My Proposal 2
My Proposal 2
My Proposal 2
BY
FALL 2009
NON-BANKING SOURCES OF FINANCE FOR MICRO AND
SMALL ENTERPRISES IN KENYA
BY
FALL 2009
1
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to determine the alternative sources of finance in Kenya that
micro and small enterprises can opt for apart from the most popular bank loans, overdrafts
and other bank borrowings. This study is guided by the following three research questions:
(i) What are the alternative non-banking sources of finance available for micro and small
enterprises in Kenya? (ii)Why do micro and small enterprises in Kenya underrate the
alternative sources of finance available despite the hardships they face when borrowing funds
through banks? and (iii) What impact will the non-banking sources of finance available in
Kenya have on the chances of success and consequently the profitability of micro and small
enterprises?
A survey research design approach is going to be employed to collect data from micro and
small enterprises in Kenya to determine the objectives of this paper. This study will be of
great importance to micro and small enterprises by opening their eyes to alternative sources
of finance and probably giving them a better chance of survival, growth and success in the
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………...…i
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………………..…ii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS……….………………………………………………………..v
CHAPTER1………………………………….…………………………………….……........1
1.0 INTRODUCTION………………………..……………………………………..….........1
1
CHAPTER 2………………………………………………………………………….….........9
2.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………...……...9
2.2.2.5 Debentures….……………………………………..…………12
2.2.2.6 Franchising…………………………………………..……….12
2.2.2.7 Grants…………………………………..…………………….13
2.2.2.10Leasing…………………………………………...……….....14
2
2.3 Reasons for underrating Non-Banking Sources of Finance………………….......14
REFERENCES……………………………….………………….…………………….……17
3
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
4
CHAPTER I
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are widely defined in terms of their characteristics,
which include the size of capital investment, the number of employees, the turnover, the
management style, the location and the market share (Kasekende and Opondo, 2003).
enterprises are business that may be defined by the number of employees. There is no
international standard definition of firm size; however, many institutions that collect
information use the following size categories: micro enterprises have 0-9 employees, small
enterprises have 10-49 employees, and medium-size enterprises have 50-249 employees.
Credit is the lifeline of business. Small businesses lack access to capital and money markets.
risk perception about small businesses is high. So is the cost of capital, institutional credit,
when available, requires collateral which in turn makes the owner of the unit even more
vulnerable to foreclosure. Despite efforts by financial institutions and public sector bodies to
close funding gaps, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) continue to experience difficulty
in obtaining capital. These funding gaps relate to firm size, risk, knowledge and flexibility. In
addition, SME borrowing requirements are small and more collateral may be required than
SMEs can pledge. Further, the financial institutions may lack expertise in understanding
SMEs and also flexibility in terms and conditions of financing that are required by SMEs
(PECC, 2003).
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Small firms have traditionally encountered problems when approaching providers of finance
for funds to support fixed capital investment and to provide working capital for the firm’s
operations. The presence and nature of a “finance gap” for small firms has been debated for
According to Tucker and Lean (2003) one of the problems faced by small firms when
attempting to raise finance is information asymmetry in that they cannot prove the quality of
its investment projects to the provider of finance (usually the bank). Small firm managers
often suffer from a lack of financial sophistication, as they are often product or service
specialists, not specialists in the area of finance. Thus, the information asymmetry problem is
partly one relating to difficulties in the spheres of communication and credibility. This is
compounded by the fact that new or recent start-up businesses may be unable to provide
evidence of a good financial performance track record. Banks in particular rely on past
financial performance as an indicator of the future profitability of projects. Other small firm
financing problems relate to the characteristics of the firm itself and the attitude and
objectives of the owner-manager. Such characteristics include their diversity, their higher
risk, their inability to provide strong collateral, and stage of development effects.
