=The Problem=
In the area of capital, studies find that women do not get sufficient access to loans and venture capital. Women owners start with almost half of the financial capital than men owners and raises less money when businesses grow.
*On average, men start their businesses with nearly twice as much capital as women ($135,000 vs. $75,000). This disparity is slightly larger among firms with high-growth potential ($320,000 vs. $150,000), and much larger in the Top 25 firms ($1.3 million vs. $210,000).(“Top 25”: the largest 25 firms for each gender, as measured by employment.)
(Resource:[https://www.nwbc.gov/sites/default/files/Access%20to%20Capital%20by%20High%20Growth%20Women-Owned%20Businesses%20(Robb)%20-%20Final%20Draft.pdf Access to Capital by High-Growth Women-Owned Businesses]published by National Women’s Business Council in 2013.)
*Women account for only 16 percent of conventional small business loans and 17 percent SBA loans, even though they represent 30 percent of small firms.
*Of conventional small business loans, women only account for 4.4 percent of total dollar value of loans from all sources. In other words, just $1 of every $23 in conventional small business loans goes to a woman-owned business.
(Resource: [http://www.microbiz.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/21st-Century-Barriers-to-Womens-Entrepreneurship.pdf 21st Century Barriers to Women’s Entrepreneurship]published by the 2014 Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.)
*On average, men start their businesses with nearly twice as much capital as women ($135,000 vs. $75,000). This disparity is slightly larger among firms with high-growth potential ($320,000 vs. $150,000), and much larger in the Top 25 firms ($1.3 million vs. $210,000).(“Top 25”: the largest 25 firms for each gender, as measured by employment.)(Resource:[https://www.nwbc.gov/sites/default/files/Access%20to%20Capital%20by%20High%20Growth%20Women-Owned%20Businesses%20(Robb)%20-%20Final%20Draft.pdf Access to Capital by High-Growth Women-Owned Businesses]published by National Women’s Business Council in 2013.)
=Reasons=