Tag: credit

Is it Possible to Get Business Funding for Bad Credit?

Do you need business funding for bad credit? You may feel that – or you may have heard – that you can’t get business funding for bad credit.  The best, easiest, and fastest way to do so is to build business credit. Because then your bad credit won’t matter quite so much. Any Small Business … Continue reading Is it Possible to Get Business Funding for Bad Credit?

Is it Possible to Get Business Funding for Bad Credit?

Do you need business funding for bad credit? You may feel that – or you may have heard – that you can’t get business funding for bad credit. 

The best, easiest, and fastest way to do so is to build business credit. Because then your bad credit won’t matter quite so much.

Any Small Business Can Get Business Funding for Bad Credit

Company credit is credit in a small business’s name. It doesn’t connect to a business owner’s personal credit, not even if the owner is a sole proprietor and the sole employee of the small business. 

Consequently, an entrepreneur’s business and consumer credit scores can be quite different.

The Advantages of Business Funding for Bad Credit

Considering that business credit is separate from consumer, it helps to secure a business owner’s personal assets, in case of court action or business bankruptcy.

Also, with two distinct credit scores, an entrepreneur can get two separate cards from the same merchant. This effectively doubles purchasing power.

Another advantage is that even startup businesses can do this. Going to a bank for a business loan can be a formula for disappointment. But building business credit, when done the right way, is a plan for success

Consumer credit scores depend on payments but also various other components like credit use percentages. 

But for business credit, the scores really merely depend on if a small business pays its bills on a timely basis.

The Process 

Establishing company credit is a process. It does not occur automatically. A company must actively work to build business credit. 

Having said that, it can be done readily and quickly, and it is much swifter than developing personal credit scores. 

Merchants are a big part of this process.

Accomplishing the steps out of order results in repetitive denials. No one can start at the top with business credit. For example, you can’t start with retail or cash credit from your bank. If you do, you’ll get a rejection 100% of the time.

Business Fundability

A small business must be fundable to loan providers and vendors. 

Therefore, a business needs a professional-looking website and email address. And it needs to have website hosting bought from a vendor like GoDaddy. 

In addition, business phone numbers need to have a listing on 411. You can do that here: http://www.listyourself.net. 

In addition, the company phone number should be toll-free (800 exchange or the like).

A small business also needs a bank account devoted only to it, and it has to have all of the licenses necessary for running. 

Licenses

These licenses all have to be in the identical, correct name of the small business. And they must have the same business address and telephone numbers. 

So note, that this means not just state licenses, but possibly also city licenses.

Business Funding for Bad Credit Credit Suite

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

Working with the Internal Revenue Service

Visit the Internal Revenue Service web site and get an EIN for the company. They’re free. Pick a business entity such as corporation, LLC, etc. 

A business may get started as a sole proprietor. But they absolutely need to switch to a sort of corporation or an LLC. 

This is to lessen risk. And it will maximize tax benefits.

A business entity matters when it involves tax obligations and liability in case of a lawsuit. A sole proprietorship means the owner is it when it comes to liability and tax obligations. Nobody else is responsible.

The best thing to do is to incorporate. You should only look at a DBA as an interim step on the way to incorporation.

Kicking Off the Business Credit Reporting Process

Begin at the D&B web site and get a cost-free D-U-N-S number. A D-U-N-S number is how D&B gets a company in their system, to produce a PAYDEX score. If there is no D-U-N-S number, then there is no record and no PAYDEX score.

Once in D&B’s system, search Equifax and Experian’s websites for the company. You can do this at www.creditsuite.com/reports. If there is a record with them, check it for accuracy and completeness. If there are no records with them, go to the next step in the process. 

By doing this, Experian and Equifax have activity to report on.

Starter Vendor Credit

First you ought to establish tradelines that report. Then you’ll have an established credit profile, and you’ll get a business credit score. 

And with an established business credit profile and score you can begin to get credit for numerous purposes, and from all sorts of places.

These sorts of accounts often tend to be for things bought all the time, like marketing materials, shipping boxes, outdoor work wear, ink and toner, and office furniture.

But first off, what is trade credit? These trade lines are credit issuers who give you starter credit when you have none now. Terms are in most cases Net 30, rather than revolving. 

Therefore, if you get approval for $1,000 in vendor credit and use all of it, you need to pay that money back in a set term, such as within 30 days on a Net 30 account.

Details

Net 30 accounts must be paid in full within 30 days. 60 accounts must be paid fully within 60 days. Unlike revolving accounts, you have a set time when you have to pay back what you borrowed or the credit you made use of. 

To start your business credit profile the proper way, you ought to get approval for vendor accounts that report to the business credit reporting bureaus. As soon as that’s done, you can then make use of the credit. 

Then pay back what you used, and the account is on report to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, or Equifax.

Vendor Credit – It Makes Sense

Not every vendor can help in the same way true starter credit can. These are merchants that grant approval with minimal effort. You also want them to be reporting to one or more of the big three CRAs: Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.

As you get starter credit, you can also start to get credit from retailers. This is to continue to validate you are trustworthy and pay promptly. Here are some stellar choices from us: https://www.creditsuite.com/blog/5-vendor-accounts-that-build-your-business-credit/ 

Accounts That Do Not Report

Non-reporting trade accounts can also be helpful. While you do want trade accounts to report to at the very least one of the CRAs, a trade account which does not report can also be of some value. 

You can always ask non-reporting accounts for trade references. Additionally, credit accounts of any sort can help you to better even out business expenditures, thereby making financial planning less complicated. 

Store Credit

Store credit comes from a variety of retail service providers.

You must use your SSN and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, use the business’s EIN on these credit applications.

Fleet Credit

Fleet credit is from companies where you can purchase fuel, and fix and take care of vehicles. You must use your Social Security Number and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, make certain to apply using the company’s EIN.

Business Funding for Bad Credit Credit Suite

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

More Universal Cash Credit

These are companies like Visa and MasterCard. You must use your Social Security Number and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, use your EIN instead.

These are usually MasterCard credit cards. With more credit, these are within reach.

Monitor Your Business Credit to Help Yourself Get Business Funding for Bad Credit

Know what is happening with your credit. Make sure it is being reported and fix any inaccuracies as soon as possible. Get in the habit of checking credit reports. Dig into the details, not just the scores.

We can help you monitor business credit at Experian and D&B for 90% less than it would cost you at the CRAs. See: www.creditsuite.com/monitoring. 

At Equifax, you can monitor your account at: www.equifax.com/business/business-credit-monitor-small-business.

Update Your Records to Make it Easier to Get Business Funding for Bad Credit

Update the data if there are errors or the details is incomplete. At D&B, you can do this at: https://iupdate.dnb.com/iUpdate/viewiUpdateHome.htm. For Experian, go here: www.experian.com/small-business/business-credit-information.jsp. So, for Equifax, go here: www.equifax.com/business/small-business.

Business Funding for Bad Credit Credit Suite

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

Fix Your Business Credit to Increase Your Chances for Getting Business Funding for Bad Credit

So, what’s all this monitoring for? It’s to challenge any mistakes in your records. Errors in your credit report(s) can be fixed. But the CRAs typically want you to dispute in a particular way.

Get your small business’s PAYDEX report at: www.dnb.com/about-us/our-data.html. Get your company’s Experian report at: www.businesscreditfacts.com/pdp.aspx?pg=SearchForm. And get your Equifax business credit report at: www.equifax.com/business/credit-information.

Dispute Any Errors to Improve Your Chances to Get Business Funding for Bad Credit

Disputing credit report mistakes generally means you mail a paper letter with copies of any proofs of payment with it. These are documents like receipts and cancelled checks. Never mail the originals. Always send copies and retain the originals.

Fixing credit report inaccuracies also means you precisely detail any charges you contest. Make your dispute letter as crystal clear as possible. Be specific about the problems with your report. Use certified mail to have proof that you mailed in your dispute.

Dispute your or your business’s Equifax report by following the instructions here: www.equifax.com/small-business-faqs/#Dispute-FAQs. 

You can dispute inaccuracies on your or your small business’s Experian report by following the instructions here: www.experian.com/small-business/business-credit-information.jsp. 

And D&B’s PAYDEX Customer Service telephone number is here: www.dandb.com/glossary/paydex.

A Word about Building Business Credit and How to Get Business Funding for Bad Credit

Always use credit smartly! Don’t borrow beyond what you can pay off. Track balances and deadlines for payments. Paying promptly and completely does more to boost business credit scores than almost anything else.

Establishing business credit pays. Excellent business credit scores help a small business get loans. Your loan provider knows the business can pay its debts. They recognize the company is for real. 

