Main Street America Survey Finds Owners More Confident

Your daily brief on leadership and business

Small business owners are feeling more confident this fall, according to Main Street America's Fall 2026 survey. Main Street America heard from 1,568 owners across all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Confidence tracks closely with money coming in. Owners whose profits rose over the previous six months rated their confidence 2.2 points higher on average than those whose profits fell.

Who is making money

Profits were not spread evenly. Among businesses that had bought a building in the past year, only 18% reported lower net profits and 33% reported higher ones.

Businesses that used merchant cash advance financing, where a point-of-sale vendor, for instance, lends money in exchange for a cut of revenues that includes interest and fees, fared worst. Some 56% of them reported declining profits, against 39% of all respondents, and 15% reported increases, against 23% overall. Businesses that made no major change to their model or operations in the last year, such as adding events or memberships, renovating, hiring or buying equipment, reported 47% decreases and 16% increases.

Customer mix also lined up with confidence. Owners who regularly serve local, online and business-to-business customers averaged 8.4. Those serving only locals and online customers averaged 8.0, and those serving only locals and businesses averaged 7.7. Owners who regularly serve only local customers averaged 7.3.

What owners say

In write-in answers, high-confidence owners pointed to loyal regulars, events and new employees or product lines already lined up, and a sense that the holiday season would help. An Oregon food-and-beverage owner wrote that the business was built around the community it serves, and that the connection to that community gives confidence in its continued success.

Low-confidence owners cited declining district conditions, a lack of business support and cost-driven pressure. A Maryland retailer wrote that loyal customers "simply do not have the money to spend right now," which cuts sales and the ability to buy inventory.

About 57% of respondents said they worry about attracting new customers and reaching new markets, and nearly half worry about keeping cash flow positive. Managing inventory at sustainable costs came third at 30%. About one in four named work-life balance as a top concern; 64% of them had only one or two full-time employees and 38% were solo operators. Only about 15% listed access to financing among their top concerns, though many of them saw capital as the thing blocking their next level of growth.

Source: Main Street America