A Beginner's

Guide to
Successful
Business Credit
 A Beginner's Guide to

Building Business Credit

The Road of Business Credit
BRITTANEY
 Overview
Structuring your business correctly, having good personal credit, and

building credibility are essential to get approved for business credit. Here

are the essential credibility steps that helped me get approved for business
credit:

Check your personal credit & scores with Experian, Equifax & Transunion. When trying

to get that first business credit card from a reputable bank/credit union, they REQUIRE
a personal guarantor, which means you are like a co-signor for your business just in

case your business goes under. Then you, the person, are liable for the debt.
Register your business with Secretary of State in the state your business will be operating.
Obtain the proper business licensing, permits, and training required for your industry
and your state (if applicable). For more information, contact your local Chamber of
Commerce.
Research and find your NAICS code. Be sure to choose the right code as some banks and
lenders do not typically do business with business that have "high-risk" NACIS codes
Obtain your Employer Identification Number. This filing must match your state filing
exactly.
Obtain a business phone number. It must be a real business or VOIP number not a
mobile or home phone.
Obtain a physical or virtual business address. It is not recommended to use a home
address, P.O. box, or UPS box. After obtaining your business address, update your
information with the secretary of state.
List your business number with 411 under the exact business name you used to register
your business.
Obtain a professional business email address. It is not recommended to use a personal
email address.
Purchase a domain and create a professional business website that properly reflects
your brand. Go Daddy and Squarespace for me were user friendly.

Obtain your D-U-N-S Number from Duns & Bradstreet

Review your business credit reports with Duns & Bradstreet, Experian Business and
Equifax Business to ensure no discrepancies or inaccuracies are reporting.
Choose 3-6 Tier 1 vendors who report to the business credit reporting agencies,
preferably those that report to either D&B or Experian.
Establish a minimum of 3-5 payments with each vendor (obviously the more the better).
Check your business credit reports to ensure all accounts and payment activity are
reporting accurately.
Repeat the detailed process outlined in the attached guide with each Tier of credit
(Tier 2-4) until you reach your desired goal.
Be sure to check your business credit reports regularly to ensure all accounts and
payment activity are reporting accurately.
 Structure Your Business
To effectively establish business credit, it helps
to properly establish your business. If your
business is new, take the time to set up your
business so it appears professional to both
clients and lenders.
1. Choose a Business Name

Think this one through carefully. Not only do

you want to make sure it will be unique and
memorable, but you’ll also want to make sure it
is legally available. Just because there are other
businesses with similar names doesn’t mean you
can’t use it, but be careful. If your business
name is similar to another business—
particularly one in your geographic area— your
business credit profiles could get mixed up with
one another. While you are at it, check domain
names, and social media accounts (Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram etc).
Do a Google search. Before you make your

final decision, consider a trademark search

to avoid any legal challenges down the

line. If your business name is too similar to

another you may not be able to register

that name when you create a legal entity.

It’s important to note that there are certain

prohibited words that cannot be included in

your company name, such as “bank” or

“insurance”. These words are restricted to

businesses that are licensed to provide

those specific services.

 2. Business Address

Before you incorporate your business, you

want to make sure to have your business

address FIRST!!

Although you can make changes with the

secretary of state, it's just less of a headache to
have everything streamlined and formed clean and
clear. Your business address must be a real
physical building, a deliverable physical address.

It cannot be a PO Box or a UPS address. Also,

lenders tend to frown upon the use of home
addresses. Many business owners that don't
require a physical office space opt to use credible
virtual business addresses with package and mail
scanning, holding, and forwarding services. DO
NOT USE THOSE VIRTUAL MAILBOXES. I
personally used Alliance Virtual Offices which
offers real walk-in office spaces to rent out based
on your needs. Works great when opening your
business bank accounts and trying to establish
yourself as a credible and verifiable business.
 3. Business Number

You'll need a dedicated business phone number

with a listing in the 411 directory as many lenders
will verify this information. This must be a local
business number. You can also obtain a toll-free
number as well. A toll-free or 800 number will also
give your business more legitimacy as well.

I also used Alliance Virtual Offices which offers

a business phone number and 411 directory
listing. It was just easier for me to pay for both
services in one bundle, rather than trying to
remember different merchants to pay monthly.

