant amounts.
Coinbase is the most well-known platform. They’re publicly traded (NASDAQ: COIN) and offer the most user-friendly interface for complete beginners. The downside: slightly higher fees and they push you toward trading other cryptocurrencies, which can be distracting.
Best for: Complete beginners who want brand recognition and ease of use.
My recommendation: Start with River Financial. It’s purpose-built for what you’re doing—accumulating Bitcoin over time for long-term value storage with a professional, business-focused approach.
Step 3: Set Up Automatic Purchases (Dollar-Cost Averaging)
Don’t try to time the market. I learned this lesson the hard way in my early years. Set up recurring purchases and let automation work for you.
Example DCA strategies by business revenue:
- $500K-$1M annual revenue: $250-500/week into Bitcoin
- $1M-$3M annual revenue: $500-1,500/week into Bitcoin
- $3M+ annual revenue: $1,500-5,000/week into Bitcoin
These amounts assume a moderate allocation (10-15% of annual profits). Adjust based on your comfort level.
The beauty of DCA: you buy more Bitcoin when prices are low and less when prices are high, averaging out your cost over time. Emotion is removed from the equation. This strategy has served me well through three major market cycles.
Step 4: Secure Your Bitcoin
For holdings under $10,000: Keeping Bitcoin on a reputable exchange like River or Coinbase is fine. They have insurance and strong security measures.
For holdings $10,000-$100,000: Move your Bitcoin to a hardware wallet like Ledger. This is a physical device (looks like a USB drive) that stores your Bitcoin offline where it can’t be hacked. The Ledger Nano X is the most trusted hardware wallet brand, with bank-grade security and a proven track record. It’s the security solution I use personally.
Best for: Anyone with $10,000+ in Bitcoin who wants true ownership and security.
For holdings over $100,000: Consider a multisignature solution like Unchained Capital or Casa. These require multiple keys to access your Bitcoin, providing institutional-grade security.
I’ll be honest: hardware wallet setup has a learning curve. But if you have $50,000+ in Bitcoin, spending a few hours learning proper security is worth it. Your Bitcoin platform will have tutorials to walk you through it. After nine years, I’ve seen every security mistake in the book—don’t learn the hard way like some early adopters did.
Step 5: Track for Taxes
Bitcoin is treated as property by the IRS. When you sell it, you pay capital gains tax on the profit (just like if you sold real estate).
If you’re just buying and holding: You owe no taxes until you sell. Just keep records of your purchases.
If you’re selling: Use software like CoinTracker to calculate your gains and generate tax reports. Your CPA can use these reports to file your taxes correctly.
Pro tip: Don’t sell for at least a year. Long-term capital gains rates (15-20%) are much better than short-term rates (your ordinary income tax rate).
What Percentage of Profits Should Go to Bitcoin?
This is the question I get most often. Here’s my framework based on nine years of experience:
If your business generates $50K-$100K in annual profit: Start with $100-$250/week. This gets you comfortable with the process without overextending. Reassess after 6 months.
If your business generates $100K-$500K in annual profit: $250-$1,000/week is reasonable. This builds a meaningful position over 2-3 years. You’re diversifying beyond just reinvesting in your business or holding cash.
If your business generates $500K+ in annual profit: $1,000-$5,000/week. At this level, Bitcoin becomes a significant part of your wealth-building strategy. Over 5 years, this could represent generational wealth if Bitcoin continues its trajectory.
My personal approach:
I’ve been dollar-cost averaging since 2017—nearly a decade of consistent buying. I’ve been through multiple 50%+ drawdowns. I’ve watched my Bitcoin portfolio drop six figures in a month. But I’ve also watched it grow to life-changing amounts because I never sold during the dips.
I allocate 10-20% of my business profits to Bitcoin, depending on the year. Some years more, some less. I don’t need this money for 10+ years, which allows me to ignore short-term volatility.
The key is consistency. $500/week for 5 years beats $10,000 once and then stopping because the price dropped. I learned this through experience—the people who succeeded are the ones who kept buying regardless of price.
Real Scenario: What $500/Week Looks Like Over Time
Let’s be realistic about what happens if you commit to regular Bitcoin purchases:
Scenario: You invest $500/week ($26,000/year) into Bitcoin starting today.
If Bitcoin averages 20% annual growth over the next 5 years:
- Year 1: $26,000 invested → ~$28,600 value
- Year 2: $52,000 invested → ~$65,000 value
- Year 3: $78,000 invested → ~$110,000 value
- Year 4: $104,000 invested → ~$168,000 value
- Year 5: $130,000 invested → ~$242,000 value
If Bitcoin averages 30% annual growth (closer to its historical average over the past decade):
- Year 5: $130,000 invested → ~$320,000 value
These aren’t guarantees—past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. But the principle is sound: consistent accumulation of a provably scarce asset with increasing demand creates long-term value. I’ve watched this play out in my own portfolio since 2017.
Compare this to keeping $130,000 in a business savings account for 5 years at 0.5% interest while inflation runs at 4%. You’d have ~$133,000 in nominal terms but ~$106,000 in real purchasing power. You’d have lost $24,000 in value just by holding cash.
Securing Your Bitcoin: Why Hardware Wallets Matter
Once you’ve accumulated $10,000+ in Bitcoin, security becomes critical. This is where hardware wallets come in.
