Despite the nation experiencing an unprecedented level of small business optimism, access to credit will ultimately boost or limit economic growth within this high-impact sector, according to new research.

The study "Gimme Credit: Faster, Simpler, Safer Credit for Main Street America," a joint effort from Skokie, Ill.-based PayNet, a provider of small business credit data and analysis and  Lombard, Ill.-based Raddon, a Fiserv company and provider of innovative research, explored factors contributing to small businesses' access to credit, and proposes lending best practices to increase economic output of these companies.

The good news, according to the study, small businesses are on an upward trajectory:

• Anticipated small business loan demand is at its highest level since 2012, with 48% planning to take out a loan in the next 12 months.
• Sixty-five percent anticipate an increase in sales, compared to just 5% that expect a decrease.
• Small business economic confidence ratings outpace those of consumers by more than two times (43% vs. 21%).

"Small businesses are in full-on growth mode," PayNet president William Phelan said. "They're looking to banking partners for reasonable capital infusions, but are discouraged by slow reviews, impersonal processes and denials. This creates a huge opportunity for nimble community banks, credit unions, and alternative lenders to fill the void."