A cell or home phone number as your main

business line could get you flagged as a high-risk
or unestablished business. It's not recommended
to supply a personal cell phone or residential
phone number as your business phone number.
Keep in mind, some companies have forwarding
services included that will forward business calls
to your cell or landline phone number.
 4. Federal Tax ID Number (EIN)

Research and find your NAICS code as you will need

to provide this information on your EIN application. Be

sure to choose the right code as some banks and

lenders do not typically do business with businesses

that have "high-risk" NAICS codes.

A Federal Tax ID (EIN) is a 9-digit number assigned to

your business. You will need to obtain this number so

that you can do things like file company tax returns,

open a business bank account, apply for licenses and

permits, and apply for business credit. This step is

easy but critical to make sure you are set up properly
to begin applying for business credit.

You also need to file certain forms to fulfill your federal

and state income tax obligations. The forms you need

are determined by your business structure. You will

need to check your state's website for information on

state-specific and local tax obligations. Visit this IRS

Page for more details on tax obligations.

 5. Business Registration

Review the various business entities such as an

LLC, LLP or corporation, and select the one that is

the most beneficial for your business structure.

Keep in mind that sole proprietorships do not

create a separate business entity. I personally
have an LLC, but consult with a tax professional.

Once you have determined your business entity

structure, finalize your business name. Most states

require you to conduct a name search first with
the secretary of state in your state to ensure that

business name isn't already taken. Next, register

your business with the state and pay the required

fees.

Sometimes filing out all the necessary paperwork

can be overwhelming, as it was for me. So I

invested in my time and peace and used

LegalZoom to process all my LLC paperwork.

They have payment plans to meet your individual

needs. It's an option, but not necessary.
 6. Get a DUNS Numbe r

Applying for a DUNS number is a simple process.

It helps to first establish your business as a legal
entity (LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp, etc) with your state.
Inside the application, you’ll need to provide
information like your legal name and those of any
other business owners, your business name, the
name of your business’s headquarters and
address of your business, your telephone number,
whether you’re a home-based business, and the
number of employees at your physical location.

The more you learn about business financing —

including the importance of business credit cards
and business tradelines and how reporting to the
business credit bureaus is a key factor to the
growth of your company — the more your DUNS
number will work in your favor.

Go to Duns & Bradstreet (www.dnb.com)website

to get yours now!
 7. PERMITS/LICENSES

Be sure to obtain the necessary permits and

licenses for your business (if applicable ). For
more information, contact your local Chamber
of Commerce.

8. Business Email Address

It is important to get a business email address for

your clients to communicate with you
professionally. This also increases your chances
of getting a lender's approval when applying for
business credit. Setting up a business email
address is simple and inexpensive so make sure
you don't skip this step.

9. Social Media Business Account

Establish a social media presence for your business.

Create a Facebook, TikTok, Linkedin, Twitter,

Pinterest, Instagram, or Youtube account for your

business. Be sure to keep the name simple and the

same as your business name. Lenders will also check

your business' social media presence as well.
 10. Company Website

It's important to create a company website to establish

your business online as lenders often research your

company on the internet. Not having a company website

may potentially hurt your chances of getting business

credit. There are many places online that offer affordable

business websites such as Wix or Shopify. Be sure your

website displays your business services and contact

information. Try to use your exact business name for

your website.

11. Business Banking

Many vendors and lenders show favor to businesses that

have separate business bank accounts. Keeping
business, personal funds, and expenses separate is
important as it shows structure and organization. This is
also a good practice as it lessens the possibility of
having tax issues and audits with the IRS.

I recommend opening a business account with a credit

union like Navy Fed, or Pen Fed. Establishing a good
rapport with your bank (especially smaller banks)makes
it much easier to obtain the funds and resources needed
to grow your business.
 12. Register your business with online
.
services
You can register your business on Google so it
comes up in online searches. This is especially
important if your business has a physical address
and specific business hours. Also register social
media accounts for your business— even if you don’t
plan to use them yet— and consider registering with
review sites relevant to your business, such as Yelp
or TripAdvisor. Depending on your type of business,
you may want to set up a page on Facebook and/or
LinkedIn.

13. Get Insurance

Business insurance is designed to keep you in

business when losses come along. Without the right
coverage, the high costs of lawsuits, property
damage, or employee injuries could bankrupt a new
or growing company. Every business has different
needs, but some of the most popular coverages
include general liability, property, workers’ comp,
and commercial auto – and some of these can be
bundled together to save money.
 .
How do you legitimize a sole
proprietorship?

