Alicia Robb and Mels de Zeeuw, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Brett Barkley, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
First published September 2018
Given the relationship between a small business’s access to financing and its outcomes, and given the growing share of minorities in the U.S. population, it is important that creditworthy firms and entrepreneurs, irrespective of race or ethnicity, are able to secure adequate financing to achieve growth and success. Data from the Federal Reserve System’s 2016 Small Business Credit Survey allow for a closer examination of the experiences of minority-owned small businesses in applying for and obtaining financing.
The authors find evidence for disparities in credit approval by the race or ethnicity of the business owner. Notably, black-owned firms are less likely to receive approval for financing when compared with otherwise similar white-owned firms. Additionally, black-owned firms feel discouraged from applying for financing at significantly higher rates. Also, Hispanic- and black-owned firms are more likely than white-owned firms to apply for financing at nonbank online lenders, though both groups do not appear to have a significantly different chance of being approved. Finally, the authors find minority-owned firms are more likely to be dissatisfied with their lender.