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5 Powerful Ways to Start Building Business Credit Fast

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Start Building Business Credit Fast

What’s the best way to start building business credit fast?

If you want to start off fast and build your business credit file as soon as possible then this post is for you. We are going to cover five proven ways to establish credit in your company’s name while protecting your personal credit at the same time. start building business credit fast

So, whether you need access to working capital, accept credit card payments, conserve cash flow or manage fuel costs; you can start building business credit fast with each one of these.

First, before you take action you will want to set up a separate legal entity for your business. Secondly, obtain an employer identification number (EIN) which is not only used for tax filing but also to establish a unique credit identity for your business.

It’s also crucial that your company is ‘credit ready’ meaning that it meets the standard requirements that banks, lenders, suppliers, retailers and vendors use as part of their credit decision making process.

By the way you can find more details on lender compliance in our post ‘How to Build Business Credit Step by Step’.

Here are 5 ways to start building business credit fast:
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7 Compelling Reasons to Start Building Business Credit in the New Year

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Start Building Business Credit

With a New Year just around the corner this is a time for small business owners to benchmark overall performance and set plans for moving forward in the year 2016.

In a lot of ways this was a year of innovation, change, and efficiency in small business lending. Although big banks have loosened their belts and started lending again; their focus still remains on issuing large loans to big businesses. start building business credit

Since applying for a loan or line of credit with a bank requires a small business owner to produce a plethora of documentation such as financials, personal tax returns, business tax returns, etc.; alternative lending and non-traditional lines of credit  have become a much more viable and attractive option for small business owners.

I’m sure you’ve seen the rise of online business lending platforms pop up over the internet this year alone.  Online platform such as Kabbage are working hard to fill the void in the marketplace for quick and easy business loans online. There is no question the demand for fast, cost-effective, go-to funding sources for small business owners will continue to grow in the upcoming year.
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Why Is Building Business Credit So Important?

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Building Business Credit

According to Wikipedia an asset can be defined as a resource controlled by an entity as a result of past events and from which future economic benefits are expected to flow to the entity. building business credit

Many startups rely on the use of some personal assets for business in order to conserve cash. Although money is often tight during the early stages, your goal as a small business owner should be to not only increase sales but to build your business credit.

In particular, business credit is an asset and considered an economic resource that make up the financial foundation of a company.
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Start Business Credit: Business Start Up Credit

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Start Business CreditBusiness Start up Credit

On the previous post I mentioned how you can start building business credit right away by having your everyday expenses like web hosting, phone services and printing reported on your profile. If the companies you’re doing business with are not reporting your payment history you can use a business credit builder product at DNB that will get the job done.

You can also start corporate credit accounts with companies like Verizon, Quill, Accurate Office Supply, Best Buy, Fed Ex and many others. You will need to provide your EIN number when you open an account and some companies will request your Dun & Bradstreet number. Remember, not all companies that you start business credit with will report your payment history.

Also, each company has its own credit approval guidelines and minimum requirements for business start up credit. For example, Accurate Office Supply offers a net 30 account with no personal guarantee but requires your business to have a minimum of three trade references and one bank reference.

So if your goal is building a strong business credit file then you will either need to select companies that report to the business credit bureaus or use the dun & bradstreet credit builder product to have your trade references added yourself.

You can also take advantage of companies that provide you a business credit supplier directory like the Business Credit Insiders Circle.

Business Credit Blog » Business Credit » Start Business Credit – start up credit for small business

Start up Business Credit Cards

While trade credit with companies like Quill and Fed Ex can help your business fund its short term needs cash credit is much more preferable. The mistake that most business owners make is applying for a business credit card that requires a personal credit check as well as a personal guarantee.

These types of cards are a glorified version of a personal credit card because the charges and debt your business incurs all report on your personal credit reports. Furthermore if you default on any outstanding debt incurred on the card then you are personally liable for that debt.

So you’re probably wondering how a start up company like yours can obtain a business credit card with no personal credit check or personal guarantee. For starters I suggest a secured business credit card for establishing business credit. After several months of solid payment history you can request an unsecured credit line increase.

In addition you may want to consider a business debit card from the bank that services your business checking account. Even though this doesn’t start corporate credit for your company it does help establish bank credit.