Most entrepreneurs in the US start their

businesses as sole proprietorships, which means
they do not create an LLC, corporation, or other
formal business type. If you choose to operate
this way, make sure you complete as many other
steps on this list as possible. Consider forming a
business structure as soon as it is feasible.

Refer to www.irs.gov for further tax information,

filings, fees, etc.
 14. Set up your Books

One of the most important steps you can take to

set your business up for success is to make sure
your bookkeeping is done in a timely manner and
that your business taxes (business income tax,
sales tax, payroll taxes etc) are paid on time. When
you set up your bookkeeping system, you’ll need
to set up your chart of accounts and begin keeping
track of business expenses and business income.

If you don’t know how business accounting works,

consider hiring a bookkeeper or accountant, or at
least take a class on business bookkeeping from your
local SBDC. I use QuickBooks Intuit, which helps
streamline all of my invoices, accounts receivable,
etc. Starting your business bookkeeping out on the
right foot will save you an enormous amount of time
in the long run.
 CHEAT SHEET

1. Name your Business (make sure it's

available, (check your Secretary of
State's Business Website)

2. Get a real physical address for your

business prior to incorporation!

3. Get a non-cell phone business phone

number

4. Get a business website, social media,

and business email

5. Get your business listed in 411

directory

6. Get your EIN #

7. Get your Duns & Bradstreet Number

8. Get any required licenses and

training for your specific business
industry.
9. Monitor and Review your personal AND
business credit reports with Duns &

Bradstreet, Experian Business, Equifax

Business and CreditSafe.

 The Truth About Business Tradelines

If you’re an entrepreneur trying to establish

business credit, you’ve probably heard terms like
“tradelines, trade credit, corporate tradelines, or
vendor accounts.” You may even know they are
important, but aren’t sure how to get them and
how they can benefit your business. Here we’ll
demystify them.

What is a business tradeline?

A business tradeline is a credit account between

a business and a vendor. Typically, a supplier or
vendor will offer the business payment terms
such as net-30, which means the business can
pay for purchases in 30 days, rather than upfront.
Net-30 accounts can improve the cash flow of the
business since goods or services don’t have to be
paid for upfront.
 What you should know about business
Tradelines?

Business tradelines can be a valuable tool

when it comes to preparing your business for
financing. In a nutshell:

Pros:
·Easier approval than loans
·Can improve cash flow
·Often available to startups and established
businesses
·On-time payments may help build business
credit scores

Cons:
·Credit limits may be small initially
·Limited to purchases with one vendor/supplier
·New businesses may be charged fees
·May forfeit a discount for faster payment
 Business Credit Reports

For you to successfully build your business credit you

should regularly monitor your business credit reports.
In doing so, you can see real-time updates, and
monitor when new payments report, prompting you to
move to the next tier of the credit-building stage. I
personally used NAV Technologies (www.nav.com,
& Duns & Bradstreet Credit Signal).

One secret to building business credit that few

entrepreneurs know is, to move to each credit tier,
you must have a certain amount of tradelines and
completed payments established.

For example, to get approved for revolving business

store cards, it's recommended that you have 3-5

payments reporting to the business credit reporting

agencies. While it is recommended to have at least

7-10 payments to get approved for cash credit such

as Visa cards will require.

 cont. Business Credit Reports

BUT HERE'S THE KEY!!

You have to know which business credit agency

each creditor/vendor reports to!! They all don't

report to the same agencies and sometimes, you'll

have 4 accounts all only reporting to Experian and

maybe not D&B, or all on Equifax and not on Experian.

That means you need accounts that will report to all

the business credit bureaus, and not all do. Ideally,

you’ll want to establish at least two to three credit

accounts with companies that report to all the

business bureaus.

I recommend calling each vendor and asking them

which business bureau they report to, what's the

minimum amount that's needed in order for them to

report the tradeline, and how often you have to

purchase products in order for them to keep reporting

to the bureaus. This is KEY!
 Types of Business Credit

Lenders often use a business’s credit history when

figuring out whether or not to loan the business

money. In case you decide to take out a loan to

finance equipment, hire more employees, move to a

bigger space, or expand your business in any other

way, favorable business credit can help you get

funding and financing with more appealing interest

rates.