The company’s EIN connects to high scores and lenders won’t feel the need to ask for a personal guarantee.

It is the simplest way to get business funding for bad credit.

Getting Business Funding for Bad Credit: Takeaways

Business credit is an asset which can help your small business for many years to come. It is the most surefire way to get business funding for bad credit. And, while you’re at it and improving your business credit, you may want to work on improving your personal credit. It is a similar process in the sense that you need to pay your bills on time, correct any errors, and add any missing information.

Because one way around trying to get business funding for bad credit is to stop having bad credit in the first place.

Learn more here and get started toward growing company credit.

The post Is it Possible to Get Business Funding for Bad Credit? appeared first on Credit Suite.

Get Business Credit Cards That Don’t Report on Your Consumer Credit Reports During a Recession Downturn

Get business credit cards during a recession downturn – coronavirus or no coronavirus, this could be the perfect time for you to build your business credit history. So here are excellent cards where you can do just that.

You Can Get Business Credit Cards That Don’t Report on Your Consumer Credit Reports Even During a Recession Downturn

Learn how to make sure your business credit cards don’t report on your consumer credit reports. It makes a difference with business credit funding! You need business credit cards that do not report to personal credit. Even in a recession downturn!

Many small business credit cards require that the business owner to personally guarantee the debt. Usually this person is also the cardholder, although not all the time. But you want to apply for business credit card without personal guarantee. Don’t blame you! It would be a lot better to get an unsecured business credit card no personal guarantee.

That means that if the balance is not paid off for the business, then the owner will end up being responsible for the entire amount. It also means that business account activity could potentially spill over to the owner’s personal credit reports. It stinks to guaranty business credit!

But this depends upon each card issuer’s policy.

Policy Considerations

Some card issuers only report activity to the cardholder’s personal credit reports in the case of the owner defaulting. And there are others which will report all activity. And they will not distinguish between positive and negative activity.

The easiest way to keep business credit activity off your personal credit report is to use a business credit card which does not report business activity to personal credit bureaus. However, the decision to use a card such as this should not be made lightly. But no matter what, you don’t want these cards to report on your consumer credit reports.

So, is how to get a credit card without credit.

Report Activity During a Recession Downturn

Which is better? It all depends upon your situation. If you pay your business card on time and avoid high balances, then a ‘business’ card that appears on your personal credit reports with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion should not be a problem.

It could even help your credit scores.

Utilization Issues

But if you charge everything you can on your card in order to rack up rewards, then your personal credit could conceivably suffer. Credit scoring models will take into consideration your debt usage or utilization ratio.

This compares the reported balances versus available credit limits. It is often for each card as well as all credit cards combined.

A high balance on a business card which appears on your personal credit can mean a higher debt usage ratio. And that can lower credit scores.

And paying the balance off in full every month alone is unlikely to solve this problem. The reported balance is often the balance as of the statement closing date and not after a payment has been made.

Therefore, if you want lower balances to get onto the reports, you need to make your payments before either the statement closing date, or whichever date the issuer reports.

Some Small Advantages

However, if your personal credit history is lacking, a business card which reports your full account activity could help. Hence if you avoid credit cards and use a debit card, you may have a “thin” credit profile. It could benefit from the boost another card could provide.

Opting for a business credit card which does not report to personal credit may help if you know there will be times you need to run up charges putting you close to the limit or carry a balance.

This could be for anything from investing in new equipment to spending to prepare for a trade show. Of course you do not want that activity to bring down your scores.

Using a Business Credit Card that Doesn’t Affect Personal Credit in a Recession Downturn

Generally, it’s better to apply for the business credit card which offers rewards and benefits of the most interest to you, rather than focusing solely on the card’s reporting policy.

Furthermore, if you default, then having a business credit card which does not report regularly to consumer credit bureaus will make no difference. You will still end up personally liable for the debt on the card if you signed a personal guarantee. This is not the way to get credit cards for businesses with no personal guarantee.

And you want a business credit card no personal guarantee required.

If the card issuer brings a lawsuit against you for the balance or sends the account to a collections agency, then this activity will likely show up on your personal credit report. That can happen regardless of how any other payment information is reported.

Another option in a Recession Downturn

Another way out is to use business credit cards that do not require a personal guarantee. However, those are few and far between. These sorts of cards ask you, the business owner, to meet a set of conditions which can differ from one product to another.

These could be annual sales guarantees. Or they might be requirements to have an open Dun & Bradstreet file or other conditions. If you cannot meet these conditions, then this option will not exist for your business at all.

Finally, as always, it literally pays to separate your business life from your personal life, by opening separate accounts and even incorporating your business, in order to demonstrate to creditors that you and your company are not the same when it comes to credit.

Build Business Credit During a Recession Downturn

So the truth is the best way to get around these problems is simply to build business credit! Don’t settle for credit cards that don’t do what you want. And don’t settle for a corporate business card that say ‘business’ on it, but is really a personal credit card in disguise.

You want it when business credit cards don’t report on your consumer credit reports. And such cards would not be them.

Every Small Business Needs Company Credit Building

Business credit is credit in a small business’s name. It doesn’t tie to an entrepreneur’s personal credit, not even when the owner is a sole proprietor and the only employee of the small business.

Because of this, an entrepreneur’s business and individual credit scores can be very different. And establishing business credit without personal guarantee is key.

The Advantages – Especially in a Recession Downturn

Given that small business credit is distinct from personal, it helps to safeguard a business owner’s personal assets, in case of litigation or business bankruptcy.

Also, with two distinct credit scores, a business owner can get two separate cards from the same merchant. This effectively doubles purchasing power.

Another advantage is that even startups can do this. Visiting a bank for a business loan can be a formula for disappointment. But building company credit, when done properly, is a plan for success. You could even get a business loan no personal guarantee.

Individual credit scores depend upon payments but also other elements like credit usage percentages.

But for small business credit, the scores actually merely hinge on if a company pays its invoices promptly.

Recession Downturn Credit Suite

Discover our business credit and finance guide, jam-packed with new ways to finance your business without emptying your wallet. Save your money during the recession!

The Process

Growing business credit is a process, and it does not occur automatically. A small business will need to actively work to build business credit.

That being said, it can be done readily and quickly, and it is much speedier than establishing personal credit scores.

Vendors are a big component of this process.

Carrying out the steps out of order will result in repetitive rejections. Nobody can start at the top with company credit. For example, you can’t start with store or cash credit from your bank. If you do you’ll get a rejection 100% of the time.

But done right, this is how to get business credit card without personal guarantee.

Business Fundability in a Recession Downturn

A business needs to be bona fide to lending institutions and merchants.

As a result a company will need a professional-looking web site and e-mail address. And it needs to have website hosting bought from a merchant like GoDaddy.

In addition company telephone and fax numbers should have a listing on ListYourself.net.

Likewise the company phone number should be toll-free (800 exchange or similar).

A company will also need a bank account dedicated solely to it, and it must have every one of the licenses necessary for running.

Licenses

These licenses all must be in the perfect, accurate name of the business. And they need to have the same company address and telephone numbers.

So keep in mind that this means not just state licenses, but possibly also city licenses.

Working with the IRS

Visit the Internal Revenue Service website and acquire an EIN for the business. They’re free of charge. Choose a business entity such as corporation, LLC, etc.

A small business can get started as a sole proprietor. But they will probably want to change to a variety of corporation or partnership.

This is in order to decrease risk. And it will make best use of tax benefits.

A business entity will matter when it pertains to tax obligations and liability in case of litigation. A sole proprietorship means the owner is it when it comes to liability and tax obligations. Nobody else is responsible.

Beginning the Business Credit Reporting Process

Start at the D&B web site and get a free D-U-N-S number. A D-U-N-S number is how D&B gets a company into their system, to produce a PAYDEX score. If there is no D-U-N-S number, then there is no record and no PAYDEX score.

Once in D&B’s system, search Equifax and Experian’s web sites for the business. You can do this at www.creditsuite.com/reports. If there is a record with them, check it for accuracy and completeness. If there are no records with them, go to the next step in the process.

In this manner, Experian and Equifax will have something to report on.

Recession Downturn Credit Suite

Discover our business credit and finance guide, jam-packed with new ways to finance your business without emptying your wallet. Save your money during the recession!

Vendor Credit

First you should establish trade lines that report. This is also known as vendor credit. Then you’ll have an established credit profile, and you’ll get a business credit score.

And with an established business credit profile and score you can begin getting retail store and cash credit.

These kinds of accounts tend to be for the things bought all the time, like shipping boxes, outdoor work wear, ink and toner, and office furniture.

