Q: I've been turned down for business loans by three banks so far and am starting to wonder if it's because I'm a woman. While I'm sure it's illegal for banks to discriminate against women, there are two men in my networking group who just got loans from the same banks I applied to. Any advice?

A: While women-owned businesses continue to have less access to capital than their male-owned counterparts, that's not because banks are discriminating against women. In many cases, women-owned businesses get turned down for bank loans and credit lines because their businesses are too small and too new.

According to a 2005 study by the Center for Women's Business Research that was underwritten by Wells Fargo, women-owned businesses' access to commercial credit jumped by more than two-thirds, from 20 percent in 1996 to 34 percent in 2003. Among women-owned businesses with annual sales of $1 million or more, the percentage was even higher, with 56 percent of these companies accessing commercial credit. While this number is lower than the 71 percent of male-owned businesses with more than $1 million in revenue receiving loans and credit lines, at least it's a start.

What's the solution? Try raising money from friends and family until your company has established the track record of growth and profitability that banks typically look for. You should also check out microlenders, such as Count Me In, that specialize in making loans to women-owned businesses that may not qualify for traditional bank loans.