Thursday Trends: Q4-25 Was the Strongest 4th Quarter Since the Post-COVID Surge
1.40M new business applications in Q4 2025, up +24% YoY. Founder confidence is carrying into 2026 — here's why early engagement matters now.
Thursday Trends: Small-Metro America Is Back in Growth Mode
Indianapolis +361%, Columbus +200% — 2025 data shows small metros are driving America's new business boom. Here's what it means for your targeting.
Losses on one side – Leaps on the other
Whether you're selling software, services, financing, or logistics—these businesses aren’t just open to help. They’re actively looking for it.
New Professional & Technical Services Firms Are Launching Faster Than Ever
If your customers include new consultants, creatives, IT firms, service professionals, or technical specialists, this sector represents one of the most reliable and fast-growing sources of new demand.
Thursday Trends: Small businesses are opening doors, hiring crews, and getting down to business
We interrupt your regularly scheduled 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 to share some good news: 𝑆𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜𝑜𝑟𝑠, ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 - 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑-𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 $44.8 𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑆𝐵𝐴 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 2025.
Small Business Confidence Near Record Highs – But Strategy Is Getting Smarter
The latest PNC 𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙮 reveals that confidence among small business owners is hovering near all-time highs, even as they adapt to persistent headwinds from inflation, tariffs, and interest rates.
1 in 4 Small Biz Owners Are in Survival Mode – But Still Adapting
This week’s KeyBank Commercial 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘺 offers a clear (if sobering) snapshot of the small business landscape as we approach Q4
SMB’s Are Going All-In on Digital with AI, Social, and Cybersecurity Topping the List
A new survey from Verizon confirms what many of us are seeing in the field: 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘱𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵.
Foot Traffic Up, Spend Down – The Budget-Conscious Consumer is Back
According to the latest Fiserv Small Business Index, consumer resilience is still driving solid year-over-year growth, but August brought signs of a 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳.
Construction SMBs Stay Lean Profitable, and Growing
New census data from the National Association of Home Builders reinforces what many in the industry already know: 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥.
Construction and Manufacturing Drive Small Business Hiring, But Labor Challenges Persist
This month’s Bank of America Small Business Checkpoint offers an interesting hiring snapshot: while overall economic pressures remain high, some sectors are charging ahead with payroll expansion.
Small-Biz Bankruptcies Jump 30% & Tariffs Could Accelerate the Shockwave
New data shows small business bankruptcies jumped 30% in July vs. last year, and the pressures are stacking up: high interest rates, inflation, debt, and now... tariffs.