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Confident but Cautious: TD Survey Finds Small Business Owners Optimistic About the Future, Yet Many Still Lack a Financial Safety Net
Second Annual TD Survey Finds Small Businesses Are Eager to Level Up to Grow, Modernize Operation...
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[{"type":"text","content":"Confident but Cautious: TD Survey Finds Small Business Owners Optimistic About the Future, Yet Many Still Lack a Financial Safety Net\n\n\n .bwalignc { text-align: center; list-style-position: inside }\n.bwlistdisc { list-style-type: disc }\n \n\n\n\n\n Second Annual TD Survey Finds Small Businesses Are Eager to Level Up to Grow, Modernize Operations, Adopt AI and Strengthen Fraud Defenses\n \n\n\n\n\n Small business owners across the U.S. are going through the year with confidence and growth ambitions, but many remain financially vulnerable beneath the surface, according to the second annual\n \n Financial Preparedness Survey: Small Business Owners’ Report\n \n from\n \n TD\n \n .\n \n\n The survey finds that, while\n \n 94%\n \n of small business owners say they feel financially prepared for the next 12 to 18 months, only\n \n 24%\n \n report having more than six months of emergency savings to cover operating expenses. At the same time, more than one-third of owners (\n \n 34%\n \n ) say a business should ideally have more than six months of reserves to be considered financially prepared, underscoring a gap between confidence and cushion.\n \n\n \"Working capital is critical to both short- and long‑term stability for small businesses, giving owners the flexibility they need to adjust and adapt as the landscape changes,\"\n \n said Andy Bregenzer, Head of Regional and Small Business Banking and Co-Head of Commercial Banking, TD Bank U.S.\n \n \"But our survey data shows that while financial preparedness is top of mind for small business owners, it is not reflective of their true financial state. Our advice to small business owners is build financial resilience. It is not just about business survival, but about positioning their businesses to grow with confidence no matter what the future holds.\"\n \n\n\n Optimism Is Back Even as Risk Stays Front and Center\n \n\n\n The majority of small business owners (\n \n 74%\n \n ) expect the macroeconomic environment to improve over the next 12-18 months, signaling a directional increase from 2025. Yet optimism is tempered by persistent, day-to-day risks that could impact financial preparedness, including:\n \n\n\n Cybersecurity or fraud incidents\n \n\n (\n \n 46%\n \n )\n \n\n High input costs such as materials, utilities and insurance\n \n\n (\n \n 44%\n \n )\n \n\n Unex...