Unlocking the Voice of Small Businesses: New Insights from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey

The  Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS) has been administered nationally since 2016 by the 12 Federal Reserve Banks in collaboration with a network of hundreds of community and business groups throughout the country. The SBCS gathers information from thousands of small-business owners on business conditions and characteristics, credit experiences, and owner demographics. It continues to be the largest national dataset of its kind, and its reports provide awareness of small business challenges and how owners respond to them.   During this webinar, Federal Reserve experts provided an in-depth look at findings from the 2026 Report on Employer Firms. They explored key insights from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey, including: Business financing needs Credit approval outcomes and challenges Customer dynamics and trade activity Adoption of artificial intelligence This session offered timely, data-driven perspectives for those working directly with small businesses, supporting economic development efforts, or seeking to better understand the current small business landscape. Attendees gained actionable insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping small businesses nationwide. Business financing needs Credit approval outcomes and challenges Customer dynamics and trade activity Adoption of artificial intelligence This session offered timely, data-driven perspectives for those working directly with small businesses, supporting economic development efforts, or seeking to better under stand the current small business landscape. Attendees gained actionalbe insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping small businesses nationwide.