Here are the most common types of business credit:

Vendor Credit – Short-term financing on products

or services (typically net 30, 60, or 90 terms)
Supplier Credit – Commercial financing in which a

customer is allowed to purchase goods or services

and pay the supplier at a later scheduled date
Business Credit Card – Secured or unsecured
business credit card used for business expenses
Business Line of Credit - Revolving accounts that
allow you to repeatedly borrow from the account
without reapplying
 When to open a Business Credit Card?

Opening a business credit card that reports

to the major commercial credit reporting
agencies is a great way to establish business
credit. BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE PERSONAL
GREAT CREDIT!! (I RECOMMEND AT LEAST A
720 OR HIGHER, W/ DIVERSE hx CREDIT
LINES) To get a business credit card, they
WILL require you to be like a "co-signor"
(PG).

But you can really benefit from perks such

as cashback or travel rewards, but you can
also use one of these cards to build credit.
Most small business credit card issuers will
use the owner’s personal credit scores and
income from all sources to determine if you
qualify. That means they are available to
startups as well as established businesses.
You definitely should have at least one open
business card if you qualify, but more than one
can also help. That way, you may be able to
access a higher credit limit to increase cash
flow. However, be sure to use caution and
avoid getting overextended as that can hurt
your business credit scores.

If you don’t qualify for a business credit

card, you can skip this step but come back
to it in the future when your personal
credit history has improved.
Top 5 Best Business Credit Report
Companies for 2023:

Nav: Best Overall Business Credit

Report Service
Dun & Bradstreet: Largest Business
Credit Report Agency and Services
Firm
Experian: Best for Deciding Who to
Do Business With
Equifax: Best for Small Business
Risk Assessment
CreditSafe: Best for Making Better
Business Decisions
 Experian Business Credit Report

Experian is the second most popular reporting

agency, it’s not essential to get your monitoring setup
with
them but considering many creditors do report to
them, it’s a good idea. Rather than offering a variety of
scores and metrics like the other two major bureaus,
Experian makes it simple. Each business gets one
credit score, called the CreditScore report. Experian’s
business scores range from 0 to 100. The higher the
score, the less risky your business will seem to lenders
and vendors.

Experian also calculates your business credit score

differently than the other two business credit bureaus.
Instead of your score being based on your payment
history, Experian considers other factors like supplier
information, state and local legal filings, lender
information, and more.
 Equifax Business Credit Report

Equifax evaluates your business in three different

ways. There’s a payment index, a credit risk score, and
a business failure score. The payment index is
measured on a scale of 0 to 100. It evaluates how
often your company pays its bills on time. This data is
largely drawn from lenders and vendors.

The business credit risk score helps creditors evaluate

the likelihood that your business will make late
payments. The business failure score predicts the
chance that your business will fail in the next year. It
typically takes more time to create a file with Equifax
Small Business than D&B and Experian. This is
because very few vendors use Equifax, and even
fewer creditors report to them. Instead, most report to
Experian or D&B. This is also why it’s important to
apply with the credit providers who report to Equifax
when you find them. Although you can obtain your
Equifax reports, it isn't necessarily essential.
 CREDITSAFE

CREDITSAFE uses the Cortera Score to measure

the overall creditworthiness of this business. The
lower the score the greater the odds that the
company will have financial stress in the next
twelve months. How fast have they been paying
recently? This company's payment rating over the
past twelve months.
 Vendor Credit

Almost all business credit profiles get started with

vendor credit. Vendor credit furnishers offer Net 15,
30, 60 or 90-day terms that count as credit, and report
payments to credit agencies, so that you can establish
and build business credit. This means that you can
buy their products or services up to a set dollar
amount and you have 15, 30, 60 or 90 days to pay the
bill in full. It's important to note that over 90% of
vendor credit, reports to the reporting agencies.
However, don't always assume that they do. Be sure to
verify with the vendor that they do report to the
business credit agencies before applying.

Additionally, it is recommended that you always apply

first without using your SSN to protect your consumer
credit. Many vendors will request it and some will
even tell you that it's required. However, many
vendors will also approve you without your SSN if your
business credit does not have any discrepancies. If
your
business credit is not good enough, you might be
declined and they might ask for your SSN.
 cont. Vendor Credit

Be sure to pay your bill timely, preferably early. The

earlier in a billing cycle you pay the bill, the higher

your scores will be. So, make sure that you pay your

bills as soon as your bill is received. It's also important

to check your business credit reports to insure your

new accounts are reporting. D&B claims this can take

between 1-3 reporting cycles, or 30-90 days. Monitor

your reports until you verify your new items are

reported and establish at least 3 payments before

moving on the next tier of credit.

 cont. Vendor Credit

These vendors generally don’t check the business

owner’s personal credit reports, but they may.
Personal credit checks for these types of accounts will
generally result in “soft inquiries” that don’t affect
personal credit scores, but there’s no guarantee that’s
the case. It’s a good idea to monitor your personal
credit.

