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Every December, there's a natural tension between wrapping up the current year and planning for the next one. If you're feeling pulled in both directions right now, you're in good company.
But here's something encouraging: according to recent surveys from the Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, small business owners are heading into 2026 with notable optimism—even while acknowledging real challenges.
Let's look at what the numbers actually say, and how you can use this moment to set your business up for a strong year ahead.
The data paints a consistent picture: business owners are bullish on their own trajectories, even when they're skeptical about the broader economy.
Revenue expectations are high:
Growth plans are concrete:
Local economies look promising:
This isn't blind optimism. It reflects the resilience that small business owners have developed navigating pandemic recovery, supply chain disruptions, and inflationary pressures. They've adapted before, and they're confident they can do it again.
Optimism doesn't mean ignoring reality. The same surveys show clear concerns that smart business owners are factoring into their plans:
The businesses that tend to perform best in uncertain environments share a common trait: they have clear financial visibility. They know their numbers, so they can make decisions confidently rather than reactively.
If you're among the business owners expecting growth in 2026, now is the time to build the foundation that makes that growth sustainable. Here's where to focus:
Before setting goals for next year, get clear on where you actually stand. Review your balance sheet and income statement from the past 12 months. What worked? What surprised you? Where did you over- or under-invest?
Optimism is great, but planning requires specificity. If you're expecting 20% revenue growth, what's driving it? New customers? Increased pricing? A new product or service line? Map the path, not just the destination.
With 55% of businesses planning to add employees and labor shortages continuing, expect hiring to be competitive and expensive. The average small business is raising wages and offering incentives—79% are doing so for seasonal workers, and that trend will likely continue into full-time hiring.
Factor in not just salaries, but payroll taxes, benefits, and HR administration costs when building your budget.
If you're using last year's costs as your baseline for next year's budget, you're likely underestimating. Review your vendor contracts, identify which costs have risen, and build realistic inflation assumptions into your projections.
We've written about annual planning best practices before, but the core message bears repeating: a written plan, reviewed regularly, dramatically increases your chances of hitting your goals. It doesn't need to be elaborate—it needs to be specific and actionable.
Looking at the survey data, a few clear priorities emerge among businesses planning for growth:
Investment in fixed assets: 33% plan to increase fixed investments (WSJ/Vistage), suggesting confidence in long-term positioning.
Strategic hiring: 43% plan to add employees (Bank of America), while 52% plan to maintain current staffing. Smart growth often means hiring strategically rather than broadly.
Technology adoption: 77% have integrated AI into operations over the past five years, and 36% are using automation to handle increased demand. Technology is becoming a competitive requirement, not just an advantage.
Customer experience focus: 81% believe personalized experiences are critical for competitive advantage—up 16 points from last year. Growth increasingly depends on retention, not just acquisition.
Whatever your specific growth plans, they all require the same foundation: financial clarity. You can't make good decisions about hiring, investment, or pricing without understanding your current financial position and having systems that give you real-time visibility.
This means:
The businesses that turn their 2026 optimism into actual results will be the ones that combine ambition with discipline—setting bold goals while building the financial systems to track and support them.
As you head into your annual planning process, consider:
The data shows that small business owners are heading into 2026 with confidence. The question is whether that confidence is backed by a clear plan and the financial foundation to execute it.
