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New entrepreneurial businesses are one of the key drivers of innovation and economic development. However, one of their greatest obstacles is accessing capital, especially since they are often initially unprofitable and lack tangible assets in the first few years of operation. Since debt financing from banks can be difficult for them to obtain, their capacity for growth can be limited. This case introduces students to Kabbage, a company that reduced the barriers associated with start-up and microbusiness lending by using a fully automated, data-driven platform. Kabbage made instant decisions on whether these businesses should qualify for a line of credit by reviewing its clients’ electronic data, analyzed quickly and accurately using specific algorithms.

Given the applied nature of the case, the data were gleaned from a wide range of secondary sources, specifically popular business press which was verified for authenticity.

This case can be used in a variety of undergraduate courses. Some course examples include small business management, introduction to entrepreneurship or entrepreneurial finance.

This study aims to examine the influence of stock liquidity on the trade credit of publicly listed companies in Saudi Arabia.

In this study various econometric models were used to test the data of 900 firms listed in Saudi Arabia during the period of 2010–2019.

The robust results of the various econometric models indicate that firms are more willing to offer trade credit to customers when stock liquidity is greater; however, they are less likely to rely on obtaining more payables from suppliers. The findings further indicate that payables and receivables are indeed related, but not exclusively, in the sense that more payables lead to more receivables. The study also reveals a pattern of persistence in payables and receivables during the period of study.

The sample of the present study is only made up of Saudi listed companies. Future research could extend the sample of this study taking into account listed firms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as a whole so as to gain more insights from the entire region including oil-producing and non–oil-producing countries. More studies are needed to further examine the impact of alternative options for credit access and their linkage to stock liquidity. Finally the difference in difference (DiD) method of analysis as quasi experimental method can be another extension of this research.

The findings would provide implications for managers and investors by recognizing the potential role of stock liquidity in affecting trade credit and understanding the association between the stock liquidity and trade credit. Management of the firms should look for the ways to enhance the stock liquidity of the firms so as to help in reducing the extreme debts usage and therefore, alternative source of funds can be available accordingly. Once the advantage of stock market is identified, firms' managers should search for chances and policies that can promote stock liquidity and hence make use of the advantages of being liquid.

This paper provides new evidence from the emerging market, particularly the Saudi Arabia. The attempt is one of the first in the region to broaden the knowledge about the effects of stock liquidity on trade credit. It provides market participants with insights on the role of stock liquidity in financial flexibility.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate how women entrepreneurs in Tanzania assess their accessibility to different external financial sources. The aim is further to discuss financial preferences among this group of entrepreneurs.

The study is based on a unique database consisting of 114 firms, obtained by a questionnaire during 2009-2010. Differences between mean values on perceptions of financial sources were tested via a paired samples t-test.

Overall, the empirical results provide support for the hypothesis that the sampled women entrepreneurs perceive semi-formal capital, such as loans from MFIs, SACCOS, ROSCAS and VICOBA, as the most accessible external capital. Governmental subsidies are ranked second, followed by informal capital, such as loans from family, friends and investors. As expected, loans from formal banks are ranked as the least accessible financing alternative. However, there are strong indications that the entrepreneurs in our study, if given a choice, would prefer external capital from formal sources, rather than semi-formal or informal capital.

The authors suggest that the formal banks work to find ways to lower agency costs and thereby work for an inclusion of women entrepreneurs, and for the semi-formal financial actors to improve financial services in ways that better serve the entrepreneurs.

The knowledge about attitudes and preferences concerning financial solutions among women entrepreneurs in developing countries is very limited. Results from this study is therefore important, as it adds to previous understanding, especially as this particular group of entrepreneurs have the potential to play an important role in the development of their regions.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the unaffordability of housing and limited access to finance as limiting factors to the provision of adequate housing in the urban areas of Malawi.

Primary data were collected by means of questionnaires followed up by semi‐structured personal interviews. These interviews were conducted with all major role players in the urban housing finance industry. Secondary data were obtained through scrutiny of the stakeholders' relevant official records and reports kept at their offices. The subset of analysis was chosen to be the local authorities of Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

Finance from the formal sector is accessible to fewer than 35 per cent of the urban population and less than 16 per cent of households in the major urban areas can afford an average house. No government subsidies are available for end users and development financing is limited and extremely dear. The contribution from non‐conventional finance sources to housing finance is negligible.

It is suggested that the use of various instruments may alleviate the situation. Such instruments could include a housing tax for the implementation of subsidies, subsidies from developed countries, the formation of cooperatives and the implementation of securitisation.

Limited research exists on the problem of housing finance in Malawi. This paper quantifies the situation. Implementation of the recommendations will contribute to the provision of adequate housing in Malawi.

Access to housing remains high on the agenda of the governments in the developing countries. One of the responses to low income housing access is by making the housing finance conduits reachable to the poor. But is this objective really achieved? The purpose of the research paper is to evaluate the access of formal housing finance specifically in the context of the urban poor in India.

The purpose of the research is achieved by conducting a review into the available literature as well as drawing inferences from data in order to support the argument that the formal housing finance structures in India are failing to deliver to a majority of the population and primarily the urban poor when it comes to providing access to equitable housing. The paper uses qualitative method of research and analysis and presents the analysis in a descriptive approach.

