New Report: 93% of Small Businesses Expect Growth in 2026
Enova (NASDAQ:ENVA) highlighted small business resilience in 2026: 93% expect growth next year and 32% expect significant growth.
Rhea-AI Summary
Enova (NASDAQ:ENVA) highlighted small business resilience in 2026: 93% expect growth next year and 32% expect significant growth. Cash flow is the top concern at 31%, while 76%+ bypass traditional banks for capital. AI use rises to 58%, with 89% of users reporting positive effects. The findings come from 651 surveyed small businesses and 3.69 million working-capital applications, with survey fieldwork March 4–10, 2026.
Positive
- 93% of small businesses expect growth in the next year
- 32% expect significant growth (survey all-time high)
- 58% report using AI; 89% of AI users see positive impact
- 76%+ are bypassing traditional banks for capital (survey all-time high)
- 46% cite access to credit as primary factor in 2026 planning
Negative
- Cash flow is the top concern for 31% of small businesses, surpassing inflation
- High dependence on nonbank financing: over 76% bypass traditional banks
Details
News Market Reaction – ENVA
On May 1, the day this news came out, ENVA closed 0.90% above the previous close.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the May 1 session.
Key Figures
- Growth expectations
- 93% of businesses
- Expect growth in the next year
- Significant growth
- 32% of businesses
- Expect significant growth, survey all-time high
- Cash flow concern
- 31% of owners
- Ranked cash flow as top concern
- Bypass banks
- Over 76% of businesses
- Bypass traditional banks for capital
- Access to credit
- 46% of respondents
- Named access to credit as leading strategy factor
- AI adoption
- 58% of businesses
- Report using AI in operations
- Positive AI impact
- 89% of AI users
- Report AI has positive impact on business
- Survey sample
- 651 businesses; 3.69M+ applications
- Survey base over past 15 months
Historical Context
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Strong Q1 revenue, EPS growth, record loans and liquidity metrics.
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Announcement of Q1 2026 results release and conference call timing.
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Survey showing high small business growth expectations and rising AI use.
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Strong Q4 and FY 2025 results with record receivables and solid credit metrics.
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Scheduling details for Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings call and webcast.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
ai technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
New data also shows AI adoption continues to rise and small business owners increasingly bypass traditional banks as financing patterns shift
Key findings include:
- Growth Expectations. Small business optimism remains high, with
93% of businesses expecting growth in the next year and32% expecting significant growth — a survey all-time high. - Top Challenges. Cash flow emerged as the top concern for small business owners (
31% ) for the first time, surpassing inflation (29% ). - Lender Preference. Over
76% of small businesses report bypassing traditional banks for capital, a survey all-time high. - 2026 Planning Strategies. Access to credit was the leading factor shaping small business strategy (
46% ), followed by consumer spending (42% ) and interest rates (35% ), while external macro risks such as trade policy (14% ) ranked lower in Q1 — consistent with previous quarters. - AI Adoption. Fifty-eight percent of small businesses report using AI, continuing the steady upward trend seen in 2025, with
89% of users reporting a positive impact on their business.
"Small businesses aren't slowing down — they're planning ahead, investing in growth and finding new ways to operate more efficiently. At OnDeck, we're focused on helping them access the capital they need to keep that momentum going," said Cory Kampfer, Co-President of Small Business Lending at Enova.
"Small businesses are showing a high level of adaptability as they move through 2026," said David Snitkof, General Manager of Small Business at Ocrolus. "Whether it's adjusting pricing, exploring new suppliers, or leveraging AI, owners are making deliberate choices supported by better data and clearer visibility into their financial performance."
The report is based on responses from 651 small businesses with working capital loans and over 3.69 million small business applications for working capital financing during the past 15 months. The nationwide survey was completed between March 4–10, 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 approximately
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
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