BUILD BUSINESS CREDIT

BUILD YOUR BUSINESS CREDIT AND QUALIFY FOR BUSINESS LOANS

Your Business do have a Credit Profile
Its Called Business Credit Profile.
Learn how to establish and build business credit.
Over 65% of all business owners use credit for business purchases. But only 50% of those cards are actually in the business’ name.

Why Choose Us?

Building Business Credit

Building business credit is extremely important for a successful business, especially a start-up. Using a business credit account to finance your business will limit personal risk while providing additional financing opportunities as well as helping to build long-term trust and credibility with financial institutions.

Before you can start building your business credit you must first verify all of your corporate records, state filings, and required business licenses are accurate and up-to-date. You will also want to get your company’s phone number listed in the 411 directory, that way a supplier or lender can complete every aspect of its verification during the underwriting process. Once you’ve met these requirements you can start applying for business credit and can start building business credit worthiness which will lead to better financing options and easier access to business loans.

Business Credit Ratings

Business credit ratings are similar to your personal credit score and are how lenders determine a business’s credit worthiness.
Business credit ratings are tracked by several business credit bureaus, including:

• Equifax Business
• Experian Business
• Business Credit USA

But the one credit bureau that holds the most sway over affecting a business’s overall credit score is Dun & Bradstreet, also known as D&B. D&B is the most widely accepted and trusted tracking agency for business credit scores in the United States.

What Business Credit Can Be Used For?

Business credit can be used for a variety of things, such as office supplies, marketing material, computers, commercial real estate and other expenses related to running a business. This can be especially useful for start-ups or companies who’s demand is so high that they can’t afford additional supply to meet the demand due to limited cash on hand. Many businesses who have built a solid business credit rating can also rely on business funding in the case of an emergency or temporary decrease in business.

• Commercial Real Estate
• Unsecured Credit
• Private Equity
• Revenue Lending
• Rehab Financing
• Sign Financing

While there may be a number of available financing options available for businesses, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which are best for your business. It can also be difficult to get started and many new business owners run into difficulty getting approved for business financing due to incomplete forms, business information, or because of improperly applying for financing. For assistance with business credit building, repair, or applying for financing, our program  can provide assistance throughout the process.

What is Business Credit

Business Credit is similar to your personal credit.

On your business credit report, you will see companies on your report that your business have some relationship with such as STAPLES, HOME DEPOT , or the business credit card that you have. Just like personal credit, it rates those account by history, payment history and the credit limits that you have with theses companies. It also give you a Business Credit Score, which is similar to your personal credit score and this credit score is called a PAYDEX SCORE. This PayDex score is considered good if its is about 82. Naturally, like your personal credit, long history of accounts in good standing on your report determines the ability to qualify for credit and loans. Long history will also get you to qualify for credit based only on your business credit without a personal guarantee ( NOT USING YOU PERSONALLY TO GUARANTEE CREDIT ).

At some point in your journey as an entrepreneur, you’re sure to come across the term “BUSINESS CREDIT.”

However, if you’re like many business owners, you may wonder what does business credit mean?

Business Credit is a company’s ability to buy something now and pay for it later. By establishing a good business credit rating, you make it easier to borrow money when your company needs it.

How to Get Business Credit

The establishing solid business credit  isn’t difficult to understand. Your business needs to open accounts with vendors that reports to the business credit bureaus and manage them well. But that’s putting the cart before the proverbial horse, so to speak.

Before you try to open accounts for your company, it’s best to set up your business properly so it will be in a better position to qualify for financing. The following five tips can help:

Establish your business as a separate legal entity.

When you form a separate legal entity for your company (like an LLC or corporation) it can make it easier to create a business credit profile  and, eventually, qualify for business financing. It may also provide tax advantages and could protect you from some of the personal liability you might face as a sole proprietor.

1. Register your business.

Depending upon where your business is located, you’ll likely have to register with your Secretary of State. In many states, this is part of the incorporation process you will complete when you set up your LLC or corporation. Nonetheless, it’s a good idea to double-check with your Secretary of State to confirm you’ve completed all of the necessary business registration requirements.

See on our site you can Register Your Company Professionally.

2. Request an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.

An EIN is like a Social Security Number for your company. You’ll use it to identify your business when you pay taxes to the IRS. An EIN is also important when you fill out applications for business financing, like business credit cards and loans, and when you open a bank account in your company’s name.

3. Open a business bank account.

Having a separate business bank account can make your company seem more credible in the eyes of lenders. The health of a business is frequently measured by reviewing the cash flow in and out of its business bank account. A business bank account can also help you keep your corporate and personal finances separate – avoiding accounting issues and challenges at tax time.

4. Get a dedicated business phone number.

You don’t have to sign up for an expensive phone service or invest in a pricey VoIP phone system if your business doesn’t need it. However, getting a dedicated phone number for your company is a must if you want to appear credible to lenders and service providers (not to mention your customers). Remember to get your business phone number listed in your local directory as well.

Types of Business Credit

Once you’ve put your business on the map by completing the four steps above, you can start thinking about which accounts you want to open to establish your business credit profile. Even as a startup, you have options.

Here’s a look at the four primary types of business credit your company can try to obtain.

1. Installment Accounts

Commercial installment accounts are business loans where you borrow a fixed amount of money. You repay the lender a fixed payment amount over a fixed period of time. Notice the trend? Your interest rate is also fixed and doesn’t change from month to month.

