Ninety-three percent of small business owners expect growth over the next year, and 68% are on track to meet or beat their 2026 profit plan, according to the latest Small Business Cash Flow Trend Report from OnDeck, a market leader in small business lending, and Ocrolus, an AI workflow and cash flow analytics platform for lenders.

Key findings include:

• Growth Expectations. Small business owners remain confident, with 93% of owners expecting moderate to significant growth over the next year, consistent with Q2 2026.
• Top Challenges. Inflation (36%) is again the leading concern, ahead of cash flow (28%) — which eased for a second straight quarter — and revenue (17%).
• Lender Preference. Seventy-five percent of small businesses bypassed traditional banks for capital, and cash flow data showed that median fintech loan inflows were up 11% year over year.
• AI Adoption. Sixty-one percent of small businesses report using AI. Among users, 90% report a measurable positive impact, and 39% cite improved marketing performance and fewer errors.
• Cash Flow Resilience. Median monthly revenue of applicants rebounded 6% from Q2, and revenue-to-expense held above 100%.

"Small business owners are carrying real momentum into the end of the year, and they're keeping their customers at the center of their plans," said Jim Granat, Co-President of Small Business Lending at Enova. "Seasonal demand and consumer spending are among the biggest factors guiding their strategy, and with confidence holding steady, they're planning ahead for the growth they expect. At OnDeck, we're focused on making it easier for small business owners to say yes to those opportunities, including through the automated approval process we recently launched."

"The cash flow data shows small businesses operating from a position of strength," said David Snitkof, General Manager of Small Business at Ocrolus. "Revenue rebounded and kept pace with expenses, and owners continue to look beyond traditional banks as they fund growth."

The report is based on responses from 860 small businesses with working capital loans and over 3.95 million small business applications for working capital financing during the past 15 months. The nationwide survey was completed between September 16-28, 2026. For more information and complete survey results, please visit ondeck.com/small-business-trends.