Small businesses continue to bypass traditional banks for working capital, and AI adoption rises

CHICAGO, July 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Small business optimism remained steady in Q2 2026 with more than nine in 10 owners confident in growth over the next year, according to the latest Small Business Cash Flow Trend Report from OnDeck, a market leader in small business lending, and Ocrolus, an AI workflow and cash flow analytics platform for lenders.

Key findings include:

Growth Expectations. Small business optimism held firm in Q2 2026, with 93% of owners expecting moderate to significant growth over the next year, consistent with Q1 2026.
Top Challenges. Inflation reclaimed the top spot as the leading small business concern (34%), surpassing cash flow at 30%.
Lender Preference. Seventy-five percent of small businesses report bypassing traditional banks in Q2, in line with prior quarters.
AI Adoption. Sixty-one percent of small businesses report using AI, up from 58% in Q1, with 91% of users reporting a positive impact on their business.

"Small business owners are staying focused on growth even as the cost pressures they face shift from quarter to quarter," said Cory Kampfer, Co-President of Small Business Lending at Enova. "What stands out in this quarter's data is how deliberately small businesses are using AI. It is no longer a novelty – it is becoming part of how they run day-to-day operations."

"The cash flow data tells a consistent story: non-bank loan inflows rose year over year, while traditional bank loan inflows declined," said David Snitkof, General Manager of Small Business at Ocrolus. "Small businesses are steadily shifting how they access capital, and lenders with better data visibility are winning that business."

The report is based on survey responses from 805 small businesses with working capital loans and cash flow data from over 3.76 million small business applications for working capital financing during the past 15 months. The nationwide survey was completed between June 16–24, 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 over $72 billion in loans and financing to more than 15 million customers by offering a suite of market-leading products powered by the company's world-class analytics, machine learning algorithms and proprietary technology. You can learn more about the company and its portfolio of businesses at www.enova.com.

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.