Gig Economy 3.0 Hits Reverse as Side Hustlers Rush to Shut Down LLCs, New Startup ClickDissolve Steps In

Automated platform helps overwhelmed founders legally close "zombie" businesses before fees and penalties pile up

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESS Newswire / December 10, 2025 / Thousands of Americans who rushed to form LLCs for side hustles during the pandemic are now trying to quietly shut them down. A new online service, ClickDissolve.com, is stepping into that vacuum and turning an obscure legal chore into a one-click off switch for businesses that have run their course.

According to internal analysis of public records and customer inquiries, ClickDissolve estimates that millions of small LLCs and corporations are sitting inactive while still "alive on paper," exposing owners to surprise state fees, penalties, and compliance notices. Many of those entities were launched between 2020 and 2022 by gig workers, creators, and online sellers who have since moved on to new jobs or new platforms.

"Everyone talks about how easy it is to start a business," said Peter Brewer, founder of ClickDissolve. "Nobody talks about the thousands of entrepreneurs stuck with dead LLCs that will not go away on their own. We built ClickDissolve for the reality of Gig Economy 3.0, where people need clean exits, not just flashy launches."

The Great Side Hustle Unwinding

During the pandemic, social media, YouTube, and online course platforms heavily promoted the idea that "real entrepreneurs" must form an LLC on day one. That message helped fuel a surge in one-person businesses, many of them part-time, experimental, or seasonal.

Now, as costs rise and attention shifts back to traditional employment, a growing number of those founders are asking a different question: "How do I shut this down correctly?"

ClickDissolve calls this trend "The Great Unwinding" and says it is seeing demand from:

• Former Amazon, Etsy, and Shopify sellers who stopped selling yet still receive state notices

• Creators who set up LLCs for brand deals that never scaled

• Service providers who paused their business to return to full-time work

• Partners who decided to walk away from a joint venture and want a clean break

"People assume their LLC will just fade into the background," said Brewer. "In most states, it does not. It sits there, year after year, until the state starts stacking up fees or administratively dissolves it on their terms instead of yours."

Closing A Business Is Harder Than Starting One

Forming an LLC can take minutes. Shutting one down often requires multi step filings, specific state forms, tax clearances, and careful timing. Many entrepreneurs only discover this when they receive an unexpected bill from a state agency.

ClickDissolve positions itself as the digital off ramp for this problem. The platform guides users through a structured intake, generates the correct dissolution documents for their state, and manages submission where electronic or mail-based filing is available.

A Different Kind Of Startup Story

While most legal tech platforms focus on business formation, ClickDissolve is intentionally focused on endings. The company says that is exactly where the market has been ignored.

"Endings are not sexy, but they are where a lot of financial pain and legal risk lives," said Brewer. "We are not here to celebrate unicorns. We are here to quietly protect the millions of normal people who tried something, learned from it, and now want to close the chapter in a clean, compliant way."

Early customers range from solo creators and e-commerce sellers to small restaurant owners and consultants. Many report that they only discovered the need for a formal dissolution after receiving a renewal bill, a compliance notice, or a warning from their accountants.

One early user, a former online boutique owner in Florida, described the experience this way: "Starting my LLC took one night and a credit card. Closing it took three weeks of research before I found ClickDissolve. I wish this had existed when I decided to stop selling. It would have saved me a year of anxiety and a few hundred dollars in unnecessary fees."

About ClickDissolve

ClickDissolve is an online platform that simplifies the process of legally dissolving LLCs and corporations. The service provides guided, state-specific workflows that help business owners shut down inactive or unwanted entities quickly and cleanly, reducing the risk of surprise fees and lingering liability. ClickDissolve is designed for side hustlers, small business owners, creators, and founders who want a fast, modern way to close one chapter and move confidently into the next.