From the Introduction: Is financing readily available to small business in the Atlantic region? For years, businessmen have been complaining that it is not. The reasons they give for this situtation normally revolve around the following thesis: "Financial institutions, particularly the chartered banks, have their head offices in Central Canada. They are unaware of business conditions in the Atlantic Provinces and are unwilling to make loans to the region's small businesses". Recently, however, an increasing number of voices have been heard claiming that financing is available; that there is no lack of loanable funds for small business located in the Atlantic Provinces; that other factors are the root cause of the apparent shortage. Because of this conflict of views on an issue of great importance to the region, the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council undertook a study of the availability of funds for small business.