Experian Small Business Index Rises in September

by Gary.Stockton@experian.com 2 min read November 3, 2025

The Experian Small Business Index™ shows a modest improvement, rising 3.7 points month-over-month.

Experian Small Business Index 41.1 in September

Sep 2025

  • Index Value (Aug):41.1
  • Previous Month:37.4
  • MoM:+3.7
  • YoY:-3.8 (Sep 2024 = 44.9)

The Experian Small Business Index™ increased in September by 3.7 points to 41.1, the second straight month of increases. The Fed lowered interest rates for a second time in late October in response to weakening job reports from ADP but indicated another rate cut in December is not certain due to rising inflation.

Inflation increased from 2.9% to 3.0% in September, and core inflation decreased from 3.1% to 3.0%. Rent and food inflation were both steady, and energy prices increased 2.8% from a year ago. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment stayed nearly even as the NFIB small business optimism index fell slightly to 98.8 in September from 100.8 in August. New businesses continue to open at a historically high rate, indicating continued optimism by entrepreneurs.

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