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This study aim is to explore owners of small enterprises' appreciation of bank’s role in developing their businesses and the challenges that come along in accessing banking services in the context of Sefwi-Bekwai which is a rural community. Questionnaires were used to solicit information from the owners while descriptive statistics aided the data analysis. The study found that the main source of start-up capital is the owner’s funds whiles saving was recorded as the key benefit of banking. It further revealed that the high-interest rate charged was a barrier in accessing loans and the effect of bank relations was sound financial management for the SME’s operations. The paper suggests the need for small enterprise owners in the rural communities to form an association for their benefit in terms of taking advantage of group lending and demanding support and relief from relevant authorities. Improved institutional support would also give small enterprises better access to the information they need for financing and growth.

Less attention has been given to well-being and other household characteristics that influence clients’ access to micro-credit among women households especially. The paper investigates the determinants of access to credit by 320 women entrepreneurs in the Mfantsiman Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Data for the study was collected in June-July 2010 from six communities including Mankessim, Saltpond, Anomabu, Biriwa and Yamoransa. Sturctured questionnaires were used to collect the data from women entrepreneurs. The results of the study indicate that clients’ well-being influences access to credit amount. Clients who have been in business for long time are likely to access larger loan amounts. Marital status and education do not influence access to credit. Among the recommendations are that microfinance should not only target clients with high well-being scores but those with low well-being scores since the original aim of microfinance is to lift the poor out of poverty. It is important to give credit to aged business owners instead of young ones. Giving credit to married women because their husbands could serve as guarantors does not matter much but rather women who do not have husbands also need to benefit from micro-credit.