How To Build Business Credit: The Definitive Guide

Knowing how to build business credit is crucial for helping your company grow and prosper.

Your business score is just as important as your personal credit history. Small business owners often are not aware of this. This article will discuss the features of your business credit score and how to build business credit quickly.

Best 16 Ways To Build Business Credit

Incorporate Your Business

Try incorporating your small business into an LLC (Limited Liability Company). This business entity helps people perceive your business as separate from your personal finances.

Get an EIN

Get an Employer Identification Number from the federal business bureau. Use it as often as you can for all your business transactions.

Register With Your Secretary Of State

This will give your business a legal entity status and protect your personal assets from business debts. You can register your business with state and local agencies.

#DidYouKnow Not all States will require you to register your company.

Open A Business Bank Account

Open a business bank account or a business checking account in your preferred bank. Make sure you use the legal, legitimate name of your company.

Get A Business Telephone Number And Address

What should also help to build a credit score is setting up a separate, dedicated business telephone. Add a PO Box number if your small business has no physical address.

Get A DUNS Number

Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) assigns businesses this unique nine-digit identification number. Creditors use it to track the payment history of companies. Having a DUNS number is the first step in establishing business credit. You can get one for your business by visiting the D&B website.

Make Sure Your Debt-To-Income Ratio Is In Top Shape

The debt-to-income ratio shows it you let your bills go beyond your disposable income. To calculate it, use the following formula:

Debt-To-Income Ratio = Monthly debts / Monthly income.

Your debt-to-income ratio should be below 40%. Manage your debts carefully and pay them on time or pay them off entirely so you'll have a positive business credit history.

Have A Business Credit File With Every Business Credit Bureau

To have a business credit file, you'll need to make sure you register your company with all business credit reporting agencies:

• Experian
• Equifax
• Dun & Bradstreet

You can do this by visiting their websites and following the account creation instructions. After registering, ensure your contact information is up-to-date. This includes your physical address, email address, and phone number.

Watch, Review, And Assess Your Credit Reports

You need to keep an eye on your business credit reports. Are there any issues or gray areas that might affect your business credit score? Spot them early, analyze and work out the right way to address them, and sort of nip the problem in the bud.

Get Accounts That Report To Business Credit Agencies

The best way to start building business credit is to get accounts that report to business credit bureaus. That way, you can begin establishing a positive payment history and credit profile. There are a few different types of accounts that share payment data with business credit reporting agencies:

Business Credit Cards

You can get a business credit card from several different issuers.

Make sure to use the card for business expenses only, never use more than your credit limit, and pay the balance in full and on time each month to build a positive history.

Business Loans

You can take a microloan from a traditional lender (such as a bank or credit union) or an online lender.

Make all payments on time and in full to build strong credit. Not all lenders report to bureaus, so ask your lender if they do.

Lease Agreements

You can often get business equipment, such as office furniture or vehicles, through a lease agreement.

Lessors report these agreements to business credit agencies, so making all payments on time and in full is essential.

Business Insurance

Insurers will often report payments to business credit bureaus. To get business insurance, you must fill out an application with an insurance company.

Be sure to shop around for the best rates and coverage.

Ask Your Suppliers For Trade Credit

Some suppliers will extend credit to businesses and report payments to credit bureaus. When suppliers allow you to avail of products or services and pay after several days or weeks, you'll enjoy trade credit. An example is net 30 accounts. When reported to credit agencies, trade credits become like rockets that'll prop up your business credit scores.

Pay On Time

A long history of paying bills on time is one of the best things you can do to build a good business credit score. Payments are one of the most critical factors in business credit scoring. Make sure lenders or suppliers report them to the bureaus. Regarding business credit scores, "late" is not a good word. It's definitely a no-no! The payment habits you develop become a driving force that will make or break business credit reports. Paying your debts on the dot will tell bankers and other businesses that your company knows how to pay its bills and should get your business credit profile soaring. Take note that not all lenders report your payments to credit agencies.

Avoid Judgments, Bankruptcies, And Liens

All of these can negatively impact your business credit score. If you have any against your business, work on solving them soon as possible. Just know that some might stay on your business credit report long after you fix the issues (for 7 to 10 years in most cases)

Don't Commingle Your Personal And Business Finances

Keep your business and personal finances separate, and always use your business account for commercial expenses. This will help keep your business credit score high and give lenders confidence that you're a responsible borrower.

#CaminoTip Avoid taking out loans that your small business cannot afford. Only borrow what you need and make sure you can comfortably make the payments.

Keep Tabs On Your Personal Credit History Too

Remember that personal credit also comes into play when applying for commercial loans. So please keep your debts in check, manage them closely, and avoid unnecessary credit inquiries.

Build Strong Habits With A Loan

Even if a lender doesn't report your payments, getting a business loan should be on your to-do list. This will allow you to create the habit you need as a business owner: paying on time. Don't worry; some lenders are willing to approve a loan even if you don't have a previous credit history. Camino Financial is one of those lenders that help business owners that don't have previous credit histories. And even better, we report your payments to credit bureaus to help you build your credit history. 

