Funding a Woman-Owned Business

Finding funding for a small business isn't easy. When you're a woman business owner, it can be even more challenging. By some accounts, roughly 30 percent of businesses are woman-owned, but their businesses get a paltry 3 percent of venture capital dollars.

How can you up your odds of landing the capital you need for your business? The Center for Women's Business Research identifies the four key traits needed to land traditional bank financing: credit, collateral, character, and capacity. In other words, if you have a good credit rating, a track record in business and good references, business assets you can pledge against a loan, and the capacity to use the loan to generate more business income, you're in good shape. Since many businesses can't say they have all four of these, finding funding usually involves some creativity.

Rather than simply applying for a loan at your nearest bank or pitching angel investors or venture capital firms in general, target institutions with a mission of funding women-owned businesses. Here’s how to get started.