by Rachel Hersh

I was thrilled to be asked to contribute to this article with the clever title, “Sheroes of Alternative Financing.” In this article we discuss various methods of non-traditional financing. What a great list of contributors to this article. They make me look good just to be in their company!

Take a look:

Supporting women business owners (WBO) is not only the right thing to do, but also makes good business sense. WBOs are a critical part of the economy and are growing at more than double the rate of all businesses. Yet, WBOs continue to face additional barriers when accessing funding to start and run their businesses. Women are less likely to seek financing for their businesses and tend to ask for less capital than men. When they apply for loans, WBOs are approved at lower rates than their male counterparts and oftentimes, receive smaller loan amounts, shorter loan terms, and higher interest rates. Despite these headwinds, women founded businesses deliver more than two times the revenue per dollar invested than those founded by men.