According to Titman, Fan, and Twite (2003), a principal source of the financial constraint,
influencing capital-structure, may be the existence of asymmetric information and the cost of
financial constraint are potentially high in presence of a poorly developed financial system. A
well-developed financial system can facilitate the ability of a company to gain access to
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external financing, providing cheaper finance to worthy companies (Guiso, Sapienza, and
Zingales, 2004).
Owing to the lack of business experience of many small owner-managers in the early years
of the business, business risk may be more significant than for larger firms. Small firms
generally have smaller financial reserves to draw on in times of crisis and are also relatively
highly geared compared to larger firms due to the difficulty and expense of attracting new
equity finance. Thus, such firms are characterized not only by higher business risk but also
higher financial distress risk. Banks tend to respond to this risk by adopting a capital-gearing
rather than an income-gearing approach to lending. Thus, rather than focusing their attention
on evaluating the income streams flowing from an investment project, they may focus more
on the value of collateral available in the event of financial distress. This creates a problem
for small firms in that they often do not have significant fixed assets to secure on in their
determinant of, and constraint on, the type and amount of external finance raised. Small firm
financing, then, will typically be heavily secured debt, with few incidences of external risk
The attitude and objectives of the owner-manager can exert an important impact on the firm’s
ability to secure external finance. Such managers are often unwilling to provide personal
assets as collateral. Furthermore, many small businesses have objectives other than growth as
a priority (e.g. “lifestyle businesses”). However, Binks and Ennew (1996) argue that many
small firms will be forced to provide yield expansion to protect their limited liability status
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(which would otherwise be eroded by the provision of personal assets as loan collateral). A
primary motive for starting a small business is to exert greater control over the work
environment and to internalize the benefits of personal effort and risk-taking. In this regard,
then, it is understandable that many small business managers would not countenance any
dilution of this control through the introduction of outside equity from venture capitalists or
business angels. Thus, the attitudes of managers may sometimes constitute an important
Generating an entrepreneurial idea is one thing but accessing the necessary finance to
translate such ideas into reality is another. Many novel entrepreneurial ideas have been
known to die simply because their originators could not fund them, and banks could not be
convinced that they were worth investing in. To fund a business idea, there are two major
sources to access; internal and external finance. Internal finance is concerned with sourcing
funds through personal savings, and those of friends and relatives. However, as the firm
grows its financing requirements may go beyond personal savings. The next source is
external finance. External funding is based on merit according to the evaluation of financial
institutions. There are two notable variants of external finance: debt financing and equity
financing. Debt financing involves the procurement of interest bearing instruments. They are
secured by asset-based collateral and have term structures, that is, either short or long term.
The equity component of external finance gives the financier the right of ownership in the
business and as such may not require collateral since the equity participant will be part of the
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1.2 Statement of the Problem
Lack of access to credit is almost universally indicated as a key problem for micro and small
enterprises. This affects technology choice by limiting the number of alternatives that can be
considered. Many micro and small enterprises may use an inappropriate technology because
it is the only one they can afford. In some cases, even where credit is available mainly
through banks, the entrepreneur may lack freedom of choice because the bank’s lending
conditions may force the purchase of heavy, immovable equipment that can serve as
collateral for the bank. Credit constraints operate in variety of ways in Kenya where
friends or relatives. Lack of access to long-term credit for small enterprises forces them to
rely on high cost short term finance. There are various other financial challenges that face
small enterprises. They include the high cost of credit, high bank charges and fees. The
scenario witnessed in Kenya particularly during the climaxing period of the year 2008
testifies the need for credit among the common and low earning entrepreneurs. Numerous
money lenders in the name of Pyramid schemes came up, promising hope among the ‘little
investors,’ through which they can make it to the financial freedom through soft borrowing.
The rationale behind turning to these schemes among a good number of entrepreneurs is
mainly to seek alternatives and soft credit with low interest rates while making profits.
Financial constraint remains a major challenge facing micro and small enterprises in Kenya
Lack of working capital is the most important reason for business closure. Lack of credit is
the second severest problem faced by MSEs (Kimunyu and Omiti, 2000).