Extra Tips to Maintain and Establish Your Business Credit

• Keep credit utilization low. Using too much of your available credit can be a red flag to lenders and hurt your credit score. Try to keep your credit utilization below 30% of your available credit.
• Use credit wisely. Only apply for credit when you need it and use it wisely. Avoid maxing out credit cards and other lines of credit, and pay off balances in full each month if possible.
• Build relationships with vendors and suppliers. Developing strong relationships with vendors and suppliers can help you establish a credit history and potentially obtain credit terms that allow you to pay later.
• Communicate with creditors. If you're having difficulty making payments, it's essential to communicate with your creditors. They may be willing to work with you to develop a repayment plan for both parties.

Building Business Credit: Credit Cards vs. Business Loans

Credit cards and loans are two of the most common lending products to help you build a business credit score. But which one is better? Let's put it this way; business credit cards are for whatever you need right now. Short-term business loans are for benefits you'll see in the short or medium term. A business credit card can work for small purchases or work-related emergencies. However, you'll face low credit limits and high interest if you think about improving your business. On the other hand, a business loan offers a lump sum of money that's usually bigger than a credit card's credit limit. This allows you to grow your business significantly.

#DidYouKnow You can use a loan to payoff credit cards.

You must remember that not all lenders help you establish business credit. Ask your lender if they report your payments to one or more main credit bureaus.

Business Credit for New Businesses

Building business credit is important for new businesses as it helps establish a separate credit profile from personal credit and can increase the chances of obtaining financing and credit in the future. New businesses can start building credit by incorporating, obtaining a business tax ID number, opening a business bank account, and applying for a business credit card.

What Is Business Credit?

The business credit score is the number lenders use to determine your business's creditworthiness. This number differs from your personal credit score, and it's important to understand how it works before you try to build business credit. Your business credit score depends on your payment history, the amount of debt you have, the length of your credit history, and other factors.

Why Is Business Credit Important?

Business credit is essential because it helps establish a separate credit profile for a business, which can impact a company's ability to obtain financing and credit. The higher your business credit score, the more likely you will get approved for a loan. If you have a low score, you may still be able to get a loan, but you'll probably have to pay a higher interest rate. Apply For A Business Loan!

Benefits of Building Business Credit

You may have to start seeking business credit to support your development plans at any point during the life of your business. You can seek capital from new investors, banks, and lenders that offer different commercial loans. Before anything else, know an important thing. Lenders don't give out loans at the snap of a finger. Instead, they look at your background and determine if you're a high or a low-risk borrower. Your credit score is how lenders rate creditworthiness. Of course, you've got your personal credit score, and as we have mentioned. But when you build a business credit report, it will help you get lower interest rates when applying for loans. A solid business credit score will help you cut down on those tricky situations where you’ll need to pay upfront for products or services. And with those big suppliers, you'll probably get better terms and conditions.

How to Check a Business Credit Score

Business credit scores are risk assessments based on borrowers' past management of their credit lines or loans. The number helps loan providers decide how kind of people they should or should not deal with. Experian, a reliable credit reporting agency in the US, tracks business credit and works out credit reports based on the following:

• Payment data. Do you pay your business credit card, loans, and other debts on time? Have you been delinquent on your payments? How often? How many of these accounts are delinquent? What's the percentage?
• Collection agencies. The number of times your accounts reach these agencies.
• How you use your credit. Do you spend your loan or credit in one big swoop? How much of it is in use? Against your credit limits, what's the ratio of your delinquent balance? Is it high or low?

Depending on the information, your business's credit history could be on the upside or downside. Translating into whether you're a high-risk or a low-risk potential borrower.

#DidYouKnow Not all your business credit reports will have the same score because each bureau calculates it differently.

Business Credit Score Rating

Credit Score Range	Credit Rating	Description of Risk
76-100	Good	Low risk
51-75	Fair	Low to medium risk
26-50	Bad	Medium risk
11-25	Bad	Medium to high risk
0-10	Bad	High risk

You don't want to appear in either of the three lowest ranks. The higher your number is, the more probability you'll have to enjoy access to business capital. When you decide to take a loan, you will have preferential treatment and better terms.

The Best Way To Become A Responsible Borrower

When learning how to manage debt, you might get surprised to learn that a loan is a great way to learn to make timely payments. You should take out a loan and use it responsibly to create good repayment patterns.

A loan is one of the best ways to start becoming a responsible borrower because it also gives you the capital you need to grow your business.

The loan application process with Camino Financial will take just a few minutes and won't affect your credit score. The best part is that we report to credit bureaus, so your timely payments will help you build a strong credit score. We want to see you grow and thrive, apply for a business loan, and start building a successful future! Apply For A Business Loan!