But first off, what is trade credit? These trade lines are credit issuers who will give you starter credit when you have none now. Terms are usually Net 30, instead of revolving.

Therefore, if you get approval for $1,000 in vendor credit and use all of it, you must pay that money back in a set term, such as within 30 days on a Net 30 account.

Details

Net 30 accounts need to be paid in full within 30 days. 60 accounts have to be paid completely within 60 days. Unlike with revolving accounts, you have a set time when you must pay back what you borrowed or the credit you used.

To launch your business credit profile properly, you need to get approval for vendor accounts that report to the business credit reporting bureaus. When that’s done, you can then use the credit.

Then pay back what you used, and the account is on report to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, or Equifax.

Vendor Credit – It Makes Sense

Not every vendor can help in the same way true starter credit can. These are merchants that will grant an approval with marginal effort. You also need them to be reporting to one or more of the big three CRAs: Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.

You want 3 of these to move onto the next step, which is retail credit.

Uline Shipping Supplies

Uline Shipping Supplies is a true starter vendor. You can find them online at www.uline.com. They offer shipping, packing, and industrial supplies, and they report to D&B.

You have to have a D-U-N-S number. They will request 2 references and a bank reference. The first few orders might need to be paid in advance to initially get approval for Net 30 terms. Also, you may have to buy some items you don’t need.

Crown Office Supplies

Crown Office Supplies is another true starter vendor. You can find them online at https://crownofficesupplies.com. They sell a variety of office supplies and take helping clients seriously. They state, “just starting your business, or maybe have an existing business, but you have a question regarding office supplies… we are here to help!” And they report to Dun and Bradstreet, Experian, and Equifax.

There is a $99.00 yearly fee, though they do report that fee to the business credit reporting bureaus. For other purchases to report, the purchase must be at least $30.00. Terms are Net 30.

Grainger Industrial Supply

Grainger Industrial Supply is also a true starter vendor. You can find them online at www.grainger.com. They sell safety equipment, plumbing supplies, and more, and they report to D&B. You will need to have a business license, EIN, and a D-U-N-S number.

For less than a $1000 credit limit they will approve almost any person with a business license.

Accounts That Do Not Report

Non-Reporting Trade Accounts can also be helpful. While you do want trade accounts to report to at the very least one of the CRAs, a trade account which does not report can also be of some worth.

You can always ask non-reporting accounts for trade references. Additionally credit accounts of any sort ought to help you to better even out business expenditures, thereby making budgeting less complicated. These are companies like PayPal Credit, T-Mobile, and Best Buy.

Recession Downturn Credit Suite

Discover our business credit and finance guide, jam-packed with new ways to finance your business without emptying your wallet. Save your money during the recession!

Retail Credit

Once there are 3 or more vendor trade accounts reporting to at least one of the CRAs, then move to retail credit. These are companies which include Office Depot and Staples. These companies are likelier to have supplies you need.

Use the company’s EIN on these credit applications. These are no personal guarantee business credit cards!

Fleet Credit

Are there more accounts reporting? Then progress to fleet credit. These are service providers such as BP and Conoco. Use this credit to purchase, fix, and take care of vehicles. Make certain to apply using the business’s EIN. These are business credit cards without personal credit. You will have start up business credit cards without personal guarantee.

Cash Credit

Have you been responsibly handling the credit you’ve gotten up to this point? Then move to more universal cash credit. These are service providers like Visa and MasterCard. Keep your SSN off these applications; use your EIN instead. These are business credit cards for new businesses without personal guarantee.

These are frequently MasterCard credit cards. If you have more trade accounts reporting, then these are feasible. Once you’re here, these become easy business credit cards no personal guarantee.

Monitor Your Business Credit in a Recession Downturn and Beyond

Know what is happening with your credit. Make certain it is being reported and fix any errors as soon as possible. Get in the practice of taking a look at credit reports. Dig into the details, not just the scores.

We can help you monitor business credit at Experian and D&B for 90% less.

At Equifax, you can monitor your account at: www.equifax.com/business/business-credit-monitor-small-business.

Update Your Information

Update the info if there are mistakes or the relevant information is incomplete. At D&B, you can do this at: https://iupdate.dnb.com/iUpdate/viewiUpdateHome.htm. For Experian, go here: www.experian.com/small-business/business-credit-information.jsp. And for Equifax, go here: www.equifax.com/business/small-business.

Fix Your Business Credit

So, what’s all this monitoring for? It’s to dispute any inaccuracies in your records. Errors in your credit report(s) can be fixed. But the CRAs generally want you to dispute in a particular way.

Get your small business’s PAYDEX report at: www.dnb.com/about-us/our-data.html. Get your company’s Experian report at: www.businesscreditfacts.com/pdp.aspx?pg=SearchForm. And get your Equifax business credit report at: www.equifax.com/business/credit-information.

Disputes

Disputing credit report errors generally means you send a paper letter with duplicates of any evidence of payment with it. These are documents like receipts and cancelled checks. Never send the originals. Always mail copies and keep the originals.

Fixing credit report inaccuracies also means you precisely spell out any charges you challenge. Make your dispute letter as crystal clear as possible. Be specific about the concerns with your report. Use certified mail so that you will have proof that you sent in your dispute.

Dispute your or your small business’s Equifax report by following the directions here: www.equifax.com/small-business-faqs/#Dispute-FAQs.

You can dispute errors on your or your company’s Experian report by following the instructions here: www.experian.com/small-business/business-credit-information.jsp.

And D&B’s PAYDEX Customer Service telephone number is here: www.dandb.com/glossary/paydex.

A Word about Building Business Credit During a Recession Downturn

Always use credit smartly! Don’t borrow more than what you can pay off. Keep track of balances and deadlines for repayments. Paying in a timely manner and fully will do more to raise business credit scores than just about anything else.

Establishing business credit pays off. Great business credit scores help a company get loans. Your lending institution knows the business can pay its debts. They understand the small business is for real.

The business’s EIN connects to high scores and you can start to get new business credit cards without personal guarantee.

Business credit is an asset which can help your company for years to come. It’s the best way to get corporate credit cards without personal guarantee.

Keep Your Business Credit Cards Off Your Consumer Credit Reports in a Recession Downturn: Takeaways 

Learn more here and get started toward getting the best business credit cards for you needs . And make sure your business credit cards don’t report on your consumer credit reports. This is the best way to successfully apply for business credit card no personal guarantee.

As you keep going, you can qualify for business credit lines with no personal guarantee. And it can all start with small business credit cards without personal guarantee. The COVID-19 situation will not last forever – and in the meantime, you can be getting amazing credit cards for your business.

The post Get Business Credit Cards That Don’t Report on Your Consumer Credit Reports During a Recession Downturn appeared first on Credit Suite.

How to Rock your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession

Rock Your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession What’s your business bank credit score in a recession? Before going any further, do you know the difference between bank credit and business credit? Business credit is the full and complete amount of money that your small business can get from all manner of creditors. That … Continue reading How to Rock your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession

How to Rock your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession

Rock Your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession

What’s your business bank credit score in a recession?

Before going any further, do you know the difference between bank credit and business credit? Business credit is the full and complete amount of money that your small business can get from all manner of creditors. That means the credit unions,  credit card companies, and leasing companies. And it means any credit your small business can get from suppliers, under what is called trade credit or vendor credit or trade lines. Your bank credit score, though, is a touch different.

Bank credit, on the other hand, is the full amount of borrowing capacity which a small business can get from the banking system only. Hence your bank credit score, of course, is the measurement of this capacity to borrow.

Your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession, Explained

A small business can get more business credit rapidly, so long as it has at least one bank reference and an average daily account balance of at least $10,000 for the most recent three month time period. This set up will yield a bank rating of a Low-5. So this means it is an Adjusted Debt Balance of from $5,000 to $30,000.

A lower rating, like a High-4, or balance of $7,000 to $9,999 will not automatically reject the small business’s loan application. However, it will slow down the approval process.

Your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession, Defined

A bank credit rating is the average minimum balance as maintained in a business bank account over a three month long period. Hence a $10,000 balance will rate as a Low-5, a $5,000 balance will rate as a Mid-4, and a $999 balance will rate as a High-3, etc.

Goals for Your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession

A small business’s chief goal should always be to maintain a minimum Low-5 bank rating for at least three months. Hence that means  an average $10,000 balance.

This is because, without at least a Low-5 rating, the majority of banks will operate under the assumption that the business has little to no ability to repay a loan or a business line of credit.

One thing to keep in mind – you will never actually see this number. The bank will just keep this number in its back pocket.

Check out our professional research on bank ratings, the little-known reason why you will – or won’t – get a bank loan for your business during a recession.

