ACCESS Financial Services Limited has introduced a new lending facility designed to meet a long-overlooked need in the small-business market: meaningful growth capital for women-led companies that have already proven their viability.
The product, branded Herizon – Women in Business, is aimed squarely at mature enterprises seeking financing in the $5 million to $30 million range. This segment—too large for microcredit yet often overlooked by commercial banks—has historically faced limited options despite strong operating performance.
According to the company, Herizon was shaped by years of portfolio data showing that female-led businesses consistently demonstrate disciplined repayment behaviour, prudent cash management, and long-term stability. Women now represent the majority of Access’s borrowers, a trend that management says reflects outcomes rather than policy.
Rather than serving as a start-up facility, Herizon is positioned as a scale instrument. Eligible businesses are expected to have an operating track record and predictable cash flows, with financing structured over longer repayment periods of up to five years. The loan features reducing-balance interest and a credit evaluation framework calibrated for expanding firms rather than survival-stage operators.
The target market includes professional services, light manufacturing, and other service-driven industries where businesses often plateau due to constrained capital rather than lack of demand. By adjusting tenor and assessment criteria, Access is attempting to bridge the structural gap between micro-lending and traditional bank credit.
Herizon also reflects a broader strategic shift within Access to retain clients as they grow. Instead of handing off successful borrowers to larger financial institutions, the company is extending its product ladder upward, allowing enterprises to scale within the same ecosystem that supported their early development.
Initial market feedback has been positive. Interest generated during pre-launch outreach indicated pent-up demand for financing of this size and structure, particularly among operators seeking to formalise expansion plans or strengthen balance sheets.
The launch comes amid solid financial momentum for Access. For the six months ended September 30, 2025, the group reported net profit after tax of $234 million, representing an 18 per cent increase year over year. Asset growth remained steady, with total assets reaching $8.32 billion and loans and advances expanding to $6.31 billion.
While management has flagged the potential for short-term credit pressure in areas impacted by Hurricane Melissa, the company maintains that its liquidity position and capital buffers are sufficient to absorb localized stress.
With Herizon, Access is making a clear statement: growth-stage women-owned businesses are not a risk anomaly—they are a portfolio strength worth scaling.