Based upon a comprehensive review of literature in terms of work of other authors, reports and documents, the paper generates evidence and critically examines the context of housing finance provision for the urban poor in India. It is found that the housing finance set‐up favours the higher income groups and sidelines the low income groups, largely due to the prerequisites for accessing housing finance.

The research is perceived to be useful to policymakers and government organizations engaged in social housing to reflect on the fact that despite efforts, the outreach of finance is not adequate. It shall motivate them to re‐examine their credit policies and devise innovative mechanisms for housing finance delivery to the low income groups.

The paper presents a thorough and critical review of the housing finance structure with focus on the urban poor using current trends. It reflects on the issues and evidence so generated during research. The paper shall be useful to researchers in social housing and housing finance as well as decision makers in the Government in India and as a reference case for other countries in the developing world.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between housing finance institutional related variables and financial related variables of low-income earners in Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi, Nigeria.

In this study, quantitative research approach was adopted. Self-administered structured questionnaires were used to collect information from 500 primary school teachers in Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi, Nigeria. A correlation analysis was carried out to find the relationship between housing finance institutional contexts and finance contexts to low-income earners in the study area using SPSS Version 23 software.

The findings shows that the low-income earners were more concerned with the accessibility and affordability on housing ownership, and it also showed that performance and effectiveness of the housing finance institutions were of paramount importance to housing ownership for the low-income earners in the study area.

The finance institutions are the prime consumer of these research findings. The participants in the finance institutions are going to benefit from the low-income earners’ housing ownership development.

The paper also emphasized that the finance institutions should make the housing finance loan accessible and affordable to the low-income earners to meet their dream to sustainable housing ownership.

Board monitoring should affect a firm's access to debt financing because it improves firm performance and the board is ultimately responsible for the firm's debt. In this study, we show empirically that access to debt financing indeed benefits in two ways from board monitoring: directly from the monitoring and indirectly from improvement in performance. The methodological challenge is in separating the two effects from each other and from those of other drivers of debt financing.

Purpose: To explore intellectual capital (IC) in the business ecosystem perspective, the chapter examines its connection with several “enabling” factors that influence the creation and development of innovative startups. The most significant of them are: institutions and organizations able to sharpen new entrepreneurship skills; the simplification of rules and granting of incentives; and the enhancement of entrepreneurship IC and accessible financing methods.

Design/methodology/approach: Based on a conceptual model, some testable research propositions are proposed, followed by a discussion on the direction of future research.

Findings: The propositions suggest that several enabling factors and their interactions are explanatory variables of if and how the business ecosystem works.

Research limitations/implications: The limitation of the chapter is its theoretical approach, requiring empirical validation of these enabling factors in connection with IC. Theoretical implications are related to the operating synergies of the four enabling factors also in connection with profitable use of IC resources.

Practical implications: Practical implications are related to managerial and political issues. Managers and policy-makers must consider and monitor the business ecosystems and the dynamics of these factors in order to define and implement efficacious strategies and provide new incentive to stimulate and support the creation of new companies and the value of IC.

Originality/value: The chapter contributes to theoretical literature thanks to its propositions: enforcing the four most important key factors while encouraging profitable use of IC resource policy-makers and new entrepreneurs who can assist in the growth and expansion of innovative startups.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse the methods of housing finance adopted by the low income and informal groups in Nigeria.

A survey of 300 households in selected areas (low‐income/informal) of Jos Metropolis, Nigeria, was carried out, concerning the methods of housing finance used for building and home improvement.

The survey showed that 75 per cent of the households utilized traditional methods of financing and 25 per cent using modern methods.

Based on data collected from the survey, the research serves as a basis for further research into traditional methods of housing finance in developing countries.

The analysis of traditional financing methods highlights the range and structure of the traditional methods of financing in operation in informal and low income areas of Jos Metropolis, Nigeria. For example, informal and customary/traditional methods (Esusu/Asusu, Age grade association, Men's Revolving Loan Association, Social club contribution among others), of financing appear to be very effective housing finance methods.

The paper shows that In the absence of formal institutional financing methods, strengthening the community‐based social network through formalisation and empowerment for housing finance becomes vital.

It is argued that it is possible to utilise and formalise these traditional methods of housing finance, in order to enhance access to finance for housing development in low‐income urban areas in developing countries.

The problem of inaccessibility of finance for farm investment is a common phenomenon among farmers, especially the rural dwellers. Thus, there is a need to know how the accessibility of informal finance can be increased to increase farm investment. Therefore, this study evaluates farmers’ access to informal finance and its contribution to farm investment among rural farmers in Northcentral Nigeria.

A three-stage random sampling technique was employed to select 160 farmers. Primary data collected were analysed with descriptive statistics and the Heckman selection model.

The study revealed that cooperative society is the major informal means of loan acquisition used by the farmers followed by Rotational Savings and Credit Associations (RoSCAs). Informal loans contributed to agricultural investment through the various operational activities involved in production. Factors influencing farmers’ access to informal loans were the age, farm size and income of the farmers. Interest charged, farmers' age, farming experience, household size, education and loan duration were the drivers of the amount borrowed from the informal financing sector.

The findings of the study call for policies that will sustain informal financial institutions in developing economies, like Nigeria. Thus, the government through its regulatory agencies should assist informal finance providers with the necessary resources to achieve more goals. This is because the informal credit lenders help in bridging financial gaps created by formal financial institutions, such as commercial banks.

Unlike the previous research studies, this study investigated the driving factors of the amount borrowed from informal finance and its use in farm investment.