Some of these vendors may require the buyer to make

initial purchases before they extend net 30 terms. This
is especially true for new businesses that have not yet
established good business credit profiles. While
interest is not typically charged if you pay on time,
you may forgo a cash discount.
 Tier 1 Credit

Opening Tier 1 business credit accounts is essential

when you have a small business and you are trying

to establish a business credit score or build good

business credit. Tier 1 business credit consists of

basic vendor trade credit, and they are great for

building business credit. These vendor credit

accounts are the easiest to qualify for and don’t

require credit history or lot of time in business.

Before moving to Tier 2 accounts, wait at least 30-

45 days to ensure you have a minimum of 3-5

reported payments from 3-6 Tier 1 vendor accounts

reporting to your business credit report. Once you

have confirmation that at least 3-6 accounts are

accurately reporting on your business credit report,

move on to Tier 2 credit.

 JUST A SIDE NOTE:

Honestly, if you do not have great

personal credit (above 720), AND
solid Tier 1 accounts with over an 80
Paydex score, I would not recommend
you apply for any Tier 2 accounts as
of yet. You most likely will end up
getting rejected and accumulating
way too many inquiries on your
personal credit.

But this is just my personal opinion

based on personal experience and
falling into this trap myself.

Apply own your own.

 Tier 2 Credit

Tier 2 business credit vendors provide what’s

called advanced trade credit, where you can
typically get
a higher credit limit and sometimes even longer
repayment terms than with traditional net-30
vendors. Once you’ve established 3-6 vendor
tradelines from Tier 1 vendors, you have a better
chance at securing Tier 2 business credit (accounts
with higher credit limits and/or longer repayment
terms) and Tier 3 and 4 credit (business financing,
i.e. a small business loan).

Before moving to Tier 3 credit, wait at least 30-45

days to ensure you have a minimum of 5 reported
payments from at least 3-6 Tier 2 accounts
reporting to your business credit report and at least
an 80 paydex score.
 Tier 3 Credit

Tier 3 vendors can be a gateway to a strong

business credit portfolio. Oftentimes, Tier 3 credit
furnishers require a longer time in business and an
established business credit score. They typically
like to see regular business revenue before they
will extend credit.

By the time you get to Tier 3, you should have at

least 6 accounts reporting to your business credit
report. Once you have at least 7-10 reported
payments, and an established score and profile,
you can begin securing Tier 3 business credit.
Please refer to the Tier 1 and Tier 2 sections to
ensure you have completed all of the steps. Also,

be
sure to confirm you have an established business
credit profile and score with at least D&B and
Experian.
 Tier 3 Credit

After you determine what companies you want to

apply for credit with, be sure to do enough research

on their requirements and application process to

give yourself enough time to prepare and to ensure

you are aware of what's required.

Please note: Most applications will ask for your

SSN. It is NOT recommended that you put your SSN

on the application. BE CAREFUL OF TOO MANY

INQUIRIES! You will get denied regardless of credit

score, if you have too many inquiries on your

personal credit report. If they determine you have

enough established business credit and it meets

their requirements you will more than likely get

approved without your SSN being supplied. If not,

they may ask you to provide your SSN.

 Tier 4 Credit

Working through the tiers allows you to build your

business credit portfolio and your business credit

score while protecting your consumer credit.

However, for some, working through the other tiers

is not an option because they have an urgent need

for capital and funding. Some business owners will

tell you they were able to skip straight to Tier 4

without applying for credit from vendors in Tiers 1-

3 first. Honestly, it’s possible.

If your personal credit is 720+ and you are not

interested in working through the tiers process, you

can bypass those steps and apply for business
credit cards, loans, cash credit accounts and lender

financing. If you don't mind using your SSN for a

personal guarantee, this may work if you have a

large amount of personal or business income.

W W W . T H E D R E A M L I F E W E L L N E S S S T U D I O . C O M
 Tier 4 Credit

Prior to applying for Tier 4 credit, please review

your credit reports and confirm you have a total of

10 accounts reporting. Ensure that at least one of

your reported accounts has a high limit of at least

$10,000 and you have an established business

credit profile and score with D&B and Experian.

