GrowMap

Map Your Path To Grow Your Business

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • G.A.S.P
  • Press
  • Portfolio
  • GrowMap Services
  • PostsComments

Does My Credit Score Affect My Ability to Start a Business?

September 25, 2016 By Ahmad Raza 13 Comments

Have you ever missed a credit card or loan payment? You may be surprised to learn that even if you “caught up” on your payments, your personal credit may still have taken a hit– and that could hurt your business credit score, too.

Many lenders review an applicant’s personal credit scores as part of the lender’s decision to grant or not grant a loan, according to Quickbooks. In a lender’s eyes, your credit score reflects how well you manage money.

Does My Credit Score Affect My Ability to Start a Business?

As a small business owner or sole proprietor, lenders assume that if you can’t manage your own finances, you won’t be able to handle your business’s finances, either. Thinking about starting your own business in 2016? With no new taxes looming and housing and labor markets strong, now is the time to take smart financial steps.

There are several factors that contribute towards success of any business, such as the quality of product or service that you are offering, your customer service skills, marketing efforts and even your personal credit score play a certain role. Start now by understanding how your personal credit score affects your business credit.

Table of Contents

  • 1. Business Credit versus Personal Credit: What’s the Difference?
  • 2. Establishing Business Credit
  • 3. How Do US Credit Scores Compare with Foreign Countries?
  • Bottom line:
    • Ahmad Raza
    • Latest posts by Ahmad Raza (see all)

1. Business Credit versus Personal Credit: What’s the Difference?

An estimated half of all business owners use some form of personal credit to finance their businesses, according to Experian. So while your business and personal credit reports are not linked, they can be related if you have used personal debt to secure your business debt. If your business is structured as a “sole proprietorship”, then under the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA), some lenders are allowed to review personal credit histories for business lending purposes.

A business credit report typically includes the following:

  • credit ranking score and credit summary
  • corporate registration and contact information
  • financial payment trends
  • in-depth credit history
  • insurance and leasing information
  • S&P financial information
  • credit inquiries made within the last nine months.

The business credit report will also include any judgment filings against the business, bankruptcy filings, and tax lien filings, should any have been issued.

Unlike personal credit score that range from 300 to 850 (with 680 or higher considered to be excellent), business credit ranges from 0 to 100; 75 or better is considered excellent. Like personal credit, however, your business credit score will be affected by more than just your ability to pay bills on time.

Factors that affect your score include the amount of available credit at banks or credit lines, the length of your credit profile, and the number of recent inquiries made to your credit profile, according to MyFico.com.

2. Establishing Business Credit

Once you are out of the initial stages of setting up your limited company and have grown your business, separating your business from your personal credit can help to reduce your personal credit risk for potential business problems.

To establish a business credit score, your business vendors will need to report your payment history to one of the major business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, Equifax or Business Credit USA).

Suppliers, wholesalers, leasing companies and other financial institutions may review your business credit prior to establishing a business relationship. Click To Tweet

Keep in mind that this business is sent in voluntarily; no business is required to report it. Consequently, if you want to grow your business credit, you need to be proactive in getting your information reported.

3. How Do US Credit Scores Compare with Foreign Countries?

Increasingly, today’s small business owners and sole proprietors are doing business not only in the United States, but also overseas. From India to the UK, business credit and personal scores matter. In India, for example, the CIBIL score (Credit Information Bureau India Limited) is essential for loan approvals.

The score ranges from 300 to 900, with 79% of all approved loans going to individuals with CIBIL scores of 750 or higher. In the UK, there’s no universal credit score, which means that each lender can score you differently, and you may never know why.

However, this does mean that if one lender rejects your loan request, that doesn’t mean other lenders won’t approve you– they may determine a completely different score for you! The three UK credit agencies (Experian, Equifax and Callcredit) will send information to any prospective lender.

Bottom line:

As a sole proprietor or a small business owner with fewer than 20 employees, your personal and business credit scores are closely linked in the eyes of banks and other lenders. It is critical that you monitor, evaluate and protect your personal and business credit rating just as you would another asset.

