1) Talk to your state banking supervisor. His or her office may have insight into credit, lending, local conditions, etc.

2) Same with the state community bankers association. Often this trade group is headed by an experienced banker or can point you to the right bankers.

3) It may be that “no” small businesses can get loans, but be skeptical. Standards have been tightened, but some credit-worthy firms may be doing ok. See if you can find them, especially “touchstone” firms readers might recognize.

4) Look for context and deeper causes. E.g., lots of smaller banks on the edge in the state, thus holding back lending (and smaller banks tend to lend to small biz). Or too much concentration of big banks that don’t do that much of it? Also, commercial real estate, which is in a mess.