SMEs' Access to Debt Finance

Abstract

This study compares the use of external debt finance by male-and female-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana to determine whether female-owned firms are less likely to use debt as a source of financing their operations. The results indicate that the capital structure of SMEs is influenced by the legal form, location, size, age and profitability of the firm and the educational background and gender of the entrepreneur. They also suggest that female-owned SMEs are significantly less likely to employ debt finance. The findings seem to support the notion that there is adverse discrimination in the lending process, placing women at a disadvantage. Females may not be able to penetrate informal networks as well as males, which clearly could affect their ability to gain access to useful information and sources of capital. Also, female-owned firms tend to be small sole-proprietorship businesses; thus, they may lack the necessary collateral to qualify them for debt finance. There is generally high conformity in the results of this study with similar studies in other parts of the world. Recommendations are given to help promote female-owned SMEs in Ghana.