Announcing the 2026 NSB Small Business Survey Report

NSB’s annual Small Business Survey report, conducted by the team at Applied Analysis, gathers feedback from small businesses across Nevada representing a diverse cross‑section of our business community. 

This year’s report shows a five‑year high in economic confidence among Nevada’s small business community, with 74.8 percent of respondents saying the state’s economy is headed in the right direction and 72.5 percent expressing confidence in the national economy, the strongest level reported since 2020. The report, based on data collected in January 2026, highlights a year marked by easing workforce pressures, persistent cost challenges, and increased use of new technologies to strengthen operations.

Key findings from this year’s survey include:

• Nevada’s business climate continues to earn strong ratings, with two‑thirds (66.5 percent) describing it as excellent or good and nine in ten (90.3 percent) recommending the state to other businesses.
• Economic uncertainty emerged as the top challenge for the first time in survey history.
• Inflation was cited as the most significant operational concern, with more than half of businesses (53.3 percent) raising prices in the past year to manage rising costs.
• AI adoption continues to accelerate, with a majority (51.8 percent) already using AI tools and another 35.5 percent planning to adopt them within the next year. Among current AI users, 60.4 percent reported significant improvements in performance.
  

Nevada State Bank is proud to provide the 2026 report as a valuable resource for our clients, our business community, and Nevada decision makers. Download the PDF today or visit any Nevada State Bank location for a hard copy. In addition, the archive of the past reports is available below. For more reports and insights, explore www.nsbank.com/resources.

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