The Bank Credit Score Rating Ranges

The numbers work out to the following ranges:

  • High-5 – account balance of $70,000-99,999
  • Mid-5 – account balance of $40,000-69,999
  • Low-5 – balance of $10,000-39,000
  • High-4 – 7,000-9,999
  • Mid-4 – $4,000-6,999
  • Low-4 – $1,000-3,999

Do not forget, your small business needs to be at the Low-5 level bank score or better.

Rocking Your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession

It should be clear that the thrust behind bank credit scores is to show proof that your small business can pay back its financial obligations in an expeditious manner. Therefore, yes, you will need to maintain a minimum balance for at least three months. Every cycle is based on the balance rating during the previous three month period.

Business Bank Loans in a Recession Credit SuiteCongruency

It is also vital that the business owner ensures that their business bank accounts are reported exactly the same way all of their business records are, and with the exact same physical address and phone number. And it cannot be a post office box!

It is imperative that each and every credit agency and trade credit vendor, every record keeper also lists the business name and address the exact same way. No lender is going to stop to consider all of the ways that a business might be listed, when they look into the business’s creditworthiness. Therefore, if they are unable to find what they need easily, they will just deny the application.

Note: these are record keepers of financial records, income tax, web addresses and e-mail addresses, directory assistance, etc.

Congruency also matters in the event you use a fictitious name or DBA, AKA a ‘doing business as’ status.

Responsible Account Management

Plus the business must manage its bank account responsibly. This means that the small business should avoid writing non-sufficient funds (NSF) checks at all costs, because that decimates bank ratings. Non-sufficient-funds checks are something which no business can afford to let happen. It is even a good idea for the business to add overdraft protection to their bank account as soon as possible, in order to avoid NSFs.

Positive Cash Flow

Your business must show a positive cash flow. The cash coming in and leaving a company’s bank account should reflect a positive free cash flow. A positive free cash flow is the amount of revenue left over after a company has paid all of its expenses. When an account shows a positive cash flow it indicates that the business is generating more revenue than is used to run the company. That means the bank will feel that the business can pay its bills.

Consistent Deposits

Finally, understand that banks are highly motivated to lend to a business with consistent deposits. A business owner must also make regular deposits in order to maintain a positive bank rating. The business owner must make a lot of consistent deposits. And they need to be more than the withdrawals they are making, in order to have and maintain a good bank rating. If they can do that, then they will have a good bank credit score.

Check out our professional research on bank ratings, the little-known reason why you will – or won’t – get a bank loan for your business during a recession.

An Alternative to Jacking Up Your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession

Of course we are talking about business credit building here. Business credit is an asset which can help your company in years to come.

Small business credit is credit in a small business’s name. It doesn’t tie to a business owner’s consumer credit, not even if the owner is a sole proprietor and the solitary employee of the company.

As a result, a business owner’s business and consumer credit scores can be very different.

The Benefits

Due to the fact that small business credit is distinct from consumer, it helps to protect an entrepreneur’s personal assets, in the event of a lawsuit or business insolvency.

Also, with two distinct credit scores, a business owner can get two separate cards from the same vendor. This effectively doubles buying power.

Another benefit is that even startups can do this. Heading to a bank for a business loan can be a formula for frustration. But building small business credit, when done the right way, is a plan for success.

Consumer credit scores depend on payments but also various other elements like credit use percentages.

But for small business credit, the scores truly just hinge on whether a business pays its invoices punctually.

The Process

Building business credit is a process, and it does not occur without effort. A business has to actively work to build company credit.

That being said, it can be done easily and quickly, and it is much faster than establishing consumer credit scores.

Merchants are a big component of this process.

Doing the steps out of sequence will result in repetitive denials. Nobody can start at the top with small business credit. For instance, you can’t start with retail or cash credit from your bank. If you do, you’ll get a denial 100% of the time.

Company Fundability

A small business has to be fundable to lenders and merchants.

For this reason, a small business will need a professional-looking web site and e-mail address. And it needs to have website hosting bought from a merchant such as GoDaddy.

In addition, business telephone and fax numbers must have a listing on ListYourself.net.

Additionally, the company phone number should be toll-free (800 exchange or the like).

A business will also need a bank account dedicated solely to it, and it needs to have every one of the licenses necessary for operation.

Licenses

These licenses all have to be in the perfect, correct name of the business. And they need to have the same company address and phone numbers.

So note, that this means not just state licenses, but possibly also city licenses.

Check out our professional research on bank ratings, the little-known reason why you will – or won’t – get a bank loan for your business during a recession.

Dealing with the IRS

Visit the IRS website and acquire an EIN for the business. They’re totally free. Select a business entity like corporation, LLC, etc.

A small business can get started as a sole proprietor. But they will most likely want to change to a variety of corporation or an LLC.

This is in order to minimize risk. And it will optimize tax benefits.

A business entity will matter when it pertains to taxes and liability in case of a lawsuit. A sole proprietorship means the entrepreneur is it when it comes to liability and tax obligations. No one else is responsible.

Sole Proprietors Take Note

If you run a company as a sole proprietor, then at least be sure to file for a DBA. This is ‘doing business as’ status.

If you do not, then your personal name is the same as the company name. Consequently, you can end up being directly liable for all company debts.

Additionally, per the IRS, with this arrangement there is a 1 in 7 possibility of an IRS audit. There is a 1 in 50 chance for corporations! Prevent confusion and substantially decrease the odds of an IRS audit simultaneously.

But treat any DBA filing as a steppingstone to incorporating.

Monitor Your Business Credit

Know what is happening with your credit. Make sure it is being reported and deal with any errors ASAP. Get in the habit of checking credit reports. Dig into the particulars, not just the scores.

We can help you monitor business credit at Experian and D&B for 90% less than it would cost you at the CRAs.

Update Your Data

Update the information if there are inaccuracies or the info is incomplete.

Fix Your Business Credit

So, what’s all this monitoring for? It’s to contest any inaccuracies in your records. Errors in your credit report(s) can be corrected. But the CRAs often want you to dispute in a particular way.

Disputes

Disputing credit report mistakes commonly means you mail a paper letter with copies of any proofs of payment with it. These are documents like receipts and cancelled checks. Never send the original copies. Always mail copies and keep the original copies.

Fixing credit report errors also means you precisely spell out any charges you contest. Make your dispute letter as crystal clear as possible. Be specific about the concerns with your report. Use certified mail so that you will have proof that you sent in your dispute.

A Word about Building Business Credit

Always use credit responsibly! Never borrow more than what you can pay off. Keep track of balances and deadlines for payments. Paying off promptly and in full will do more to raise business credit scores than just about anything else.

Building company credit pays. Excellent business credit scores help a company get loans. Your lending institution knows the small business can pay its debts. They understand the company is authentic.

The company’s EIN links to high scores and your business bank credit score in a recession will not matter quite so much.

Takeaways for How to Rock Your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession

Start with consistent deposits, even if you cannot make terribly high ones. Just, start to become dependable in how you add money to your business’s bank account. Whether you deposit every week or every other week, etc. is your own choice. Opt for whatever you are most likely to be able to do.

This can also help you with both positive cash flow and responsible account management. Hence you get a lot of bang for your buck here – quite literally.

The other fairly simple task you can undertake is to make sure your business address and other particulars are perfectly congruent across the board. This means, for example, that if you wrote Ltd. on your D&B D-U-N-S number application, but Limited when you applied for a business bank account, you will need to take measures to get these two areas in sync.

Generally, the easiest way to do this is by going through everything and simply copying and pasting your information.

The post How to Rock your Business Bank Credit Score in a Recession appeared first on Credit Suite.

How to Sound Like and Become a Business Credit Expert

What can a business credit expert help you do?  What do you need to know to sound like or even become a business credit expert?  It’s not as simple as a Google search, that’s for sure. You need someone who really knows the secrets to nailing small business funding. 

Language is Impressive but Knowledge is the True Test of Being a Business Credit Expert

Use terms like tradelines, business credit reporting agencies, starter credit, credit line hybrid, EIN and more and you will have people thinking you are a business credit expert in no time.  The problem is, unless you actually have the knowledge to back up how you sound, you can’t really help people, or yourself.  Unless you are a business credit expert, you cannot guide people through the process of building business credit and using it properly. What do you need to know?  Everything.

Business Credit Expert: What is Business Credit?

First, a business credit expert has a true understanding of what business credit is.  Just having a credit card that calls itself a business card is not business credit. Business credit is credit under a company’s EIN. It has no association with the owner’s Social Security number. It is totally separate from personal credit, and therefore the business credit score can differ drastically from your personal credit score.

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit.