You should always take advantage of these types of products offered at your bank. Some banks like Comerica, Key Bank and Associated Bank have its business credit card issued through Élan Financial Services. Élan’s underwriting guidelines for business credit cards require a personal credit check for approval but your company’s revolving debt and payment experience do not report to your personal credit reports. A big plus for your personal debt to credit limit ratios!

As you can see even start ups can start building business credit with everyday expenses, corporate credit accounts, a secured business credit card, a business debit card and business credit cards.

To your business credit success!

 

Business Credit Resources

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 To access business credit insider secrets, premium vendors, leasing companies, business credit cards, and lenders that report to all the major business credit bureaus become a member of my Business Credit Insider’s Circle. Submit your name and email below for details and receive a free audio seminar ($597 value) =>

Marco CarbajoMarco Carbajo is a business credit specialist, author, speaker, and founder of the Business Credit Insider’s Circle. He is a weekly columnist for Dun & Bradstreet Small Business Solutions, a business credit blogger for All Business & American Express Small Business and author of “Eight Steps to Ultimate Business Credit” and “How to Build Business Credit with No Personal Guarantee.” His articles and blogs have also been featured in Business Week, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Tribune, Scotsman Guide, Alltop, Entrepreneur Connect, and Active Rain.

Start Building Business Credit: No Personal Credit and No Guarantee!

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Business Credit No Personal Guarantee

Start Building Business Credit

 

You can start building business credit rather quickly by applying for vendor credit lines. There are companies that are willing to extend credit to your business with no personal credit check or guarantee. Even if your company has no credit history you can get approved but expect limited terms and low credit limits initially.

The benefit to building business credit using vendor credit lines is that it will provide your business with thousands of dollars in products it needs and allow it to pay the invoices at a later date. This helps you conserve cash flow for more critical short term needs your business may have.

Another benefit is vendors report your positive payment experience to the business credit bureaus. The more vendors you establish credit lines and payment experience with the stronger the business credit profile you will build. This alone can positively impact the size of the credit limit recommendation for your business which is determined by the business credit bureaus and publicly disclosed on your file.

However, one of the biggest mistakes made by small business owners is assuming that every vendor reports their payment history. Currently there are over 500,000 vendors who extend lines of credit to businesses but less than 6,000 report your payment experience.

So when you start building your business credit file you want to be sure to select vendors that report. You can verify this by inquiring with a vendor that you plan to apply with. Be sure to ask what business credit agency they report to and how often they report.

One of my favorite aspects to vendor credit lines is the minimal qualifications required for approval. In many cases an application only requires your business contact information, Federal Tax ID#, Dun & Bradstreet#, authorized name and signature and not your social security number or personal guarantee.

The specific vendors requesting only this information will pull a business credit report to base their approval which makes obtaining vendor credit lines much easier and more convenient compared to credit cards or loans. A prime example of one of these types of vendors is a company called Quill.

Quill offers a net 30 account and reports to Dun and Bradstreet.  Best of all they report your payment history every 30 days. For small orders you can start building business credit if your business has a listing on the 411 directories and a working website. New businesses can start out with smaller limits that will increase when you pay on time every month.

I also encourage every one of my client’s to join my Business Credit Insider’s Circle. As a member they gain access to all the information, sources, videos, audios, and content not available to the general public. In addition each month we report their membership payments to Dun and Bradstreet!

As you can see vendor credit provides a way to showcase your business’s ability to properly handle its financial obligations, face scrutiny, and show responsibility while maintaining a reasonable debt to income ratio. So start building business credit today and avoid the use of your personal credit and guarantee.

To access business credit insider secrets, premium vendors, leasing companies, business credit cards, and lenders that report to all the major business credit bureaus become a member of my Business Credit Insider’s Circle. Submit your name and email below for details and receive a free audio seminar ($597 value) =>

Marco Picture 2009 Super Small pic Marco Carbajo is a business credit specialist, author, speaker, and founder of the Business Credit Insider’s Circle. He is a weekly columnist for Dun & Bradstreet Small Business Solutions, a business credit blogger for All Business & American Express Small Business and author of “Eight Steps to Ultimate Business Credit” and “How to Build Business Credit with No Personal Guarantee.” His articles and blogs have also been featured in The Scotsman Guide, Alltop, Entrepreneur Connect, and Active Rain.  

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