Key stat: Some 54% of US small-business owners expect their revenues to increase in Q4 2026, according to a September report from Citizens Bank.

Beyond the chart:

• In fact, rising costs aren't stopping owners from planning for growth. Even as 41% of small-business owners in the US and four other markets cite inflation and rising costs as a top concern, 36% are building or refining marketing plans to stay competitive, according to Constant Contact.
• Meanwhile, connected TV (CTV) ads are turning these owners into buyers. Among US small-business owners who researched a business product after seeing a CTV ad, 57.3% later made a purchase, according to EMARKETER and Intuit.

Use this chart: Drop this into your small-business sales or channel planning deck to show that owner confidence is climbing into year-end. Show it to sales and partner teams to make the case for Q1 2027 outreach, bigger budget asks, and upsell campaigns aimed at owners who expect growth.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Infopack: Small Businesses and AI (EMARKETER subscription required)
• B2B Marketing Trends to Watch in 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the September 2026 Citizens Financial Group Inc. as cited in press release. Among 500 US business decision-makers were surveyed during September 1-17, 2026. Comparisons reference the Q3 survey (fielded June 1-18, 2026), Q2 survey (fielded March 3-18, 2026), and Q1 survey (fielded November 1-18, 2025).