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1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to determine the non-banking sources of finance in Kenya that
This study is guided by the following research questions devised to support in gathering the
i) What are the non-banking sources of finance available for micro and small
enterprises in Kenya?
ii) Why do micro and small enterprises in Kenya underrate the alternative sources of
finance available despite the hardships they face when borrowing funds through
banks? and
iii) What impact will the non-banking sources of finance available in Kenya have on
the chances of success and consequently the profitability of micro and small
enterprises?
This study will be of great importance to other researchers and academicians who seek to
understand why micro and small enterprises underrate alternative sources of finance apart
from bank borrowings despite the relatively high costs and strict borrowing terms impended
on them by banks.
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1.5.2 Micro and small enterprises
The study will assist micro and small enterprises by opening their eyes to alternative sources
of finance and probably giving them a better chance of survival, growth and success in the
The Non-Banking Credit Lending Institutions can use the research paper to find out reasons
why MSEs do not prefer to use their services and improve on those areas to increase their
The government of Kenya can use this research paper to design policies that are meant to
enhance access to credit by MSEs and they contribute significantly to the growth and
development of Kenya.
Micro and Small enterprise play a significant role in socio-economic development process of
creating employment and exports. They are the backbone of any economy.
The study is going to target micro and small enterprises in Nairobi. The population sample
will be taken from Nairobi only because of limited time and finances available to carry out
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the research. Nairobi is also selected as the population sample area because it hosts a number
In Kenya micro enterprises are those enterprises with 10 or fewer workers, small enterprises
have from 11 to 50 workers and medium enterprises have from 51 to 100 workers (Gray,
This chapter is identifying the research problem based on a review of previous research done
in the area of financing of micro and small enterprises. It places the research into context by
giving a general background of the study and highlights the purpose of the study, research
objectives, its significance and scope. The next chapter will involve a review of existing
literature on the other financing options open to micro and small enterprises.
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CHAPTER II
2.1 Introduction
This chapter presents a review of the literature on the basis of the research questions: non-
banking sources of finance, the reason for their underrating and their impact on the
credit and pursuing corporate goals. MSEs can access non-banking sources of finance either
Internal strategies may not be obvious to any small firm but are learnt through innovation and
imitation. Firms that are innovative enough may devise coping strategies to overcome lack of
credit. Other firms may imitate these strategies. Some of strategies include the following:
A purchase order is a commercial document issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating the type,
quantities and agreed prices for products or services that the seller will provide to the buyer.
It is a legal offer made by a buyer to purchase goods or services from a seller. When the
seller receives the purchase order from the buyer, a contract is deemed to have been made.
Consequently, the seller can use it to obtain materials from a supplier on credit
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2.2.1.2 Factoring finance
Factoring occurs when a borrower enters into an agreement with the lender (factor) requiring
the factor to purchase the value of its invoices at discount representing the book debts,
subject to retention to cater for possible bad debts. Thus, the borrower receives credit not on
the basis of creditworthiness but the value of the borrower’s underlying working capital
assets. The asset can be in form of accounts receivable or inventory and equipment.
MSEs can request their customers to make advance payments so that they can use the funds
received to buy their supplies and this helps in reducing the financing burden
This source of finance is where suppliers of raw materials allow the buyers to use the goods
and pay for them later in a short time usually between 30 to 60 days credit period is given.
Trade credit is not easy to get and require long-term relationships to be build with suppliers.
Business balance sheets usually have several fixed assets on them. A fixed asset is anything
that is not used up in the production of the good or service concerned. At times, one or more
When a company makes profits, the profits are retained instead of being issued as dividends
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and used for the financial needs of the company.
