People will say capital, but there are successful businesses in America started in garages literally every day. Not every one becomes Apple, but many of them go on to support lots of families.
Both neoliberal and classical definitions of capital make it nearly tautologically required as an input for production. 'Wealth' and 'Capital' aren't the same thing.
Yes, but the assertion is that so much capital is required that it's a barrier to starting a business. And that's just not true. It is definitely possible to bootstrap a small business, and there are many government programs available to help. The bigger barrier, in my opinion, is an appetite for risk. In that capacity, America is definitely following in Europe's footsteps.
Capital isn’t the only thing that prevents workers from starting companies.
Vision, good ideas, the ability to inspire, bringing people together, luck, etc. all factor in. To single out capital is to say if anyone has money they will be able to start a successful business.