Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between human capital, financial strategy, and small firm performance in Canadian firms, analysing primary data collected through telephone surveys from 187 start-up owners. The results show that bank connections, entrepreneurial experience, internal financing sources, and investment motivations are positively correlated with the performance of small ventures; bank connections, entrepreneurial experience, personal financial sources, and risk diversification have a positive correlation with the net profit margin; while bank connections and the financial investment of immediate family members show a positive correlation with both return on investment and cash flow. The study enriches the literature concerning the factors affecting small firms' performance, exploring, both synthetically and analytically, the complex relationships between human, social and financial capital.