Small Business
On Jul 13, 2026
US small business owners head into the second half of 2026 with growing confidence in their own prospects, even as faith in the broader economy continues to drop.
The Citizens Q3 2026 Business Pulse survey found that half of small business owners (50%) expect their revenue to increase over the next three months, the highest level of optimism recorded this year. Yet that optimism sharply contrasts how owners view the macroeconomic backdrop: just 24% say they are extremely or very confident in the US economy, down from 36% in Q2 2026.
“Small business owners are proving they can hold their own, even when the world around them is full of uncertainty,” said Mark Valentino, head of business banking at Citizens. “The data is not…