Tier 4 vendors and lenders may not always be

readily available and as easy to find. Once you

determine which companies will benefit your

business, be sure to research each company before

you apply and confirm if they are able to extend

credit using your EIN without it being linked to your

SSN. Remember to complete the application with

your EIN instead of your SSN to protect your

consumer credit file.

 Pay On Time

Payment history is the most important factor

for any type of credit score, especially so for
business credit. Business credit reports use a
term called, “Days Beyond Terms” (DBT) that
describes how many days beyond the due date
a payment was made. For example, if your
terms with a vendor are “net-30,” and you pay
on day 32, the account will be reported as 2
DBT. Yes, that means late payments can affect
your business credit score if you pay just a day
or two late. Pay on time or early if you can, and
you may build your business credit score more
quickly.

Why is this important? Payment history is

the single most important factor for building
business credit.
 How Long Does It Take to Establish

Business Credit?

It may take a few months before new accounts

appear on your business credit reports. I
recommend calling the vendors you have gotten
credit with and verifying that they have reported the
account to the business bureau(s). (ALWAYS
VERIFY!! Nothing hurts worse than thinking an
account has been reported the past year, and
never got reported!)

Once they do, you’ll need several months of on-

time payments to establish a good business credit
score. Whether you have a new business or one
that is well-established, if you take the steps above,
you may be able to establish a good business credit
rating in several months to a year.

Business Credit for New Businesses

You can begin to establish business credit as

soon as you establish your business. In fact, the
sooner you begin to establish business credit, the
sooner you can benefit. Still, you’ll want to make
sure you have established your basic business
information (name, address, etc).
 Monitor Your Credit

Diligently monitoring your business credit

history can help you monitor your progress as
well as spot mistakes. If you do find an error, be
sure to file a dispute with the credit bureau
reporting the mistake.

Be sure to check your credit reports and

scores with more than one major credit
reporting agency to find out whether your
accounts are helping your scores, and if not,
consider adding additional credit references. I
personally use NAV technologies to keep track
of all three business credit scores, and
accounts. With Nav Business Boost you can
monitor full business credit reports from
multiple credit bureaus and build business
credit with tradeline reporting.

It costs $49.99 per month, but it is worth it,

especially when you are trying to build your
business profile and keep track of everything you
are working so hard to put into it. I also check
Duns & Bradstreet for accurate account reporting,
and to ensure I have the most up-to-date Paydex
score.
 What Is the Starting Credit Score for a

Business?

Business credit scores have different ranges. The

Experian Intelliscore and the D&B Paydex score both
start at 0 and go up to 100. Other scores may start at
a different number. If your business hasn’t
established credit, you may have a low credit score
or no credit score at all. This is very common, even
for companies that have been operating for many
years. It could also mean that maybe you did not
meet the reporting requirement for the vendors you
chose.

PLEASE CALL AND VERIFY WITH EACH

VENDOR/ACCOUNT THEIR MINIMUM
REQUIREMENTS FOR THEM TO REPORT TO THE
BUREAUS AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHICH BUREAU
THEY REPORT TO AND HOW OFTEN!!

If your business credit score is low, it doesn’t

necessarily mean you have bad business credit
(negative accounts). It may simply indicate a lack of
sufficient payment history or too few credit
references.
If you desire more credit and funding,
continue securing funding and growing your
business credit. Be sure to pay your bills in a
timely fashion, preferably early. Remember,
the earlier in a billing cycle you pay the bill,
the higher your scores will be. So, make sure
you pay your bills as soon as your bill is
generated.
 Statement

In statement, the better your business credit, the

more financial opportunities your business will
receive. But building business credit is NOT an
overnight process. Whoever tries to tell you that you
don't need personal great credit, to really build
business credit to the point where you can finance
your cars and homes in your business name is LYING!
You must begin as a PG (personal guarantor) But with
consistency and a solid business foundation, you will
eventually see the fruits of all your labor and
eventually no longer have to be a PG.