This is credit in the business’s name and it is based on the business’s ability to pay, not the business owner’s. When done right, it is possible to get some business funding based on a business credit score without a personal credit check. Also, you, the business owner, aren’t personally liable for the credit the business gets.  Business credit is essential to getting the small business funding you need. 

Business Credit Expert: How is Business Credit Different from Personal Credit? Biz Credit Expert

The obvious answer is that a business credit score is based on the business’s ability to pay, not the owner’s.  However, they are different in a number of other ways as well. Various factors affect your business credit score in ways vastly different from how they affect personal credit. Each of these factors affects business credit and personal credit in different ways. 

 

  • Late Payments

 

Most personal accounts do not report late payments to your personal credit report until they are 30 days or more past due.  Business credit accounts report to business CRAs when an account is only one day late.

 

  • Inquiries

 

When someone checks your personal credit report, there is a negative impact on your credit score.  When a lender checks your business credit score, there is no negative impact. 

 

  • Access to Business Credit Reports

 

The only ones who have access to your personal credit report are those to who you give signed authorization.  In contrast, anyone can check your business credit score.  They do not have to have authorization from you. 

 

  • Name of the Reporting Account

 

Your personal credit report has the name of the company holding each account reporting.  Your business credit report only lists the industry of the reporting account, not the company’s name. 

 

  • How long information stays on your report

 

Though it varies, most information stays on your personal credit report for the life of the report.  The average life of information on your business credit report is 3 years. 

The details may vary between CRAs, but this gives a good idea of how long certain information can affect your business credit score. 

 

  • Amounts reported

 

Exact amounts are shown on your personal credit report. Business credit reports show rounded amounts. 

 

  • Who Reports Payments to the CRAs

 

With personal credit, everyone reports your accounts and payment history. Only about 7% of those who check business credit actually report accounts to the business credit CRAs.

 

  • Debt-to-Credit Ratio

 

The amount of debt you have in relation to the amount of credit available to you makes a real impact on your personal credit score.  If your cards are near their limits, you’ll see a decrease in your score.  With business credit, being near your limits does not affect your score. 

 

  • Regulation

 

There is much less regulation when it comes to business credit, and there is virtually no regulation when it comes to correcting mistakes on your business credit. 

 

  • Monitoring

 

You can get a free copy of your personal credit report each year.  In addition, there are a number of free credit monitoring services that let you get a peek at your credit score.  These are typically updated at least once a month.  

There are business credit monitoring services.  However, they are not free.  Still, if you choose the right one, it’s worth it to know what is happening with your business credit.

Business Credit Expert: What are Business Credit Reporting Agencies?

Business credit reporting agencies are agencies that provide business credit reports.  There are several, but the main three are Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.  A business credit expert needs to understand what the business credit reports issued by these agencies say to lenders about businesses. Then, you can begin to understand the impact on small business lending. 

Business Credit Expert: How Do I Get Business Credit?

You can’t until your business is set up properly.  It has to be set up as a separate fundable entity aside from the owner. Until then, any accounts you have are just reporting to your personal credit, even if they are called business accounts. How do you change that?   

Contact Information

Your business has its own phone number, fax number, and address.  That doesn’t mean you have to get a separate phone line, or even a separate location.  You can even still run your business from your home or on your computer if that is what you want.  You don’t even have to have a fax machine.

 Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit.

EIN

You also have to get an EIN. This is an identifying number for your business that works like how your SSN works for you personally.  You can get one for free from the IRS.

Incorporation Matters

Incorporating your business as an LLC, S-corp, or corporation is vital.  It lends credibility to your business as one that is legitimate. It also offers some protection from liability. The big thing for business credit and fundability however, is that it is the only real way to separate business finances from personal finances.

Which option you choose does not matter as much for fundability as it does for your budget and needs for liability protection.  The best thing to do is talk to your attorney or a tax professional.  What is going to happen is that you are going to lose the time in business that you have.  When you incorporate, you are creating a new entity.  You basically have to start over.  You’ll also lose any positive payment history you may have accumulated. 

This is why you have to incorporate as soon as possible.  Not only is it necessary for fundability and for building business credit, but so is time in business.  The longer you have been in business the more fundable you appear to be.  That starts on the date of incorporation, regardless of when you actually started doing business. 

Business Bank Account

You have to open a separate, dedicated business bank account. First, it will help you keep track of business finances.  It will also help you keep them separate from personal finances for tax purposes. 

Furthermore, there are several types of funding you cannot get without a business bank account.  Many lenders and credit cards want to see one with a minimum average balance.  In addition, you cannot get a merchant account without a business account at a bank. That means, you cannot take credit card payments.  Studies show consumers tend to spend more when they can pay by credit card.

Licenses are a Must

For a business to be legitimate it has to have all of the necessary licenses it needs to run.  If it doesn’t, warnings are going to go up at every turn.  Do the research you need to do to make sure you have all of the licenses necessary to legitimately run your business at the federal, state, and local levels. 

Is That All? 

No, it isn’t.  The next thing you have to do is get accounts reporting.  First, get a D-U-N-S number.  You can apply for a free one on the D&B website.   Dun & Bradstreet is the largest and most widely used business credit reporting agency.  You cannot have a business credit report with them unless your business is in their system.  The D-U-N-S number is how you get in their system. 

Once you have this number, you can start to do business with companies that will report your payments to the business credit reporting agencies. You can do this in a few ways. The best bet is to try all three ways.  The more positive payment history you have, the better. 

Ask Companies You Already Work With 

Vendors you already have a relationship with may be willing to give you credit without a credit check.  Even if not, they may offer net 30 terms on invoices.  They don’t have to.  So, you will have to ask.  If they agree, ask them to report the payments to the business credit agencies. 

Ask Utility Providers 

You pay things like utilities, rent, and the internet each month anyway.  Ask those companies to report payments.

Use Starter Vendors 

This is a little-known secret of business credit experts.   Many business owners are unaware of starter vendors. Certain retailers will extend Net 30 terms in your business name without a credit check.  Then, after you pay, they will report those payments to the business credit reporting agencies.

This is how you can get started building business credit business credit.  They do not check either your business or personal credit score.  Of course, they do have other risk reducing guards in place.  They vary by vendor.   Here are a few to help you start the process. 

Crown Office Supplies

Crown Office Supplies offers paper and other office supplies. They report to all three of the major business credit reporting agencies, which of course include D & B, Experian, and Equifax. It can be hard to find vendors which report to Equifax, so getting credit with Crown is a good move.  They do have a $99 annual membership fee.

Uline

Uline sells shipping, packing, and industrial supplies.  Also, they report to Dun & Bradstreet and Experian.  This means you must have a D-U-N-S number. 

In addition, they ask for 2 references and a bank reference. The first few orders might need to be paid in advance to get approval for Net 30 terms.

Grainger Industrial Supply 

Grainger sells power tools, pumps, hardware and other things. In addition, they can handle maintenance of your auto fleet. You need a business license and EIN to quality, as well as a D-U-N-S number.

You can apply by fax or over the phone. If you need less than $1,000 in credit, you only need a business license for approval. For over $1,000, you will need trade and bank references.  

If you are just starting out and do not have references, the $1,000 is plenty to get you started building your business credit. 

Why You Really Need an Actual Business Credit Expert

Knowledge is definitely what makes you a business credit expert.  The best way to become one, and get that knowledge, is to work with an actual business credit expert.  They know things that are not widely made known to the public.  These are things that a simple Google search will not tell you.

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit.

For example, you need a lot of accounts reporting business credit.  You need several of these starter vendor accounts, but it is not easy to find vendors that will work like this.  Most vendors do not make it known if they report payments to the business credit reporting agencies, or not.  You need expert help to help you find the ones that you qualify with and that will report. 

Vendor accounts change their underwriting and reporting practices regularly.  It is incredibly difficult to keep up with.  It takes alot of time and a lot of effort. An expert has the time and knowledge it takes to stay on top of which vendors are approving accounts, and what they look for.  Also, they can keep tabs on who reports accounts and who they report them to.

In addition, it is usually a shot in the dark as to why you were denied business credit.  A business credit expert has the knowledge and expertise to help you set yourself and your business up to give you the best chance possible. They know what creditors are looking for, and what gets you denied.  It’s likely many of the reasons businesses are denied credit will shock you. 

It is not easy to keep up with the ever changing world of business credit.  With a business credit expert, you won’t have to guess. 

The post How to Sound Like and Become a Business Credit Expert appeared first on Credit Suite.

Get a Balance Transfer Recession Business Credit Card

The economy is changing. But you can still get a balance transfer recession business credit card.

