Live Oak BusinessPulse 

Insight and Analysis of Small Business Sentiment and Economic Trends

The BusinessPulse provides detailed analysis and reporting on small business sentiment, including economic position, economic confidence, and credit outlook for small and middle market companies. Take a deep dive into the Q2 data and discover how businesses feel about their past performance and what they expect in the next 12 months.

Download

20_LOB_Illustrations_Indigo_Business Pulse

Dedicated to the Doers®

Small business is the backbone of our country. It drives jobs, creates prosperity and boosts local economies. We’re proud to contribute to that growth by investing in America’s small business owners. When you bank with Live Oak, you can be proud too.

key takeaways

small-business-increased-capital-spending-illustration

 

Increased Capital Spending

Small businesses continued to struggle with lower sales and profits. However, capital spending increased in the second quarter of 2024.

small-business-optimism-illustration

 

Small Businesses Are Becoming Increasingly More Optimistic

Despite lower sales and profits over the last year, small businesses are increasingly optimistic about the next 12 months.

small-business-credit-card-financing-illustration

 

Credit Card Usage Is Increasing For Small Businesses

Small businesses have increasingly financed their operations with credit cards over the last quarter. Meanwhile, demand for additional credit remained flat from the previous quarter.

Source: Live Oak Q2 2024 BusinessPulse Survey Results (Powered by Barlow Research)

About Barlow Research

Barlow Research surveys more than 2,800 companies annually across the U.S. to gather current viewpoints and draws on years of data to provide in-depth research on economic trends to the commercial banking sector. Barlow has a long-standing relationship with Live Oak Bank, primarily through powering the BusinessPulse. In addition, Barlow Research has provided industry analysis for vertical selection, competitive intelligence on the digital account opening and lending processes. Live Oak Bank is also a member of Barlow Research’s flagship Small Business Banking program. 

Joel Mueller
Managing Partner & Research Director
jmueller@barlowresearch.com | 763.253.1806
Barlow Research Associates, Inc.
917 Lilac Drive North, Minneapolis, MN 55422