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77% of small businesses reported rising costs as a financial challenge last year. More than four in ten pointed specifically to tariffs as a driver, according to the Federal Reserve's 2026 Small Business Credit Survey.

For retail businesses, that number climbed to 69%. For manufacturers? 62%.

For every 5 firms with foreign-sourced inputs, at least 4 passed some of those costs on to customers. The New York Fed's analysis of the same data found that younger, less profitable firms had less ability to raise prices, which means the businesses with the thinnest margins are absorbing the biggest hits.

Firms facing tariff-related challenges were also more pessimistic about revenue and hiring in 2026. When owners pull back on investment because costs are unpredictable, the growth they planned for stalls, and the cash flow they budgeted around starts to look different.

Three things worth doing right now if your input costs have shifted:

1. Rework your cash flow forecast with current numbers, not last quarter's. If your supplier increased prices in March and you're still projecting off January costs, your financial picture needs to be updated.

2. Talk to your banker before you need to. A line of credit secured when your balance sheet is healthy carries better terms than one requested under pressure.

3. Separate the temporary from the structural. Some tariff-driven costs may ease with policy changes. Others are baked into supplier contracts for the foreseeable future. That distinction matters when you're deciding how much to reprice and how aggressively to renegotiate.

If your input costs have shifted and you want to think through your cash flow structure, our commercial bankers are here to brainstorm and walk with you through what comes after.

Your business deserves a debit card with just as much style as its owner 😉

What does a career in banking look like? More than many students realize.

At our annual 365 to Rich Program, held in partnership with the Louisiana Bankers Association, students from seven high schools across Louisiana and Texas explored the wide range of opportunities available in the banking industry.

They learned how to build standout resumes, prepare for interviews, manage their finances, budget for future goals, and even heard about careers in social media management.

By combining career readiness and financial literacy, we're helping students discover pathways to meaningful careers and brighter financial futures.

Americans reported losing $16 billion to fraud in 2025, according to the FTC, a 25% increase from the year before.

Imposter scams topped the list, accounting for $3.5 billion in reported losses on their own. In these schemes, someone poses as your bank, the IRS, or a government agency and convinces you to hand over account details or move funds. The FBI's Internet Crime Report puts the broader number even higher: nearly $21 billion in cyber-enabled fraud losses last year, with phishing, spoofed emails, and compromised business email accounts among the most frequent tactics.

For business owners, the exposure is real and growing. Fraudulent ACH transactions, forged checks, and fake vendor invoices can drain an operating account before anyone notices. Scammers are also getting more sophisticated with caller ID spoofing, making it look like a call is coming from your actual bank, then pressuring you to "verify" account details or move funds to "protect" them.

A few things you can do right now to reduce your risk:

Use multi-factor authentication on every account that offers it, especially your banking and email logins. Review your transactions daily, not monthly. Never share account numbers, PINs, or passwords in response to an unsolicited call, text, or email, even if the caller ID looks familiar. And for your business accounts, tools like Positive Pay can match issued checks against items presented for payment before they clear.

We put together a full security resource at b1BANK that covers tax scams, device protection, card safety, and what to do if you've already been targeted. Check the comments to see how you can protect yourself and your business.

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One of our favorite LA5 vendors just hit a major milestone! 🍋

We’ve had the joy of watching grow right alongside our Live After Five community, and this weekend marked a huge milestone for Brennan and his team.

What started as a young entrepreneur with a lemonade stand has grown into a brand now entering larger-scale production and distribution. On October 11, Brennan celebrated that next chapter with an official launch, and we could not be more proud to have been a small part of his story.

Local food and beverage vendors are one of the things that make Live After Five feel like Live After Five. They bring flavor, personality and hometown pride to Rhorer Plaza every Friday, and we love giving local businesses a place to meet new customers and grow with this community.

And sometimes, the people supporting that growth are right there behind the counter, too. 💛

is Brennan’s bank, and their personal, local service has been part of his journey as he continues building his lemonade empire. They’ve also been a longtime supporter of Live After Five, and as these photos prove, they’re not afraid to roll up their sleeves and help serve the crowd.

A big congratulations to Brennan on this exciting next chapter, and a big thank you to for continuing to invest in local businesses, downtown Baton Rouge and Live After Five.

Here’s to local businesses growing, local partners showing up, and a whole lot more lemonade ahead. 🍋🎶