There comes a time in the life of every business when it needs to borrow money to expand, buy new equipment or just stay competitive in the marketplace. At the same time, the owners of the business don't want to put up their own money for business expenses, so it's time to establish a business line of credit.
Much like a personal line of credit, having corporate credit allows you to get credit cards or loans. This will make it possible for you to grow your business the way you need to without putting your own assets and good credit at risk.
One of the most important things about establishing business credit is that you need to have good personal credit first. Just because your personal money isn't involved in the decision to give you business credit doesn't mean that having bad personal credit won't keep you from getting a business loan.
If you already have decent personal credit, you need to set up your business so that it is, in fact, a real business. That means if you need a license or a permit to run your business, you should have that paperwork. If you're a corporation or an LLC, make sure your filings are up to date with the state.
You need to have a physical address, not just a P.O. Box, and a business phone line. Even if you're running your business out of your home, go ahead and get a phone line in the business name. It's a small step that helps build the foundation to establishing the business as a separate entity worthy of its own credit.
To start building your business credit, it's important to deal with companies that will give you business credit without using your personal credit information and that will then report to the business credit reporting services.
There are probably half a million companies that extend business credit, but only about 10,000 that actually report that information to the credit bureaus. You need to find those companies that do report the information so you can start building your corporate credit.
There are a few key things not to do in your quest for business credit. First, don't try to buy credit. There are companies out there that try to sell and trade references for money, but it's a rip off that will get your business put in the "high risk" category in no time.
Second, don't worry about trying to establish a so-called "shelf corporation" or "aged corporation" to help you build business credit. It's just not necessary, and even new businesses can build credit.
Finally, don't try to make good business credit a substitute for good personal credit. While you're working to build your business credit, you should work on your personal credit as well and you'll be that much better off.
Lines Of Credit For Business
If you aren't able to meet the obligations of your business loans they will come looking for you. They can foreclose on your business and sell off your property as well as the contents. You need to always stay on top of your business expenses and talk to the lender immediately if you start to experience any problems along the way. They will be more willing to work with you at that point then once things have progressed and you are seriously behind on your payments.
You will be surprised how many people approach a lender for business credit without any real information to provide them. Sure, they talk about what they want to do and where they are going to put the business but they don't have all the details. They don't share information about the market for their business, the competition, overhead expenses, or any other details that will affect the success of their business. As a result they aren't able to establish business credit.
You may find you have to approach several lenders before you find one that is willing to give you the time of day. Be dedicated to the cause though as no one has ever become successful by giving up. It is important to realize that many doors have to close before you find one that will remain open long enough for you to step through it. Make sure your business plan is easy to follow and covers all the aspects of a new business including the risks. This will show you have taken the time to really think about the venture before attempting to secure funding for it.
However, your business plan also needs to offer some insight as to why you want to own your own business. Don't be afraid to add a few pages that talks about your skills and experiences you can use to operate the business. Let your passion for the type of business you want to operate shine through as well. Your business plan is the most powerful tool you have to convince a lender to give you a chance so make it a top priority
While business loans often have higher interest rates than personal loans you still want to keep them separate. I can't stress to you enough just how important that is. Remember how difficult it was to establish your personal credit and protect it at all costs. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you don't need business credit because you do.
Make sure you work on establishing a business line of credit and at least one business credit card early in the game. Even if you don't need to access that credit right now, it is a good safety net. You never know when you may get a terrific opportunity to fill a large order or to expand. These ventures take time and they take money so having the financing in place will be helpful. Plus establishing these types of credit and using them responsibly will help to build a solid credit history for your business.
As much as you want to establish business credit though you do need to be careful. There are plenty of scams out there in this area because they know people are depending on it to fulfill their dream of owning their own business. Try to work with lenders in your area that have a solid reputation. If you are working with an online business or one you haven't heard of before, make sure you check them out. They may be legitimate. Or they may be one more business credit scam, that has decided to move in and take advantage of hard working individuals like yourself trying to establish credit for their business.
Both T.lee & Robert Bain are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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