New businesses must create credit, as good credit scores make it easier to get financing, and they may qualify for better terms from suppliers.
Regardless of the legal structure of your business, credit creation begins with setting up a proper business and opening bank, credit card, and supplier accounts.
Paying bills on time is essential to building and maintaining good business credit.
This article is for new business owners who have not established business credit and want tips on getting started.
Small business financing often involves personal investment and credit in business purchases and expansion. Establishing a business credit score can take an essential first step towards creating a dividing line between your business and personal finances, even if you are a sole proprietor or a partnership.
What is a business credit, and why is it important?
Business credit is an essential financial tool for your business. It is used to help you obtain loans and other forms of financing. It is also a crucial tool in expanding networks and building relationships with suppliers and other business-to-business (B2B) sellers. Business credit can work as a useful negotiating or negotiating tool when entering pricing and service discussions with other companies. Overall, it is an essential indicator of the health and reliability of your business financially. Without business credit, your business will have a hard time finding loans, applying for credit cards, establishing relationships with suppliers, and succeeding as a small business.
The most salient aspect of corporate credit is your ability to obtain financing. If you have bad credit, you won’t be able to avail of loans, credit cards, and other types of funding. It can be catastrophic for a new business at the peak of growth. However, according to Nav, 82% of small business owners don’t know how to use and interpret their business credit score. Understanding your score and keep it high, you are on your way to running a successful business.
Here are five benefits of good business credit:
1. Financing is low cost.
Having a good credit rating not only allows you not only to qualify for loans and other financings but also to get lower interest rates on those loans. This means that the borrowing price is lower, which in turn saves your business money. Especially for conventional bank loans, having a good credit rating can be one of the most important aspects of getting a loan at favourable rates and terms.
2. Vendors may not require prepayment.
With some B2B products and services may require you to pay in advance. If you have a good credit rating for your business, these vendors and service providers may not ask you to pay the money to get started. This means that you can better manage your business cash flow when setting up services. While this may seem like a small benefit, this type of extra can have a significant financial impact on your company’s operations.
3. Suppliers and lenders can agree on better terms.
Your credit score can be used as a bargaining chip when it comes to negotiating deals with vendors and suppliers. If you have a good credit score, you may be able to lower prices, extend the contract term or, if you are seeking financing, lower your interest rate.
4. It facilitates the separation of personal and business finances.
One of the overlooked benefits of understanding your business credit rating is the ability to divide personal and business finances. Small business owners often invest a lot of their personal belongings and savings in their companies. In many cases, this is the nature of setting up a small business.
Part of building your business is slowly separating your personal financial obligations from your corporate financial commitments. By creating a business credit score, you are taking one of the most important first steps to do this. Especially in a corporate world where most of the lenders require their borrowers to sign papers and personal guarantees, having a business credit score can be essential for limiting your personal exposure to business-related initiatives.
5. Your business will be financially stable.
A successful long-term business means building a prudent financial foundation and taking risks when further expansion is required. To achieve and maintain a good credit rating, you need to develop certain financial habits. This means that you will save money, plan for your financial future, and build a stable and sustainable business. Having and maintaining a good business credit score means building a successful business for the long term.
Opinions expressed by US Insider contributors are their own.
