This report outlines the business characteristics and recent financing activities of majority female-owned SMEs and addresses the following questions: How do the characteristics of majority female-owned SMEs differ from those of majority male-owned SMEs? How do the experiences of female business owners differ from those of male business owners when seeking financing? Do majority female-owned SMEs exhibit different growth patterns than majority male-owned SMEs? What are the substantial obstacles to accessing financing faced by female business owners?

The 9th edition of the Scoreboard on Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs report provides data from 48 countries around the world on SME lending, alternative finance instruments and financing conditions, as well as information on policy initiatives to improve SME access to finance.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs have been hit hard during the COVID-19 crisis. Policy responses were quick and unprecedented, helping cushion the blow and maintain most SMEs and entrepreneurs afloat. Despite the magnitude of the shock, available data so far point to sustained start-ups creation, no wave of bankruptcies, and an impulse to innovation in most OECD countries.

A Guide to SME Finance is a brief guide to designing and implementing an SME finance program within a commercial bank or other financial institution, such as an NGO. This work covers the rationale behind SME finance why it makes sense for a bank to enter this market sector, followed by a step-by-step approach to designing and implementing the program. Munro highlights the need to automate the lending process, and offers a lengthy description of how this can be accomplished. Examples of loan application, analysis, and approval forms and templates are included along with instructions for use. Additional formats are provided for loan officer goals and periodic reviews, portfolio and relationship profitability management, as well as a model credit score card to use as a 'sift' for loan applicants.

This report maps a broad range of external financing techniques to address diverse needs in varying circumstances, including asset-based finance, alternative debt, hybrid instruments, and equity instruments.

Successful startups and small businesses can play a significant role in economic growth and job creation. They also contribute to economic dynamism by spurring innovation and injecting competition. Startups are known to introduce new products and services that can create new value in the economy. It is notable that most startups exit within their first ten years, and most surviving young businesses do not grow but remain small. Startups and small businesses face several obstacles to their development. Accessing capital is a crucial constraint on their growth. Most startups and small businesses have difficulties getting the funds they need because of their lack of a performance track record and lack of collateral, making it difficult for lenders or investors to assess their risk. Besides, they are in the early stages of development and face a very high possibility of failure, which significantly raises financing and investment risk.Investment in Startups and Small Business Financing provides 12 thematic and case studies on new methods for bringing private investment (loans or equity) to startups and easing small businesses' access to finance (debt and capital). The contributors are senior-level policy experts and researchers from governments, think tanks, academia, and international organizations. The chapters are authored in a policy-oriented way to be understandable for the readers with a different background. This book is a precious source for the governments for adopting the right policies to develop small businesses and startups and valuable for the researchers in economics, business, and finance.