Women Entrepreneurs

Women entrepreneurs have been the topic of many research studies throughout the last decade. These studies have predominantly focused on women entrepreneurs’ access to capital, often suggesting that women lack experience and networks, that women have poor credit ratings, or that Canada's financial institutions have rigid lending policies or even inherent gender biases. Using the most comprehensive database on small business financing available through the SME Financing Data Initiative, this article examines the unique characteristics of women entrepreneurs and investigates whether these qualities influence the financing of women-owned businesses.