A hardware wallet like Ledger is a physical device that stores your Bitcoin offline, protected by a PIN code and recovery phrase. Even if your computer gets hacked, your Bitcoin remains safe.
Think of it like this: Keeping Bitcoin on an exchange is like keeping cash in someone else’s safe. A hardware wallet is your own safe that only you control.
I personally use a Ledger hardware wallet for my holdings, and after nine years in Bitcoin, I’ve seen why this matters. The Ledger Nano X offers bank-grade security with an easy-to-use interface. Don’t skip this step once your stack grows to five figures.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
I’ve made some of these mistakes myself over the past nine years. Learn from them:
1. Selling during a downturn Bitcoin dropped 50% in 2018, 2022, and multiple times in between. Every time, people panic-sold at the bottom. Every time, Bitcoin recovered and went higher. If you can’t handle 40-50% drawdowns, Bitcoin isn’t for you. I held through all of them, and that discipline paid off.
2. Buying too much too fast Don’t dump your entire savings into Bitcoin at once. DCA protects you from buying at the top and gives you time to learn without overexposing yourself. Early in my journey, I bought too aggressively and regretted it during downturns.
3. Trusting random platforms Stick with established, reputable platforms like River and Coinbase. If a platform promises 10% yields or “guaranteed returns,” it’s a scam. Bitcoin doesn’t pay interest—it appreciates (or doesn’t) based on supply and demand. I’ve seen platforms come and go over nine years—stick with the established players.
4. Forgetting your password/seed phrase If you lose access to your hardware wallet or forget your backup phrase, your Bitcoin is gone forever. There’s no customer service to call. Write down your seed phrase and store it somewhere secure (fireproof safe, safety deposit box). This is the most common way people lose Bitcoin.
5. Telling everyone you own Bitcoin Don’t broadcast your holdings. Bitcoin makes you a target for scammers, hackers, and thieves. Keep it private. I learned this early—privacy equals security.
What About Accepting Bitcoin Payments from Customers?
Short answer: Not yet for most businesses.
Very few customers want to pay with Bitcoin right now. Setting up payment processing (through platforms like Strike or BTCPay Server) adds complexity for minimal benefit unless you’re in a niche where customers specifically request it.
Focus first on accumulating Bitcoin as an investment. Once you have a position and understand it, you can explore payment acceptance later.
The exception: if you’re in e-commerce or serve a tech-savvy customer base, accepting Bitcoin can be a differentiator and marketing angle. But for most Main Street businesses (restaurants, retail, services), it’s not worth the effort yet.
The Long-Term Vision: Financial Freedom
Here’s what Bitcoin offers that your business can’t: portability, global access, and protection from inflation.
Your business is valuable, but it’s also dependent on your location, your health, your employees, your local economy, and countless other variables. Bitcoin is none of those things. It’s a globally recognized asset you can access from anywhere with an internet connection.
For business owners planning an exit—selling the business and retiring—Bitcoin offers a way to preserve the proceeds from that sale. Selling your business for $2 million and holding it in cash means watching inflation erode its value. Converting a portion to Bitcoin means betting on long-term appreciation rather than guaranteed depreciation.
I’m not suggesting you put 100% of your exit proceeds into Bitcoin. But 10-30%? That’s a calculated hedge that could dramatically impact your retirement if Bitcoin continues its trajectory. After watching what’s happened over the past nine years, this isn’t speculation—it’s a data-driven strategy.
Next Steps: Start This Week
You’ve read this far, which means you’re serious. Here’s what to do in the next 7 days:
Day 1-2: Open an account with River Financial or Coinbase. Complete identity verification.
Day 3: Link your bank account and make your first purchase. Start small—$100-$500 to get comfortable with the process.
Day 4: Set up automatic recurring purchases. Choose an amount you won’t miss—$250/week, $500/week, whatever fits your budget.
Day 5: Order a Ledger hardware wallet if you plan to hold more than $10,000. It takes a week to arrive, so order it now.
Day 6-7: Read your platform’s security guides. Set up two-factor authentication. Save your account recovery information.
That’s it. You’re now a Bitcoin investor.
Final Thoughts
I started buying Bitcoin in 2017 not because I understood the technology, but because the value proposition made sense: fixed supply, increasing demand, no central control. Nearly a decade later, that thesis has played out exactly as I expected.
Could Bitcoin fail? Sure. Could it drop 50% next month? Absolutely. But could it also represent the best long-term store of value available to small business owners who are tired of watching inflation destroy their savings? Nine years of data suggests yes.
You’ve worked too hard building your business to let your profits waste away in a checking account. Bitcoin isn’t a magic solution, but it’s a tool that deserves serious consideration.
If you’re ready to start, open a River Financial account here and make your first purchase this week.
If you have questions, feel free to reach out. I’m a business owner like you, navigating this same journey—just nine years ahead.
About the Author
I’m a small family business owner serving my local community. I’ve been buying Bitcoin since 2017—nearly a decade of experience through multiple market cycles. I’m not a financial advisor—I’m a business owner sharing what I’ve learned through years of research and real-world experience. This site exists to help other Main Street business owners understand Bitcoin without the hype or jargon. -TMSB