The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
My Twitter profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profile

Ahmad Raza

Ahmad is an MBA graduate of good humor and intelligence who hails from London. When he is not writing about technology and startups, he can be found traveling to some of the most thrilling places on earth.
My Twitter profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profile

Latest posts by Ahmad Raza (see all)

  • 5 Steps That Will Improve Workplace Productivity and Efficiency [Infographics] - August 23, 2020
  • Office Diplomacy: 7 Ways You Can Surprise Your Boss with an Unexpected Gift - April 3, 2019
  • How to Build a Business Website Seamlessly With Minimal Skills - June 12, 2018
Tweet73
Share7
Share17
Pin1
Share
Share
Pocket
Flip
98 Shares
« ClickMeeting Provides a Creative and Simple Webinar Solution
Why Your Marketing Firm Should Specialize in an Industry »

Filed Under: Small Business Advice Tagged With: business, business credit, credit report, finance

Comments

  1. Jackie says

    November 1, 2019 at 2:26 am

    Thank you for enlightens the viewers on what do if you are starting a business. The credit score is indeed a necessity for those who are planning to get a loan. It makes a good credit standing if you like to pursue it or not. It could be a risk. But, you can reduce your credit as needed.
    Jackie would love you to read ..5 Great Ways To Improve Your Credit Score | HTP Enterprises FinancialMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Manish Hinger says

    February 8, 2017 at 5:39 am

    I agree with this post that how the personal credit score affects your business credit for the start of business. For any start ups you need to have the good credit score. Make payments on time to establish good credit.

    Reply
  3. Mark says

    October 3, 2016 at 6:29 pm

    Thanks for pointing out what we definitely need to be mindful of Ahmad!

    And more times than not, it’s always best, to either pay your bills on time
    or in advance, as often as possible, just to be on the safe side.

    And thanks for sharing, the often overlooked International banking
    concerns, which may also have to be taken into account!
    Mark would love you to read ..So How In The World Do Savvy Entrepreneurs Give Away Extremely Valuable Services And Remain In Business?My Profile

    Reply
  4. nirjla says

    October 3, 2016 at 1:53 am

    which article you post in this site . that is totally unique to the other and different also . this is very good thing and uniuqe tip for the business to credit rating for new business start ups is very important. all tips is fab . keep updating this type of amazing post .

    Reply
  5. Gail Gardner says

    September 28, 2016 at 1:48 pm

    Hi Meena,

    They key is to pay everything on time which requires not taking on more debt than you can handle. Make a budget plan and focus on getting bills paid on time and your credit score will improve.
    Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Why Customer Service Matters and How to Improve ItMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Jitender Sharma says

    September 27, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    Hi, Ahmed great article buddy. Credit score matter’s a lot when you need a big amount of money either for personal need or Business needs. I’m Working with leading financial service provider from last 7 years and found that 70% of peoples have crushed their credit score because of lack ok knowledge.
    After seeing many peoples I’m also launching my financial blog (http://financebuddy.in/). Where I’ll share my experience, Ideas & Tips for getting best financial services.
    BTW thanks for the great info. Hopefully, this will also help the peoples looking for finance with bad/good credit score.
    Best regards.
    Jitender Sharma would love you to read ..7 STEPS TO BECOMING AN ONLINE INFLUENCERMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Rudra Ramya Sree says

    September 27, 2016 at 9:05 am

    Hi Ahmad,
    Thanks for sharing information about credit rating for new business start ups is very important .maintain newly start up business financial matter clearly will help in getting bank loans very easily.
    almost every bank follow CIBIL score to analyse customer financial situation before sanctioning loan.
    Rudra Ramya Sree would love you to read ..Forex (27.09.2016) Daily Pivot PointsMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Amar kumar says

    September 27, 2016 at 6:02 am

    Hey Ahmad,The separation between our personal credit and business credit can be tricky for small businesses, especially when we are the business. Building business credit aside from our personal credit is part of that equation. Pay business expenses with this card, not with our own personal card. This not only makes tracking expenses much easier, it helps us to build credit for the business as we use and pay off the card. If we are a sole proprietor, our personal credit and business credit are closely linked in the eyes of banks and other lenders. So it is important to take steps to protect both. We should monitor, evaluate and protect our credit standing just as we would protect any other business or personal asset. Eventually, thanks for sharing your worthy thought with us.With best regards,Amar kumar

    Reply
  9. Osho says

    September 27, 2016 at 4:57 am

    Hello Ahmed,

    Its really great to see you here, well to be honest I wasn’t ware of this business score and you have provided a great insights about it.

