For as far as we’ve come in the gender equality movement, we’ve still got a ways to go. Nothing reveals the progress needed quite like the obstacles still faced by our nation’s female entrepreneurs. A daunting report by Democratic staffers of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee reveals what many of us feared to be be true: women business owners are struggling to have access to the same opportunities as male entrepreneurs, especially when it comes to credit. What can we do to change this?

1. Aren’t Getting Funded

2. How Big is The Problem?
Female business owners are struggling to have access to the same credit
as their male counterparts.
Research by the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee
And even if they are approved, they only receive 4.4% of total dollars
in conventional loans made.
The Stats
Women own 30% of small businesses
yet are only approved for:
. 16% of the conventional loans
. 17% of SBA-backed loans
. 7% of venture funds
30%
Women
70%
Men

3. Given Fundera’s mission to help small businesses
get access to the capital they deserve, we had to ask:
What can we do about this?
What’s Being Done?
July 23rd, 2014:
The small business committee conducted a hearing to address
Relevant business training and counseling
Access to Federal Contracts
Access to Capital

4. Perfect the Programs Where Women Currently Find Success
Inspire the Growth of Female VCs
Encourage Crowdfunding as an Option
The Committee's Results
The committee proposed the following to make change happen:
But we can do more.
1
2
3

5. Introduce Women
Entrepreneurs
to Alternative Lending
Fundera's Proposals
Given the depth of this issue, we want to add additional steps that,
as a community, we can take to increase women’s access to capital:
Let's take a look at how…
Increase Education
Around the Lending Space

6. The first issue, the lack of access to business training
and counseling, seems to be the most unnecessary one
in the information age.
Increase Education
Around the Lending Space
1
We must make sure women entrepreneurs can easily attain material on:
. What their lending options are
. What type of funding is best for their industry, the age of their business,
the amount they seek, etc
. What lenders look at when assessing a borrower
In short:
. How to build an incredible loan application

7. Introduce Women Entrepreneurs
to Alternative Lending
2
Crowdfunding has been a great success in this issue,
so why not explore all the other less-traditional
sources of capital?
Many alternative lenders have come into play, in response to the lack
of bank lending, such as OnDeck, Funding Circle, and many more.
These companies have found a way to utilize technology
With Fundera, women business owners can apply to dozens
of the industry's best lenders with one application.
Learn more here

8. Feeling inspired by this issue?
Get involved, tell us your ideas on removing
barriers to female entrepreneurs' success.
What Are You Going to Do About It?
If we do, we'll be excited to revisit the stats we shared at the start,
and watch them rise year on year.
Remember: All the ideas in the world
won't change anything. We need to work
to put these ideas into action!

9. Next Steps
To get deeply educated on the truth of this issue, read
21st Century Barriers
to Women’s Entrepreneurship