2. Revolving Accounts

The two main types of revolving credit you can open for your business are lines of credit and business credit cards. With revolving credit, you can borrow money up to a preset credit limit. Once you pay down your balance, you’re free to charge up to your credit limit again, as long as the account remains in good standing.

With a credit card, your business doesn’t have to pay back the full amount charged in a given month. Rather, only a minimum payment is due. But it’s wise to pay off your full account balance each month, even if it isn’t required. Doing so can help you avoid expensive interest fees and keep your card utilization low. Some business credit scoring models will reward you for maintaining low utilization on your credit cards.

3. Charge Cards

Charge cards, like American Express, look like credit cards on the outside. But these pieces of plastic work a lot differently than the credit cards you may be used to. With a charge card, your company must typically pay the full amount you charge each month, not simply a minimum payment like what’s required with a credit card.

4. Vendor Accounts

Vendor accounts, sometimes called net-30 accounts, let your company pay for products and services after you’ve purchased them. You can buy now and agree to apy within 30 days later. However NET 60, NET 90, and even NET 30,  terms may be offered by certain companies instead.

A vendor account can help you to stretch your cash flow. It may also add a positive tradeline to your business credit report, provided that these companies report to the business credit bureaus.

Personal Guarantees

With many types of business credit, you’ll need to sign , personally guaranteeing  to open an account. A personal guarantee makes you a co-signer for your business card or small business loan. If your business fails to pay back its debt as agreed, you agree to be held personally liable.

Good personal credit can be an asset and may help you qualify for business credit, but you must understand the risk of personally guaranteeing any business credit. You’ll be putting your personal finances and credit on the line if your business can’t keep up with its payments.

Business Credit Reporting Agencies

You’ve probably heard of the three major consumer credit bureaus – Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. But did you know that there are also THREE BUSINESS CREDIT REPORTING BUREAUS  as well?

·         Dun & Bradstreet
·         Experian Business
·         Equifax Business

Just like the consumer credit bureaus collect data about you personally, business credit bureaus collect data about your company and how it manages its credit obligations.

Open Business Credit That Reports

When you open a business account, the creditor or vendor must report your account activity to a business credit reporting agency before the account can help you establish credit.

Need help – need to know a list of Companies that report to the Business Credit  Bureaus?

JOIN NAV AND GET ACCESS TO A LIST OF COMPANIES THAT REPORTS.

Look on our website for Business Credit Report – Click and join NAV and you will have access to the list.

How Information Is Added to Your Business Credit Report

The business credit bureaus use information submitted by creditors and vendors (aka data furnishers) to create credit files for businesses. Once you have a business credit file with a commercial credit reporting agency, a Business Credit repoart on your company can be created and sold to others who wish to review it.

Naturally, a vendor or lender might want to access your company’s credit report when you apply for business financing. However, there are other reasons a company might want to review your business credit as well.

Insurance companies, for example, may review your business credit when you apply for a new policy. The condition of your business credit can even affect your insurance premium. Businesses who are considering working with your company might also review your commercial credit to assess the health of your business..

No Right to Privacy

Anyone can review your business credit reports for any reason. There’s no right to privacy when it comes to Business Credit reports. The business credit bureaus can sell your credit information to anyone they wish.

This is one more reason why working to establish and maintain strong business credit is an important responsibility to add to your to-do list.

Business FICO Score

Your business has not one, but many credit scores. You’re probably familiar with FICO Scores from personal lending. If you ever purchased a home, financed a vehicle, or opened a credit card account, there’s a good chance your lender reviewed your personal FICO Score as part of the application process.

FICO is dominant in the personal credit score marketplace. 90% of top lenders use FICO Scores when making consumer lending decisions. Yet FICO Scores are very relevant in the business credit score marketplace as well.

If you want to earn a decent FICO SBSS Score (and you should because lenders commonly use it), you’ll need to focus on maintaining healthy credit reports – both business and personal. On-time payment history, low credit utilization on credit cards, and lengthier credit history are all factors that could potentially improve your FICO SBSS Score.

All Business Credit Scores Matter

Lenders issuing Small Business Administration (SBA) loans commonly use FICO SBSS Scores. If your business applies for an SBA loan, your FICO SBSS Score typically must be 140 or higher (often 160+) to be eligible for financing.

FICO SBSS is a popular credit score, used by more than 7,500 lenders around the United States. Still, it’s not the only business credit score you need to monitor.

Different commercial lenders use different credit scores. As a result, you should keep an eye on your business credit reports and other factors that can influence your many different business credit scores.

You can’t control which credit score a lender uses to review your application. You can, however, learn which factors affect your business credit scores in the first place. By understanding  what factors will shape your scores, such as payment history and credit utilization, you can work toward building business credit reports which perform well under the scrutiny of multiple business credit scoring models.

Benefits of Business Credit

Good business credit can pay off in many ways. Here are five great benefits your company may be able to enjoy when you put in the effort to build your business credit.

1. Qualify for financing. Small business owners were turned down for business funding in the past five years. Although credit isn’t the only factor lenders consider, good business credit scores can improve your odds of approval the next time you fill out a business credit application.
2. Save money. Good business credit can lead to lower insurance premiums, better rates and fees, and smaller deposits when you take out a new lease or service for your company..
3. Keep your personal finances and business finances separate. Separating your credit can protect your personal credit reports and simplify accounting.
4. Shop for better business credit card and loan options. When your business credit is in great shape, you can likely afford to shop around for the best rates and offers different lenders have to offer.
5. Increase the value of your company. If you ever hope to sell your business or attract investors in the future, a strong business credit profile can be a strong selling point.

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