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The relevance of small and mid-sized businesses as a job and income-generating sector of our economy has been object of reflection of several segments, including that of the academia. The importance of this sector was, in fact, taken into account by the Brazilian Constitution of 1988 that, in clauses 170 and 179, proposed a differentiated treatment to the sector, also comprising the issue of credit. The opening of the economy, initiated in 1990, has widened the vulnerability of these firms. Based on this evidence, this paper develops a historical study on the existing credit alternatives for this segment, from their first appearance -- which occurred in the beginning of the 1970s, a time of intense growth of the Brazilian economy -- to these days, in a scenario of profound discussions over the ways to be taken towards sustainable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]