You Can Get a Balance Transfer Recession Business Credit Card Today

Do you need a balance transfer recession business credit card? For that and any other sort of reward, we’ve got you covered.

Per the SBA, small business credit card limits are a whopping 10 – 100 times that of consumer cards!

This shows you can get a lot more money with small business credit. And it also shows you can have personal credit cards at retailers. So you would now have an additional card at the same stores for your company.

And you will not need collateral, cash flow, or financial data in order to get small business credit.

Credit Card Benefits

Perks vary. So, make sure to choose the benefit you prefer from this array of alternatives. Because you may find something you like even better than a balance transfer recession business credit card.

Get a Reliable Low APR/Balance Transfer Recession Business Credit Card for Lavish Travel Points

Flat-rate Travel Rewards

Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business

Check out the Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business. It has an introductory yearly fee of $0 for the first year, which after that rises to $95. The regular APR is 18.49%, variable due to the prime rate. There is no introductory annual percentage rate. Pay no transfer fees. Late fees go up to $39.

This card is fantastic for travel if your expenses don’t fall under basic bonus categories. You can get unlimited double miles on all purchases, without any limits. Get 5x miles on rental cars and hotels if you book with Capital One Travel.

Get an initial bonus of 50,000 miles. That’s the same as $500 in travel. But you just get it if you spend $4,500 in the initial 3 months from account opening. There is no foreign transaction fee. You will need a good to exceptional FICO score to qualify.

Find it here: https://www.capitalone.com/small-business/credit-cards/spark-miles/

Bonus Travel Categories with a Sign-Up Offer

Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card

For a fantastic sign-up offer and bonus categories, take a look at the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card.

Pay an annual fee of $95. Regular APR is 17.49 – 22.49%, variable. There is no introductory APR offer.

Get 100,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 in the initial 3 months after account opening. This works out to $1,250 towards travel rewards if you redeem via Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Get 3 points per dollar of the first $150,000 you spend with this card. So this is for purchases on travel, shipping, internet, cable, and phone services. Plus it includes advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year.

You can get 25% more in travel redemption when you redeem for travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards. You will need a great to superb FICO score to qualify.

Find it here: https://creditcards.chase.com/business-credit-cards/ink/business-preferred

No Yearly Fee

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World MasterCard® credit card

For no yearly fee while still getting travel rewards, take a look at this card from Bank of America. It has no annual fee and a 0% introductory APR for purchases during the initial 9 billing cycles. Afterwards, its regular APR is 13.74 – 23.74% variable.

You can get 30,000 bonus points when you make at least $3,000 in net purchases. So this is within 90 days of your account opening. You can redeem these points for a $300 statement credit towards travel purchases.

Get unlimited 1.5 points for each $1 you spend on all purchases, everywhere, every time. And this is despite how much you spend.

Also get 3 points per every dollar spent when you book your travel (car, hotel, airline) via the Bank of America® Travel Center. There is no limit to the number of points you can get and points don’t expire.

You will need outstanding credit to get this one (as in, 700s or better).

Find it here: https://www.bankofamerica.com/smallbusiness/credit-cards/products/travel-rewards-business-credit-card/

Hotel Credit Card

Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card

Have a look at the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ Card from American Express. It has a yearly fee of $125. There is no introductory APR offer. The regular APR is a variable 17.24 – 26.24%. You will need good to outstanding credit to get this card.

Points

You can get 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after using your card to make purchases of $3,000 in the first 3 months. Get 6x the points for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. You can get 4x the points at US restaurants and gas stations. And you can get 4x the points on wireless telephone services bought straight from American service providers and on American purchases for shipping.

Get double points on all other eligible purchases.

Rewards

Also, you get a free night every year after your card anniversary. And you can get an additional free night after you spend $60,000 on your card in a calendar year.

You get Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status with your Card. Plus, spend $35,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year and earn an upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status through the end of the next calendar year.

Also, each calendar year you can get credit for 15 nights towards the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.

Find it here: https://creditcard.americanexpress.com/d/bonvoy-business/

Trustworthy Credit Cards for Fair to Poor Credit, Not Calling for a Personal Guarantee

Get a great alternative to a balance transfer recession business credit card.

Brex Card for Startups

Have a look at the Brex Card for Startups. It has no yearly fee.

You will not need to supply your Social Security number to apply. And you will not need to supply a personal guarantee. They will take your EIN.

Nonetheless, they do not accept every industry.

Likewise, there are some industries they will not work with, as well as others where they want more documentation. For a list, go here: https://brex.com/legal/prohibited_activities/.

To determine creditworthiness, Brex checks a corporation’s cash balance, spending patterns, and investors.

You can get 7x points on rideshare. Get 4x on Brex Travel. Likewise, get triple points on restaurants. And get double points on recurring software payments. Get 1x points on everything else.

You can have poor credit scores (even a 300 FICO) to qualify.

Find it here: https://brex.com/lp/startups-higher-limits/

Secure Corporate Credit Cards for Fair Credit Scores

Grab another terrific alternative to a balance transfer recession business credit card.

Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business

Check out the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business. It has no annual fee. There is no introductory APR offer. The regular APR is a variable 24.49%. You can earn unlimited 1% cash back on every purchase for your business, without any minimum to redeem.

While this card is within reach if you have fair credit, beware of the APR. Yet if you can pay in a timely manner, and in full, then it’s a bargain.

Find it here: https://www.capitalone.com/small-business/credit-cards/spark-classic/

Balance Transfer Recession Business Credit Suite

Establish business credit fast and beat the recession with our research-backed guide to 12 business credit cards and lines. Get a balance transfer recession business credit card now!

Flexible Financing Credit Cards – Check Out Your Alternatives!

The Plum Card® from American Express

Check out the Plum Card® from American Express. It has an introductory yearly fee of $0 for the first year. Afterwards, pay $250 each year.

Get a 1.5% early pay discount cash back bonus when you pay within 10 days. You can take up to 60 days to pay without interest when you pay the minimum due by the payment due date.

You will need excellent to superb credit scores to qualify.

Find it here: https://creditcard.americanexpress.com/d/the-plum-card-business-charge-card/

Outstanding Company Credit Cards with No Annual Fee

No Annual Fee/Flat Rate Cash Back

Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card

Check out the Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card. Past no annual fee, get an introductory 0% APR for the initial twelve months. Afterwards, the APR is a variable 14.74 – 20.74%.

You can get unlimited 1.5% Cash Back rewards on every purchase made for your business. And get $500 bonus cash back after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. You can redeem your rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more via Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You will need outstanding credit to receive this card.

Find it here: https://creditcards.chase.com/business-credit-cards/ink/unlimited

Balance Transfer Recession Business Credit Suite

Establish business credit fast and beat the recession with our research-backed guide to 12 business credit cards and lines. Get a balance transfer recession business credit card now!

Company Credit Cards with a 0% Introductory APR – Pay Nothing!

Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Have a look at the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. It has no yearly fee. There is a 0% introductory APR for the first 12 months. Afterwards, the APR is a variable 14.74 – 20.74%.

Get double Membership Rewards® points on day to day company purchases like office supplies or client dinners for the initial $50,000 spent per year. Get 1 point per dollar afterwards.

You will need good to exceptional credit scores to qualify.

Find it here: https://creditcard.americanexpress.com/d/bluebusinessplus-credit-card/

American Express® Blue Business Cash Card

Also have a look at the American Express® Blue Business Cash Card. Keep in mind: the American Express® Blue Business Cash Card is identical to the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. Yet its rewards are in cash instead of points.

Get 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year. Then get 1%.

It has no annual fee. There is a 0% introductory APR for the initial twelve months. After that, the APR is a variable 14.74 – 20.74%.

You will need great to exceptional credit to qualify.

Find it here: https://creditcard.americanexpress.com/d/business-bluecash-credit-card/

Balance Transfer Recession Business Credit Suite

Establish business credit fast and beat the recession with our research-backed guide to 12 business credit cards and lines. Get a balance transfer recession business credit card now!

The Perfect Balance Transfer Recession Business Credit Card for You

Your absolute best balance transfer recession business credit card will hinge on your credit history and scores.

Only you can choose which features you want and need. So make sure to do your homework. What is excellent for you could be disastrous for another person.

And, as always, make sure to establish credit in the recommended order for the best, fastest benefits.

The economy will change again, and you will be able to get a balance transfer recession business credit card even more easily.

 

 

 

 

The post Get a Balance Transfer Recession Business Credit Card appeared first on Credit Suite.

Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession

Get a business credit report in a recession and stay on top of your scores.

Here’s How to Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession

You got this: we show you exactly how to get your business credit report in a recession.

Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession: Recession Funding

In a recession, inevitably banks and other credit issuers get more conservative. So it pays to get your business credit report in a recession so you can pounce on any mistakes immediately.

