Minority entrepreneurs and start-up financing

Abstract

There is a need for additional research on minority entrepreneurs need to access start-up funding to grow and sustain their businesses. The problem is access to financial capital is a constraint for minority entrepreneurs and negatively impacts their ability to stay in business. Minority borrowers face more difficult borrowing conditions than Caucasian entrepreneurs. The results from this case study demonstrated the pecking order theory and the resource base theory, and that there is no relationship between the source of the funding and the success and failure of 11 minority-owned small business startups. Case study is an excellent research design for this study because it allows a researcher to investigate the lived experiences of individuals who have shared experiences of a particular event or condition. The results from this case study showed a majority of the research participants indicated that avoidance of debt is a primary motivating factor to use personal savings as a primary choice in funding their respective businesses. This article is designed to assist policymakers at both the state and federal government levels in better understanding how to provide accessible financing to these entrepreneurs. Also, this article is designed for all individuals who have started a business or may be thinking about starting a business to get a better understanding of the obstacles and motivations minority entrepreneurs encounter when attempting to find financing to start their businesses.