Small and mid-size businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and access to capital is the fuel that lets them thrive. This unique survey, co-authored by the Milken Institute’s Center for Financial Markets and the National Center for the Middle Market, sampled 636 business owners and C-suite executives to discover present practices for gaining access to capital and to gauge their outlook for growth. The purpose of the research is to map the markets now and reveal opportunities in how companies use their current capital, how providers of capital serve these companies, and how public policy influences the two.