2.2.1.7 Bootstrapping
External strategies arise from external efforts outside the firm from such forces as the state,
private sector, or the donor community, either working singly or in partnership through
Venture capitals are formal firms that invest money in businesses in return for shares in the
business. The venture capital company becomes involved in the business, usually at board
level. After a period of three to seven years, the venture capitalists sell their shares, either to
the original owner, or to another investor. Venture capitalists normally expect a 30% return.
The government provides finance to companies in cash grants and other forms of direct
assistance, as part of its policy of helping to develop the national economy, especially in high
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Business angels are informal investors who are wealthy and entrepreneurial individuals
looking to invest in new and growing businesses in return for a share of the equity. They
usually have considerable experience of running businesses that they can place at the
disposal of the companies in which they invest. Business angels invest at all stages of
business development, but predominantly in start up and early stage businesses. The majority
of them tend to invest in businesses located within a reasonable distance of where they live.
A loan stock is for a fixed amount with a fixed repayment schedule and may appear on a
balance sheet with a specific name telling the reader exactly what the loan is and its details.
Holders of loan stock are therefore long-term creditors of the company. Loan stock is an
attractive source of finance because interest reduces the profits chargeable to corporation tax.
2.2.2.5 Debentures
Debentures are loans that are usually secured and are said to have either fixed or floating
charges with them. Debenture holders have the right to receive their interest payments before
any dividend is payable to shareholders and, most importantly, even if a company makes a
loss, it still has to pay its interest charges. If the business fails, the debenture holders will be
preferential creditors and will be entitled to the repayment of some or all of their money
2.2.2.6 Franchising
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Franchising is a method of expanding business on less capital than would otherwise be
needed. Under a franchising arrangement, a franchisee pays a franchisor for the right to
operate a local business, under the franchisor's trade name. The franchisor must bear certain
costs and will charge the franchisee an initial franchise fee to cover set-up costs, relying on
the subsequent regular payments by the franchisee for an operating profit. These regular
payments will usually be a percentage of the franchisee's turnover. Although the franchisor
will probably pay a large part of the initial investment cost of a franchisee's outlet, the
franchisee will be expected to contribute a share of the investment himself. The franchisor
may help the franchisee to obtain loan capital to provide his-share of the investment cost.
2.2.2.7 Grants
specific issue that it wants or needs to deal with then it could find that there are grants
available from local councils and other bodies that will help to pay for it.
As described by Johnson (2004) and Akoten, Sawada and Keijiro (2006) entrepreneurs of
small firm use social capital to rely heavily on financial sources such as ROSCA. In this case,
several entrepreneurs with the same interest and of good character self-select and form a
group. The members decide the number of sittings to hold in a certain period and the amount
of money each member is to contribute into the kitty in each sitting. In each sitting, a
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initially by ballot. ROSCA has been an important source of finance in Japan as well as in
Hire Purchase is a method of acquiring assets without having to invest the full amount in
buying them. Typically, a hire purchase agreement allows the hire purchaser sole use of an
asset for a period after which they have the right to buy them, often for a small or nominal
amount. The benefit of this system is that companies gain immediate use of the asset without
having to pay a large amount for it or without having to borrow a large amount.
2.2.2.10 Leasing
A lease is an agreement between two parties, the "lessor" and the "lessee". The lessor owns a
capital asset, but allows the lessee to use it. The lessee makes payments under the terms of
the lease to the lessor, for a specified period of time. Leasing is, therefore, a form of rental.
Leased assets have usually been plant and machinery, cars and commercial vehicles, but
Most small businesses get started and operate with money from their savings, family and
friends. However, there are also potential problems attached to using 'friendly money'.
Ignoring these problems might mean that business comes at a cost by loosing friendships.