Having access to business credit is the lifeline for a

business. It enables you to obtain the capital you
need to expand, cover day-to-day expenses, purchase
inventory, hire additional staff, and allows you to
conserve the cash on hand to cover your cost of doing
business. Follow this guide to secure the tools and
resources your need to grow your business the right
way.
Resources
 Tier 1 Credit

Creative Analytics
Full-service digital marketing and management strategy consulting agency
LEARN MORE >

Business Tshirt Club

Wholesale blank apparel company
LEARN MORE >

Summa Office Supplies

Office supplies such as paper, folders, envelopes, labels, etc.
LEARN MORE >

NAMYNOT
Digital marketing services
LEARN MORE >

Office Garner
Apparel, offices supplies, electronics, etc.(Reports to Equifax, CreditSafe, SBFE)
LEARN MORE >

The CEO Creative

Office supplies, custom website design, branding services, and more.
LEARN MORE >

Ohana Office Products

Essential office products and supplies (They only report to Equifax Business)
LEARN MORE >

Wise Business Plans

Professionally written business plans, pitch decks and Powerpoint presentations
LEARN MORE >

Grainger
Industrial and safety products
LEARN MORE >

Maverick Office Supplies

Business office supplies (Reports to Equifax, & CreditSafe)
LEARN MORE >
 Tier 1 Credit (Continued)

Uline
Packaging, janitorial, food service, etc (Reports to Experian & Duns & Bradstreet)
LEARN MORE >

HD Supply
Industrial products and equipment
LEARN MORE >

Shell Small Business Card

Business gas card
LEARN MORE >

Shirtsy
Print-on-demand T-shirts and branding collateral
LEARN MORE >

Strategic Network Solutions

IT equipment including computers, software, networking gear, etc
LEARN MORE >

Supplyworks Home Depot Pro

Cleaning, janitorial, lighting products and more
LEARN MORE >

Sunbelt Rentals
Equipment rental solutions
LEARN MORE >

Pitney Bowes
Equipment, postage, shipping, and supplies
LEARN MORE >

MSC Direct
Metalworking, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products & services
LEARN MORE >

Synture
Business launch and growth academy
LEARN MORE >
Honda Power Equipments
Generators, lawn mowers, tillers, trimmers, snow blowers, & water pumps
LEARN MORE >

Amazon Net 30
Consumer and business essentials
LEARN MORE >

B and H Photos
Photo, video, digital cameras, photography, and computers
LEARN MORE >

JCPenney
Bedding, clothing, decor, and more
LEARN MORE >

Tiffany & Company

Luxury jewelry, fragrances and goods
LEARN MORE >

Lowes
Tools, appliances, building supplies, carpet and more
LEARN MORE >

Kleer Card
Business credit builder card
LEARN MORE >

RaceTrac
Fleet Fuel Card
LEARN MORE >
 Tier 3 Business Credit
Chase
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >

Bank of America
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >

Well Fargo
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >

DCU
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >

PNC
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >

Truist
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >

US Bank
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >

AMEX
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >

Regions
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >

BBVA
Business credit card
LEARN MORE >
 Tier 4 Credit

Ascentium
Business Loans
LEARN MORE >

HSBC
Commercial mortgage, revolving, and term loans
LEARN MORE >

Truist
Small business loans, auto, small business real estate loans, & lines of credit
LEARN MORE >

TD Bank
Business lines of credit and term loans
LEARN MORE >

Chase
Small business loans, business line of credit and commercial real estate financing
LEARN MORE >

DCU
Commercial mortgage, industrial, and business line of credit
LEARN MORE >

Blue Vine
Business line of credit
LEARN MORE >

Wells Fargo
Commercial real estate financing
LEARN MORE >

Lift Fund
Commercial real estate, inventory, vehicle, working capital loans, and more
LEARN MORE >

Ondeck
Lines of credit and term loans
LEARN MORE >

Backd
Lines of credit and working capital loans
LEARN MORE >
 Business Grants

FedEx Small Business Grant

Small business grant contest
LEARN MORE >

National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)

Business growth grants
LEARN MORE >

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Development grants
LEARN MORE >

SBIR Grant
Grants for research-based businesses
LEARN MORE >

U.S. Department of Education

Grants for education-based companies
LEARN MORE >

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Environment improvement grants
LEARN MORE >

Economic Development Administration (EDA)

Community infrastructure improvement grants
LEARN MORE >

Fast Break for Small Business

Small business grants
LEARN MORE >

Patagonia Corporate Grants Program

Grants for nonprofits striving to preserve and protect the environment
LEARN MORE >

Visa Everywhere Initiative

Startup fin-tech grants
LEARN MORE >