Venture capital may be the hot, sexy funding route that helps a few businesses and grabs a lot of headlines every year. But it turns out another type of funding works out better for most entrepreneurs: microfinance. Microfinance loans are small loans typically in the range of up to $50,000 in the United States, with an average loan amount between $9,000 and $10,000.
Non-bank lenders such as Accion USA provide loans that average just $7,000. Here’s the funny part: The businesses they lend to have a survival rate that’s twice the national average. Repayment rates are on par with traditional banks, too.
Why do micro-borrowers do better than owners who use traditional bank loans or credit cards? Here are three reasons:
