For business leaders, 2026 has brought a number of outside developments to process. Potential obstacles to success fill the headlines. And yet there is still significant optimism for growth, with many leaders even saying they have a specific need for equipment financing and leasing before the end of the year.
Those are some of the key takeaways from a survey First Financial Bank conducted with 500 business leaders throughout our Midwestern footprint, as we sought a better understanding of how they view the current landscape. Findings from the research are revealing.
Business leaders’ plans for equipment financing and leasing are a bright spot for the balance of the year. In discussing their priorities, 54% of companies in our survey shared that they anticipate increased credit needs in 2026. Equipment financing was in the plans for 52%, either for goods production or trade and transport. In fact, equipment financing and leasing is the third-most anticipated credit product needed in 2026, behind only lines of credit and business credit cards.
This is the first of several leading signs of optimism. Growth is the solid expectation among the group we surveyed, with 89% of business leaders projecting increased revenue by the end of the year. Some of that is attributable to margins, with 82% of leaders expecting profit margin growth, driven mostly by customer demand. It all adds up to economic expansion, with 65% of respondents sensing a positive outlook for the U.S. economy through the end of 2026.
Investment and credit demand are notable because of the challenges from today’s economy. Inflation, tariffs and supply chain disruption have grabbed some of the biggest headlines in recent years, and 52% of our respondents still monitor inflation as the most widely monitored risk. However, while they certainly point to inflation as a headwind, it’s not a confidence breaker. Responses revealed that many leaders see the higher cost of inflation as a manageable factor, which they feel they can navigate through pricing strategies, cost management, workforce realignment and automation.
I see this as an acceptance of business realities and a requirement to adapt and adjust. It’s the nature of the work we do.
Still more potential obstacles are floating out there for business. Leaders also told us of their concerns with access to talent, with 35% flagging it as a significant risk. Complaints from the survey about “attrition of an aging workforce,” and “increasing cost to recruit, hire and retain workers,” pinpoint the issues around talent acquisition.
Our research also indicated many more interesting insights in areas such as adoption of AI and cryptocurrency. For example, 97% of the businesses we spoke with are adopting AI at some level, with most, 61%, fully engaged in the process of scaling adoption. In contrast, cryptocurrency, which has been top of mind for longer, has reached scaled adoption among just 25% of our respondents, with only 39% of them anticipating an increased need to conduct business in crypto.
It all reads as a complex cross section of the economy. Business finance is never simple. Building a strong relationship with your bank can help you identify the right mix of financial strategies that suit your needs through the challenges identified here. While our survey indicates strong optimism from business leaders, a strategic discussion with your banker could be the key toward unlocking growth and expansion in the near future.
(Note: The State of the Business Survey was administered by Burke, Inc., an independent decision intelligence consultancy, in February. It is available upon request.)