If you’re a small business owner, you’ve probably thought about how to raise money to expand your company. Even if you were able to start your business with your own money, there would come a time when you will need to borrow money. Understanding the bigger picture when it comes to business credit would be extremely beneficial to you. Understanding how small business financing works, how business credit scores are measured, how Creditsafe Business Credit Report vary from personal credit scores, and the value of building good credit can all help you succeed as your business grows.
Business loans are often used to secure inventory, purchase equipment, rent operational space, and recruit staff. They cover a variety of other expenditures while starting a business or expanding an existing one. New businesses, on the other hand, can find it difficult to obtain business loans.
Understanding Credit Scores for Businesses
Before we get into the specifics of Creditsafe Business Credit Report, how they’re used, and how to monitor them, it’s important to understand why they’re so important and why this is such a challenging subject for so many people. Even the most well-educated company owners have trouble grasping the concept of business credit. Several factors make it complicated…and crucial.
What is the concept of a business credit score?
Let’s describe business credit scores now that we’ve established their importance: A business credit score is a number that indicates the probability of your company being eligible for financing.
A personal credit score or a personal FICO score are close, but not the same. Personal credit scores are a term that most people are familiar with. There are a few main distinctions between personal credit scores and company credit scores. Personal credit scores vary from 300 to 850, with most lenders needing a score of at least 600 to qualify for a personal loan.
How are Business Credit Scores Used?
Small business lenders use various credit rating agencies’ business credit ratings to determine whether or not to offer small businesses loans. Lenders use the business credit score to assess the size of the loan they can make. Lenders consider whether your company has paid previous debts on time, how easily you pay vendors, and how much revenue you’ve generated over time.
What are the Purposes of Business Credit Scores?
Business credit ratings are often used to assess a company’s ability to repay a loan. A lender, financial institution, or third-party company may feel more secure about completing a financial transaction that needs credit if the business credit score is high.
Lenders use business credit scores to assess a variety of factors, including:
- Make loan and credit decisions — Before authorizing a loan or line of credit, a lender would normally want to see a rundown of a company’s creditworthiness. This number can also be used to calculate repayment terms and interest rates.
- Do business with another company — Before entering into a long-term agreement or contract, a business credit report may help one company determine if another company is financially sound. Working with a partner who has previously defaulted on loan payments or failed to pay invoices on time is much less risky than working with a partner who has previously defaulted on loan payments or failed to pay invoices on time.
- Extend trade terms to a consumer — By entering into trade deals with clients or consumers, certain firms extend terms such as net 60 day deferred payments or installment payments. A high business credit score will reassure these companies that their obligations under the trade agreement will be met. It can also assist the company in obtaining favorable trade terms.
- Appeal to potential investors — If your company wishes to raise money from angel investors or venture capitalists, they will want to know that you have a sound financial background before investing. They will feel more confident if their business credit score indicates low risk.
- Determine business insurance rates — Insurance companies are more likely to provide favorable rates to a company with strong business credit and a track record of debt repayment. They frequently use an insurance credit score based on several of the same criteria as a standard business credit score.
A Creditsafe Business Credit Report serves the same purpose as a personal credit score for your personal finances. When it comes to lending, lenders and borrowers want to minimize risk, so they search for details about whether a company is likely to repay the loan or not.
Business credit reporting services gather information about the company’s financial history and use it to compile a risk profile for lenders, known as the business credit score. Finally, if the company is brand new, you are unlikely to have any financial transaction payment history to calculate. You will start building up those scores and improving your risk score if you start using credit wisely.