Small business researchers conjecture that there is little separation between business and personal risks among small businesses. Personal assets and wealth can be subject to business risks in the form of an implicit or explicit claim depending on the organizational form and whether personal...

This study examines the use of bootstrap financing for a sample of 78 firms in a Midwestern state. The results show that traditional sources of capital accounted for 65% of the firms' start-up capital and 35% of the start-up capital was obtained from bootstrap sources. A Chi-squared analysis...

This paper sets forth a capital budgeting technique that is both theoretically correct and sensitive to the special financing needs of the small business. This technique involves evaluating cash flows and determining if they are sufficient to meet the loan payment schedule. A sufficient amount...

Although there is ample literature on the use of capital budgeting techniques by small firms, there is practically no research available on why small firms don’t use discounted cash flow methods. This paper looks at this rationale issue in die light of Brigham's 10 hypodieses (in Fundamentals...

There are about 24 million businesses in the United States, with something less than one-tenth of one percent actively traded. This case is hypothetical, but the valuation issues pertaining to many of those closely-held firms are real. The case illustrates an income statement adjustment,...

This study examines the expectations that both small business firms and bankers have regarding the bank selection process. The purpose of the study is to determine whether or not bankers understand the needs of the small business customer. It is based on a nationwide survey of 115 small business...

The research in small firms financing is characterized by a lack of a theoretical framework. One basic assumption in this study is that agency theory can provide an essential framework to explain the interaction between informal and formal venture capitalists and their portfolio firms. Five...

The one-share, one-vote rule applicable to the governance of most business firms provides for proportional voting power which differs substantially from proportional shareholdings of investors. This problem is particularly acute in small firms where several (or many) shareholders may hold...

We examine the relationship between the small business loan guarantee and the agency problem of small firms. We then recommend financial instruments or financial contracts that can minimize of eliminate the moral hazard problem.