| dc.description.abstract | The main aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing women’s small scale
businesses in accessing microfinance loans in Machakos market. The objectives of this study
were : to examine how collateral influences women’s small scale businesses in accessing
microfinance loans in Machakos market, to assess how socio-cultural factors influences
women’s small scale businesses in accessing microfinance loans, to investigate how women’s
attitude influences women’s small-scale businesses in accessing microfinance loans and to
establish how interest rates influences women’s small scale businesses in accessing
microfinance loans in Machakos market. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for
the study. The researcher targeted a population of 380women respondents and 9 loans
officers from microfinance institutions. Stratified Sampling was used to select 114 women
respondents and 3 loans officers which is 30% of 380 and 9 respectively. Descriptive
statistics was used to analyze data by use of frequencies, mean, standard deviation and
percentages. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used as a tool to aid the
analysis. The study found out that most of women entrepreneurs in the Machakos market are
of youthful ages of between 26-35 years which is the most productive and energetic age
group. This is the age bracket when most of the women entrepreneurs started their
businesses. Another finding is the accessing of credit particularly for starting an enterprise, as
one of the major constraints affecting women entrepreneurs. Provision of soft loans is the
major factor that hinders the women entrepreneurs in running the businesses effectively or
illiteracy on how to access this financial aid. Also lack of tangible security is another major
blow to the women entrepreneurs in order to have access to any financial aid by the financial
institutions who also charge high interest rates hence repayment and running the business at
the same time becomes hard. The study recommends that the financial institutions set some
simple ways of accessing the financial facilities for the women small scale businesses and
give them at reasonable rate to enable them to repay with ease. The body of women small
scale businesses should carry out major seminars to educate the women on the major issues in
running a business to success and also advise them when it is necessary to take loan facility
and how to go about. The government to set policies that encourage women entrepreneurial
initiatives and encourage them to own property especially land. | |