Your best bet as a company owner is to stay on top of every business credit report from PAYDEX, Equifax, and Experian.

There are three big credit reporting agencies for companies and you really should check all three of them frequently. This is because they use moderately different yardsticks. Hence moving the needle for one can move the needle for both of the others. Although maybe not as much.

Do not permit your business credit scores slide, as you have to catch any mistakes as fast as you can. Plus, you need to identify anything which is dragging your scores down. And then take remedial measures. You can get a business credit report in a recession easily and stay on top of all three scores by following a few straightforward steps.

Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession: D&B (PAYDEX) Business Credit Report

Dun & Bradstreet’s PAYDEX score of your company can end up being one of the primary reasons that your business receives credit in any manner.

A Dun & Bradstreet Report (also known as a D&B Report) is a database-generated report. The business services giant produces such a report in order to assist its clients in making decisions regarding new credit applications.

The primary reason for a client using this kind of a report is to engage in credit risk monitoring of vendors, suppliers, and business partners. This helps companies make informed business credit determinations and avoid bad debt.

Dun & Bradstreet takes several factors into account in generating such a report. These include a predictor of payment delinquency; how financially stressed a company is compared to comparable businesses; an evaluation of supplier risk; credit limit recommendation; D&B rating; and PAYDEX score. Let’s consider all these factors in turn.

Delinquency Predictor

Dun & Bradstreet uses predictive models to ascertain how likely a company is to be late with its payments. Predictive scoring is a means of using historical information to attempt to predict future outcomes. It entails identifying the risks inherent in a future decision. It does this by examining the relationship between historical information and the future event.

This represents an objective and statistically derived counterpart to subjective and intuitive assessments. Such scoring allows a business to rank and order accounts based upon the probability of an event occurring, such as delinquent payments. However, note that Predictive Scoring only represents a statistical probability, and not a guarantee.

PAYDEX Score

A PAYDEX Score is Dun & Bradstreet’s proprietary dollar-weighted numerical indicator of how a firm has paid its bills over the past year. The score is based upon trade experiences reported to Dun & Bradstreet by various vendors. In addition, the D&B PAYDEX Score ranges from 1 to 100; higher scores indicate a better payment performance.

Learn more here and get started toward building business credit attached to your company’s EIN and not your SSN. Get money even in a recession!

Monitoring PAYDEX

D & B offers Credit Signal, which is a means to keep track of your credit score by having the business credit report come immediately to you, for a cost. You may discover the expense is well worth it in order to avoid the frustrations that can emerge from letting this score slip. And you will not need to produce and handle the organizing and reminders you might need to stay up to date with if you don’t use it.

Business Credit Report in a Recession Credit Suite

Alternatives to Credit Signal

Don’t wish to make use of Credit Signal? Not a problem, as you can obtain your PAYDEX report through D & B and, if need be, you can get in touch with their Customer Service department (this department exists as a section of Dun & Bradstreet itself).

In addition, in order to review your PAYDEX report, check out what D & B provides, which is a specimen report and even some higher level tips in the way to analyze it.

D&B Data

Any report is only as good as the data it comes from. Dun & Bradstreet’s database contains over 250 million firms spanning the globe, which includes around 120 million active companies and about 130 million businesses which are out of business but kept for historical purposes.

D&B constantly gathers data and works to improve its analyses to ensure the greatest degree of accuracy possible.

Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession: Equifax Business Credit Report

Equifax, one of the large credit reporting bureaus, furnishes a risk monitoring service which is more convenient as it allows for a business credit report to come directly to you.

If you don’t want to purchase continuing reports, you can instead order your company’s Equifax report.

Additionally, if you have to question your small business’s Equifax report, you can do so by following the information on their website.

You can learn how to go over your Equifax report by checking out a specimen of their reports.

Improve Your Equifax Report

Now that you know what enters into it, you can see that some of the more crucial pieces of information Equifax looks into are public records, credit usage, and how you take care of your financial and nonfinancial accounts.

Start getting rid of your debts as quickly as possible and not going delinquent. And keep your credit utilization within reason. Less than 30% of your overall available credit is best. And start staying away from overdue payments. Then you should have the ability to build up your Equifax score.

Learn more here and get started toward building business credit attached to your company’s EIN and not your SSN. Get money even in a recession!

Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession: Experian Business Credit Report

Experian, one more big credit reporting firm, also offers a way having their business credit report sent to you for a fee. As a result you can keep an eye on your Experian small business credit score here and the setup is simple.

However, if you prefer to not get continuing reports (and pay for them), then you can order a single Experian report for your firm on their site.

Business Credit Report Score Improvement Tips

Experian provides a handy list of ways to improve your own, specific report.

You can get your company’s real Experian report and can dispute any errors on your company’s Experian report by following the directions on their website.

Now that you know what goes into it, you can see what some of the more important pieces of data Experian looks into are. These include payment history and credit utilization. And they also include the amount of time in business. Or at least they show the amount of time your company has had an Experian listing.

Beyond anything else, improving your payment history will increase your Experian credit scores.

Keep your credit utilization within reason. So this is because less than 30% of your total available credit is best. Clear your debts as quickly as you are able to. And don’t go delinquent. Also, avoid any late payments. Then, you should be able to improve your Experian score over time.

Likewise, if there are any problems or matters of contention, you can question any errors on your business’s Experian report if you follow the directions on their web site.

Find out about assessing your Experian report by assessing a sample Experian company credit report.

Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession: Monitoring Any Business Credit Report For Less

Know what is happening with your credit. Make sure it is being reported and deal with any errors ASAP. Get in the habit of taking a look at credit reports. Dig into the details, not just the scores.

We can help you monitor business credit at Experian and D&B for 90% less than it would cost you at the CRAs.

At Equifax, you can monitor your account at: www.equifax.com/business/business-credit-monitor-small-business.

Update Your Record

Update the details if there are inaccuracies or the data is incomplete. At D&B, you can do this at: https://iupdate.dnb.com/iUpdate/viewiUpdateHome.htm. For Experian, go here: www.experian.com/small-business/business-credit-information.jsp. So for Equifax, go here: www.equifax.com/business/small-business.

Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession: Fix Your Business Credit

So, what’s all this monitoring for? It’s to challenge any problems in your records. Mistakes in your credit report(s) can be fixed. But the CRAs typically want you to dispute in a particular way.

Get your business’s PAYDEX report at: www.dnb.com/about-us/our-data.html. Get your company’s Experian report at: www.businesscreditfacts.com/pdp.aspx?pg=SearchForm. And get your Equifax business credit report at: www.equifax.com/business/credit-information.

Disputes

Disputing credit report mistakes generally means you send a paper letter with duplicates of any evidence of payment with it. These are documents like receipts and cancelled checks. Never send the originals. Always send copies and keep the original copies.

Fixing credit report errors also means you specifically itemize any charges you dispute. Make your dispute letter as crystal clear as possible. Be specific about the issues with your report. Use certified mail so that you will have proof that you mailed in your dispute.

Dispute your or your small business’s Equifax report by following the instructions here: www.equifax.com/small-business-faqs/#Dispute-FAQs.

You can dispute errors on your or your business’s Experian report by following the instructions here: www.experian.com/small-business/business-credit-information.jsp.

And D&B’s PAYDEX Customer Service contact number is here: www.dandb.com/glossary/paydex.

Learn more here and get started toward building business credit attached to your company’s EIN and not your SSN. Get money even in a recession!

Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession: Takeaways for How to Get a Business Credit Report

At times, it pays to hand over a few dollars to ensure you get a business credit report in a recession consistently. It’s a lot less troublesome than to have to remember to do this.

And you’ll probably look at these reports more thoroughly, as they come at a price tag.

Continue track and make use of the tools that these credit reporting companies provide, and make your life simpler. After all; you’ve already got enough on your plate.

Because of recent data breaches, there are even more reasons to assess your business and personal credit reports and be vigilant about any errors you find. In a recession, you need the highest business credit scores you can get. When you get a business credit report in a recession, you’re doing just that.

The post Get a Business Credit Report in a Recession appeared first on Credit Suite.

Get Your Dun and Bradstreet Rating and More with D&B’s 5 Main Business Credit Scores

Do you want to know all about the Dun and Bradstreet Rating and all of their scores and reports? D&B is the oldest and largest credit reporting agency. But you will need a D-U-N-S number to start building business credit. What if you don’t have a D-U-N-S number? Then get one; they are free. Go to: dnb.com/duns-number/get-a-duns.html. So this number gets a business into their system.

What are D&B Reports All About?

