New Research From Cornerstone Advisors and Nymbus Reveals Credit Unions Are Positioned to Win the Underserved Business Banking Market

The report includes a nine-part blueprint for go-to-market and technology strategies

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from Cornerstone Advisors uncovers a substantial and largely untapped opportunity for credit unions in the small and midsize business market. "Winning the Business Banking Market: A Strategic Blueprint for Credit Unions," commissioned by Nymbus, reveals that among 1,249 surveyed business owners and senior executives, 8 in 10 would seriously consider switching to a financial institution that offers products and services built specifically for their industry.

While credit unions are the primary business banking provider for just 5% of the market today, Cornerstone's data indicates enormous room for growth. Credit unions have the capacity to serve this market, but most are sitting well below their member business lending caps. The challenge, according to the report, is that many financial institutions treat business banking as an extension of their consumer model rather than a distinct market with its own needs. In fact, nearly half of businesses said they are somewhat likely to switch their primary banking provider in the next year or two, and 20% are already looking.

"Businesses in this segment are not loyal to the big banks. They stay because, until recently, they had no real alternative," said Ron Shevlin, chief research officer at Cornerstone Advisors and lead author of the report. "That is the opening for credit unions. The ones that build genuine expertise in a specific industry, and back it with the right digital experience, will offer something the megabanks and the fintechs cannot easily copy. Rates can be matched overnight. Deep knowledge of how a business actually operates takes years to build, and it is far more durable."

The report also identifies what it takes for credit unions to win these businesses. The top requirement is a strong digital experience, with 41% of businesses indicating that a digital platform comparable to or better than their current bank's is the leading condition for moving their business banking to a credit union.

Businesses also want a banking partner that understands their industry, and credit unions already have an opening. Three-quarters of businesses find the idea of a credit union developing deep expertise in their industry believable. But real specialization takes more than adding a few products. It requires a distinct brand, dedicated expertise, and a go-to-market strategy built around a specific sector, along with the technology to support it.

Businesses place a high value on bringing their financial tools together. Nearly three-quarters of survey respondents said that having banking, payments, invoicing, cash flow forecasting, and accounting and payroll integration in a single platform would be extremely or very valuable, and a third would consider switching financial institutions to get it. More than 7 in 10 said they would pay for a platform that reduces the time and complexity of running their financial operations.

Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) built its business banking brand, Pillur, on the Nymbus platform around those principles, focusing on the products and services business owners use, from invoicing to multi-person access and role-based permissions.

"We wanted to make sure we had both a product mix and an actual service mix that made it usable," noted Ami Iceman-Haueter, chief experience officer at MSUFCU, in the report. "You can do the day-to-day management of your business from our platform without needing to log in and out of several different systems."

The report lays out a nine-part Business Banking Blueprint spanning strategic, go-to-market, and technology initiatives. Key recommendations include selecting a single vertical and building genuine capability to serve it; converting existing member business owners before chasing new prospects; leading with cash flow instead of loans; and choosing technology built for business banking rather than consumer cores with business features added on.

"This research confirms what many of us already sense: business banking is a massive opportunity, and credit unions are well-positioned to capture it," said Jeffery Kendall, CEO and chairman at Nymbus. "The opportunity is real, it's sized, and it's winnable. My call to every financial institution leader: stop letting legacy cores hold you back, and start treating business banking as the strategic priority it is."

The full report is free and available now to download here.

About Nymbus
Nymbus delivers a cloud-based, highly extensible, full-stack banking platform, empowering community banks and credit unions to accelerate their growth and market positioning. Founded in 2015, Nymbus modernizes legacy core systems that support both brick-and-mortar operations and digital-first institutions, and facilitates the launch of vertical banking strategies or subsidiary brands with a sidecar Core alternative.

The Nymbus Banking Platform brings together technology, operational support and growth expertise to help financial institutions launch faster, deliver differentiated consumer and business banking experiences, and scale as their strategies evolve. For more information, visit nymbus.com.

About Cornerstone Advisors
For over 20 years, Cornerstone Advisors has delivered gritty insights, bold strategies, and data-driven solutions to build smarter banks, credit unions, and fintechs. From technology system selection and implementation to contract negotiations, vendor management, performance improvement programs, strategic planning, merger integration, and enterprise program management, Cornerstone combines its expertise with research and proprietary data to help financial institutions thrive in today's challenging environment.

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SOURCE Nymbus