Only a small minority of small business owners are concerned that lack of access to debt finance is holding back the growth of their business, a new survey has found. Many more are aiming to reduce their debts.The Australian Bankers Association and the Council of Small Business Associations of Australia set out to find out just how much unmet demand for finance there was in the small business sector. They commissioned market researcher DBM Consultants to find out more about small business demand for finance and how small businesses access finance.According to the research, which was released yesterday, 11 per cent of small business owners said access to finance or the capacity to finance further growth in the business was an issue for them. Of these, seven per cent have finance and four per cent do not.Small business owners who expect their revenue to increase are more concerned about access to finance than those who do not anticipate revenue growth. About 6.6 per cent of small business owners think that lack of access to finance will hinder the expected growth of their businesses. These businesses are clustered in mining, utilities, manufacturing and communications.Concern about access to finance becomes less of an issue as a business gets older.One in five businesses with a business lending product expect to pay it off within a year and almost half expect to reduce their debts in the year ahead. One in five business owners said they would maintain their debt level.Just one in 10 said they expected their business debt to increase. The ABA's chief executive, Steven Munchenberg, said the aim of the research was to "disaggregate" small businesses and see where the problems lie, so specific issues can be addressed.Munchenberg said: "What the research tells us is that the problem is not widespread. There are some businesses in some sectors, and at certain stages of their development, where there is an issue. With this detailed analysis we can address specific issues."Of the estimated two million small businesses in Australia, 49 per cent have a business lending product other than a credit card. If credit cards are included as a business lending product, the number rises to 71 per cent.The most commonly used small business credit products are overdrafts, term loans, mortgages and line of credit facilities. In addition, about 35 per event of small businesses have leases.Looking at businesses with no business credit product, 29 per cent were in property services and business services, 14.2 per cent were in construction, nine per cent were in retail trade and 8.4 per cent were in finance and insurance.As turnover increases, so does the proportion of small businesses that have a credit product. Sixty-eight per cent of businesses with turnover of between A$1 million and $5 million a year have a business lending product (other than a credit card). Among businesses with turnover of less than $50,000, 65 per cent have no business lending product.Most small businesses have modest borrowings; 68 per cent have loans of