To consider the scores, you need to look at D&B Reports. D&B offers database-generated reports. The business services giant produces such a report in order to help their clients decide whether a business is a good credit risk. Companies use the reports to make informed business credit decisions and avoid bad debt. So several factors enter into creating such a report.

In general when D&B does not have all of the data they need, they will indicate as much in their reports. But missing data does not necessarily mean a company is a poor credit risk. Instead, the risk is unknown.

This is true for the Dun and Bradstreet Rating and for any other D&B business credit score.

The main reason for a client using this kind of a report is to engage in credit risk monitoring of merchants, suppliers, and business partners. This helps companies make informed business credit determinations and steer clear of bad debt.

Dun & Bradstreet takes many factors into account in producing such a report. These include a predictor of payment delinquency; how financially stressed a company is compared to comparable businesses; an evaluation of supplier risk; credit limit recommendation; D&B rating; and PAYDEX score. So let’s consider all of these factors in turn.

Is D&B Data at All Accurate?

D&B Data is only as good as how complete it is. D&B constantly gathers data. So it works to improve its analyses to assure the greatest degree of accuracy possible. To ensure as accurate a report as possible, give D&B your company’s current financial statements.

What are Dun & Bradstreet Scores All About?

Now let’s look at Dun & Bradstreet Scores. D&B has five main scores. PAYDEX is maybe the best-known. The other four are the D&B Rating; Delinquency Predictor; Financial Stress Score; and the Supplier Evaluation Risk Rating. For a sample Business Information Report, go to products.dandb.com/download/2019_BIR-Snapshot-Report.pdf.

So the main score is PAYDEX. However, a business will not get a PAYDEX score, unless it has at least 3 trade lines reporting, and a D-U-N-S number. A business must have BOTH to get a D&B score or report.

What is the PAYDEX Score?

Let’s focus on the PAYDEX Score. This is Dun & Bradstreet’s dollar-weighted numerical rating of how a company has paid the bills over the past year. D&B bases this score on trade experiences reported by various vendors. The Score ranges from 1 to 100; higher scores mean a better payment performance. PAYDEX scores reflect how well a company pays its bills. Larger bills get more weight in the calculation.

What is the Dun and Bradstreet Rating?

Now let’s check out the Dun and Bradstreet Rating. Dun & Bradstreet bases the Dun and Bradstreet Rating on a company’s net worth based on financial statements, as well as the company’s overall condition.

So a Dun and Bradstreet Rating is meant to help businesses rapidly gauge a business’s size and composite credit appraisal. The Dun and Bradstreet Rating is based on information in a company’s interim or fiscal balance sheet, and also an overall evaluation of the firm’s creditworthiness.

If a company’s financial statements are not provided, the score is based on company size, industry, or other related factors. If a company does not provide info, D&B will base certain scores on other related information in their file. 

A company will get a lower Dun and Bradstreet Rating if they do not provide any information. It is in every company’s best interests to provide as much info to Dun and Bradstreet as possible.

Dun and Bradstreet Rating Credit Suite

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

What is the D&B Delinquency Predictor?

So let’s consider the Delinquency Predictor. The Delinquency Predictor runs from 1 to 100. Higher scores are better. Dun & Bradstreet uses predictive models to determine how likely a company is to be late with its payments. Predictive scoring is a method of using historical information in order to try to predict future outcomes. It entails identifying the risks inherent in a future decision. It does this by examining the relationship between historical information and the future event.

This represents an objective and statistically derived counterpart to subjective and intuitive assessments. Such scoring allows a business to rank and order accounts based upon the probability of an event taking place, such as delinquent payments. 

That being said, note that predictive scoring only represents a statistical probability. So it is not a guarantee. The scoring system ranks and orders accounts based on the probability of late payments. However, a new company has no historical information, by definition.

The Delinquency Predictor looks at the proportion of slow payments in recent months; Proportion of past due balances to total amount owing; the higher risk industry based on delinquency rates for this industry; any increase in proportion of delinquent payments in recent payment experiences; and any evidence of open suits.

Dun and Bradstreet Rating Credit Suite

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

What is the Dun & Bradstreet Financial Stress Percentile?

Now let’s tackle the Financial Stress Percentile. The percentile runs from 1 to 100. 1 percentile is most likely to fail. The 100 percentile is least likely to fail. It is a comparison to other businesses.

The Financial Stress Percentile compares the company in question to other businesses in the same location, business sector, number of employees, or number of years in the business. Financial Stress Score Norms show an average score and percentile for all firms with similar demographic characteristics. These Norms can be used in order to benchmark where this particular business stands in relation to the norm for its peer group.

It is based on a much higher raw score, the Financial Stress Score. The Financial Stress Score runs from 1,001 to 1,875. A score of 1,001 represents the highest probability of business failure. So a figure of 1 shows the lowest probability of business failure.

How Does the Financial Stress Score Relate to the Financial Stress Percentile?

The Financial Stress Score is based on a low proportion of satisfactory payment experiences to total payment experiences, a high proportion of past due balances to total amount owing, any UCC Filings reported, and a high number of enquiries to D&B over last 12 months. So this score compares a company to similar businesses in the D&B database.

Dun & Bradstreet produces Financial Stress Scores to forecast the chance of business failure over the upcoming twelve months. 

D&B defines business failure in several ways. One is as a business which gets legal relief from its creditors. Another is a firm which discontinues its business operations without paying off all of its creditors in full. Yet another is a business which voluntarily withdraws from its business operations thereby leaving unpaid obligations

Another way is a company which enters into receivership or reorganization. Or it can be a company which makes some kind of arrangement for the benefit of its creditors. And all of this is based on the information found inside D&B’s commercial database. 

If your company has a lot of lawsuits and liens against it, those will negatively impact your financial stress score.

What is the Dun and Bradstreet Supplier Evaluation Risk Rating?

How about the Supplier Evaluation Risk (SER) Rating? So this is a scale of 1 to 9. 1 means a company is least likely to fail to pay its own suppliers. Whereas 9 is the opposite, showing highest likelihood.

The Supplier Evaluation Risk Rating forecasts how probable it is that a company will get legal relief from its creditors. Or it can show the chance a business will discontinue its operations without paying creditors in full over next twelve months. The SER rating comes from D&B’s Financial Stress Score. So the Financial Stress Score percentile serves as the basis for the SER Rating. 

Factors affecting a Supplier Evaluation Risk Rating are a negative net worth, and the proportion of slow payment experiences to total number of payment experiences reported. So the factors also include if a business belongs to an industry with above average risk of ceasing operations or becoming inactive.

So it is not exactly the same as the Dun and Bradstreet Rating.

What is the D&B Maximum Credit Recommendation?

Consider the Maximum Credit Recommendation. So it includes recommended dollar guidelines. D&B performs an overall assessment of a business for the next 12 months. They also check the predicted risk of business discontinuation. Further, they look at the predicted risk of severely delinquent payments.

D&B bases its dollar guideline amounts on a historical analysis of overall business risk. A recommended limit is based on the probability of severe delinquency. But this recommendation is no guarantee that a business can cover the recommended amount.

More Information about D&B Business Information Reports

What else is in D&B Business Information Reports? In addition to the above scores, a D&B Business Information Report contains trade payments (summary and by industry). So it also has trade line specifics with dollar amounts and terms, and legal events. It also has company events (mainly concerning ownership and management). So it also has a company family tree showing ownership specifics.

A Business Information Report also contains a Risk Assessment summary. So this summary shows the Maximum credit recommendation; PAYDEX; Delinquency Predictor percentile; Financial Stress percentile; and the Supplier Evaluation risk.

Dun and Bradstreet Rating Credit Suite

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

Dun and Bradstreet Rating: Takeaways 

Dun & Bradstreet collects objective data points on businesses and creates Business Information Reports from them. These reports outline five basic scores. So some of these are predictive scores. The more information D&B has, the more comprehensive the report is. 

Finally, a Dun and Bradstreet Rating is only as good the information in its report.

Dun & Bradstreet’s database includes over millions of firms spanning the globe. So this includes millions of active companies and millions more companies which are out of business but kept for historical reasons. 

D&B constantly gathers data and works to improve its analyses to ensure the greatest degree of accuracy possible.  To ensure as accurate a report as possible, it quite literally pays to provide D & B with your business’s current financial statements. In that way, you will have a far more accurate Dun and Bradstreet Rating sand D & B report.

Because an accurate D&B report means you are far more likely to get business funding.

The post Get Your Dun and Bradstreet Rating and More with D&B’s 5 Main Business Credit Scores appeared first on Credit Suite.

Just what is Business Credit?

The post Just what is Business Credit? appeared first on ROI Credit Builders.