Two-thirds of women running small and medium-sized businesses believe that the high street banks are less likely to lend to them than their male counterparts, a survey suggests.
The poll of 1,000 companies found the problem may be getting worse rather than better, with more than half of female business leaders saying it’s more difficult to access external finance than it was six months ago.
Roxanne Goodman, founder of Female Founder Finance, an independent finance broker that helps women access lending products from banks and other lenders, said the research from Bibby Financial Services mirrored the experiences of women she works with.
“The majority of our clients have gone to their bank in the first place and typically asked for an overdraft to support their
