FastCompany has a great post about 5 steps to getting your business credit up and running. For the article they interviewed Mancha Sims of Corporate Cash, who helps new businesses obtain business credit. Sims had 5 tips, and here is a summary of the key topics:
1. Establish your credit profile
Sims says it's important to establish your business credit as soon as possible. Some people wait too long before they request any type of business credit and in the end it just ends up with higher interest rate when they really need it.
2. Use current accounts
If you're doing business with stores or companies already, you can use those to your advantage. If you have a corporate account with a company like Staples, make sure that the account is being reported to the credit bureau under your business name. This will help establish your credit quicker than if you keep paying these corporate accounts from your pocket.
3. Keep business and personal credit separate
It's important to keep your business and personal credit lines separate. When starting a business set up a separate checking account and be sure to pay all business expenses from that account. This will help you stay organized as well as contribute to your business credit profile.
4. Only request what you need
When you go into a bank to request a business loan, only request what you need, and have a detailed plan on where the money will go to show the bank. Banks want to know where their money is going, and they're hesitant to lend money to anyone who gives them a vague answer in regards to that.
5. Using community banks
Establish a relationship with your community bank, many times people only think that big banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America are the only ways to go, but if you establish a relationship with a community bank, it's easier to ask them to for a loan later on down the road.
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