Entrepreneurial Finance in France: The Persistent Role of Banks

We study financial constraints new firms suffer from in France during the mid-nineties. Three types of constraints are distinguished: the classic and well-known weak and strong credit rationing and the new concept of self-rationing bound to the theory of discouraged borrowers. We look for these constraints on a sample of new firms which survived at least 3 years during the mid-nineties. Empirical findings show credit constraints as a whole concern 41.96% of the sample and a very low proportion of new firms suffer from credit rationing “à la Stiglitz-Weiss”. Weak credit rationing and self-rationing, caused by discouragement, are more widespread among French new firms. We highlight moreover the role of banks during the post-start up stage even if firms have suffered from credit rationing at the beginning of their life. Results not only suggest the absence of firms’ path of exclusion on the credit market but the rent expropriation by banks.