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2.2.2.13 Credit Guarantee Funds
According to Kimuyu and Omiti (2000) the structure of credit source choices is influenced
formality status, gender, location, activity type and networking. The decision on the choice of
credit source is partly determined by the information available to the potential borrower on
the available sources and their specific requirements. This information is, in turn, influenced
by proximity of the different sources and perceptions about the sort of customers that a
particular financial institution entertains. Considerations for profit and utility maximization
The credit source seeking behavior tends to be a structural phenomenon that is likely to be
influenced by attributes specific to both the entrepreneurs and their enterprises. It is also
subject to the local credit market environment. Considering that the potential sources are
many, the credit source variable tends to be a polytomous response variable that can be
modeled using a multinomial logic framework (Madalla, 1983), in which case the sources of
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As put correctly by Agostino, Rocca, M., Rocca T. and Trivieri corporate financing choices
are likely to be determined by a host of factors that are related to the characteristics of the
firm, as well as to the institutional environment where the latter operates. Although most
and important strand of the literature studies how institutional factors may affect firms’
capital structure choices (Demirguc-Kunt and Maksimovic 2008, 2002, 1998, 1996a; Cheng
and Shiu 2007; Lopez- Iturriaga and Rodriguez-Sanz 2007; Utrero-González 2007; Bianco et
al 2005; Giannetti 2003; Titman et al. 2003; Booth et al. 2001; La Porta et al. 1997, 1998;
Rajan and Zingales 1995). In addition to this Beck, Demirgüç-Kunt and Maksimovic (2005)
point out that market imperfection, such as those caused by underdeveloped financial and
legal systems, constrain funding decisions depending on firms’ size. Indeed, investors’
interests and creditors’ protection crucially depend on the extent to which rules are enforced.
Small firms typically find it difficult to borrow from a commercial bank due to inadequate
collateral value of assets and unstable cash flows. Moreover, costs of debt financing are
usually higher for small firms than for large firms due to the higher credit risk for small
firms. Thus according to Fu, T., Ke, M. and Huang, Y. (2002) heavy reliance on debt
financing for capital needs may be negatively related to the profitability of small firms. Debt
financing also includes the non-banking sources of finance and therefore because of the high
cost of credit the management of MSEs may not opt for these alternatives available.
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According to Zavatta (2008) entrepreneurs are often unwilling to relinquish part of the
company’s ownership to external investors – they prefer to stay small or struggle to survive
with bootstrapping.
Credit is an important ingredient for firm growth and its accessibility may determine the
extent to which a firm will grow over time and hence its capacity to generate increased
income and employment opportunities. Without it, various inputs that are used in the firm
such as physical capital, labor and raw materials may not be purchased. Therefore,
accessibility to credit may determine the extent to which a firm will grow over time in terms
of the number of workers or value added. When credit is available, production is likely to be
enhanced. For instance, Feder, Gershon, Lau, Lin and Luo (1990) estimate that an additional
yuan of credit would yield 0.235 yuan of additional gross value of output in china (Akoten,
2007).
According to one major difficulty small firms have is the lack of financial capital. The
constraint on financial capital might have a significant impact on the profitability of small
firms. If financial capital plays an important role in the profitability of small firms, it would
enterprise development (Fu, T., Ke, M. and Huang, Y., 2002). Firms need to invest in
research and development, human capital, tangible assets and others in order to maintain and
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2.5 Chapter Summary
This chapter reviewed the relevant literature in relation to the research questions presented in
this study. It listed and gave a brief description of some of the non-banking sources of
finance and the reasons why are overlooked by many MSEs. Finally, the chapter also links
profitability of a MSE to the source of finance chosen. Chapter three will describe the
methods and procedures used to carry out the study. Specifically, the research design,
population and sampling design, data collection methods, research procedures as well as data
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Akoten J. (2007). Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Poor Access to Credit by Micro and
Small Enterprises in Kenya. Institute of Policy Analysis & Research, Discussion Paper
No. 095/2007.
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Beck, T., Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Maksimovic, V. (2005). Financial and legal constraints to
firm growth: Does size matter?. Journal of Finance, Vol. 60(1), pp. 137-177.
Binks, M., Ennew, C. and Reed, G. (1991). Small Businesses and their Banks: An
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