New Report: 93% of Small Businesses Expect Growth as AI Delivers Measurable Results
Sixty-eight percent of small business owners are on track to meet or beat their 2026 profit plan.
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Rhea-AI Summary
OnDeck and Ocrolus released a small-business report showing 93% of owners expect moderate to significant growth over the next year. Growth expectations were consistent with Q2 2026. Inflation remained the leading concern at 36%, followed by cash flow at 28% and revenue at 17%.
Seventy-five percent of small businesses bypassed traditional banks for capital, while median fintech loan inflows rose 11% year over year. Among small businesses, 61% reported using AI; of those users, 90% reported a measurable positive impact. Applicants' median monthly revenue rebounded 6% from Q2, and their revenue-to-expense ratio held above 100%.
Key Figures
- Owners expecting growth
- 93%
- Over the next year
- On track to meet or beat profit plan
- 68%
- 2026 profit plan
- Businesses bypassing traditional banks
- 75%
- Seeking capital
- Median fintech loan inflows
- Up 11% year over year
- Small business cash flow data
- Small businesses using AI
- 61%
- Survey respondents
- AI users reporting measurable positive impact
- 90%
- Among AI users
- Median monthly revenue rebound
- 6%
- Applicants, from Q2
- Revenue-to-expense
- Above 100%
- Small business cash flow data
Previous AI Reports
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Prior report recorded 93% growth expectations, 61% AI use, and 91% positive impact among users.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
working capital loans financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Three in four owners continue to look beyond traditional banks for capital as inflation remains the top concern
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, and39% cite improved marketing performance and fewer errors. - Cash Flow Resilience. Median monthly revenue of applicants rebounded
6% from Q2, and revenue-to-expense held above100% .
"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.
About OnDeck®
OnDeck®, part of Enova International, is the proven leader in transparent and responsible online lending to small businesses. Founded in 2006, the company pioneered the use of data analytics and digital technology to make real-time lending decisions and deliver capital rapidly to small businesses online. Today, OnDeck offers a wide range of term loans and lines of credit customized for the needs of small business owners. OnDeck has provided loans to customers in 900 different industries nationwide. For more information, visit www.ondeck.com.
About Enova
Enova International (NYSE: ENVA) is a leading online financial services company that serves small businesses and consumers who are underserved by traditional banks. For over 20 years, Enova has provided over
About Ocrolus
Ocrolus is a vertical AI workflow and analytics platform that transforms financial documents and digital data into regulatory-grade decision intelligence. Purpose-built for lending since 2016, the platform analyzes roughly 750,000 credit applications each month with industry-leading accuracy — enabling financial institutions to make faster, more confident credit decisions. Ocrolus goes beyond data extraction to deliver audit-ready cash flow and income analytics and fraud detection across a wide variety of document types, including bank statements, pay stubs and tax forms. Trusted by over 400 customers, Ocrolus is the engine of modern credit underwriting. To learn more, visit Ocrolus.com.
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SOURCE Enova International, Inc.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What did the OnDeck and Ocrolus report find about small-business growth expectations?
93% of small business owners expected moderate to significant growth over the next year, consistent with Q2 2026. Separately, 68% were on track to meet or beat their 2026 profit plan.
What data underpins the OnDeck and Ocrolus Small Business Cash Flow Trend Report?
The report draws 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.