Introduction: what's the "scoop" on women entrepreneurs? -- Laying the groundwork: what do we know about the financing strategies of women-owned firms? -- One size does not fit all -- New kid on the block : the nascent firm -- There's no place like home : the risks and rewards of a home-based business -- All in the family: one for all and all for one -- The race is to the swift: financing high-growth firms -- Brave new world: women and technology-based firms -- Our piece of the pie: financing minority-owned firms -- It's a small world after all: a global perspective -- It's a wrap!: what have we learned?