    Thanks
    Osho would love you to read ..5 Best .NET Based Content Management SystemsMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Ravi Chahar says

    September 26, 2016 at 7:42 am

    Hey Ahmad,

    Not only in the US but in many countries the credit card score matters. When you go to apply for a loan then such type of things are required.

    The bankers check your credit card history. How do you manage your money and many other things. You have elaborated it quite nicely.

    Thanks for sharing with us.
    ~Ravi
    Ravi Chahar would love you to read ..How To Add Author Name And Date Under Post Title In WordPress?My Profile

    Reply
  11. Golam Qauser says

    September 26, 2016 at 5:17 am

    Hi there, Thank you for the information. This is very helpful article to start business. keep it.

    Reply
  12. Eva says

    September 25, 2016 at 9:02 pm

    How to run a startup with out money? I am planning to run my business but my budget is very small.
    Eva would love you to read ..How To Make Sesame Tahini In A BlenderMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      September 26, 2016 at 10:48 am

      Hi Eva,

      Read 7 Reasons to Start Your Business on a Shoestring for some ideas.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Does My Credit Score Affect My Ability to Start a Business?My Profile

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts
You can add a link to follow you on twitter if you put your username in this box.
Only needs to be added once (unless you change your username). No http or @

Search

UPC CODES don't fall for fakes

Categories

Recent Posts

  • How to Get a US Passport Faster by Expediting
  • 5 Cyber Security Measures Your Business Needs to Consider
  • New Business: 4 Priorities When Starting to Avoid Failure
  • 7 Evergreen Tips to Beat Telecommuting Blues [Infographics]
  • 3 Ways You Can Show That You Value Your Employees
Don't Miss Your Path to Growth!
Enter your email to receive new
blog posts:

Did MOZ Drop Your Site’s DA?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv_cL50MpZA

Popular Posts

Small Business Websites: How to Make Yours More Compelling [Infographic + Video]Small Business Websites: How to Make Yours More Compelling [Infographic + Video]
7 Evergreen Tips to Beat Telecommuting Blues [Infographics]7 Evergreen Tips to Beat Telecommuting Blues [Infographics]
3 Ways You Can Show That You Value Your Employees3 Ways You Can Show That You Value Your Employees
5 Cyber Security Measures Your Business Needs to Consider5 Cyber Security Measures Your Business Needs to Consider
How A 26 Year Old Built a Brand That Changed Over a Million Lives [Infographic]How A 26 Year Old Built a Brand That Changed Over a Million Lives [Infographic]
How to Become a Medical Receptionist: What is Required?How to Become a Medical Receptionist: What is Required?
Minimizing Your Vulnerability to Online Security Risks [Infographic]Minimizing Your Vulnerability to Online Security Risks [Infographic]
Career Choices: How to Find Work in the Remote Economy [Infographics]Career Choices: How to Find Work in the Remote Economy [Infographics]
Getting Paid to Write – It’s More Than Just WritingGetting Paid to Write – It’s More Than Just Writing
5 Best Inventory Control Techniques to Improve Your Bottom Line [Infographic]5 Best Inventory Control Techniques to Improve Your Bottom Line [Infographic]

Greatest eCommerce Competitive Risks to Small Businesses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=bmlJmDYaax0

Serpstat: What it Does

https://youtu.be/rjIfKdIWk7M

GrowMap Policies

  • Disclosure Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • GrowMap Guest Blogging Guidelines

Connect With Growmap

growmap on twitter growmap on g plus growmap on linkedin growmap on pinterest growmap on facebook growmap on stumbleupon growmap on skype

Copyright © 2008-2021 Growmap · Centric Mobile Responsive Theme by StudioPress · Genesis Framework · Site maintaned By MarketingTilt

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

GrowMap
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side. Read our complete privacy policy.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.