Business Financing Today?

by Trent Lee 21. April 2010 07:54


With all the news fury in relation to the economy, the bailout package in addition to the credit crunch, is it actually probable
to get hold of small business financing right now? The fast reply is YES, nonetheless, there are a number of items that MUST
be into place to ensure that the banks see your company as a “Safe Risk.”
 
Let's make one item clear before briefly touching on each of those items so as to must be inside place before you apply
for a company loan. We are living in a credit crunch, not a credit freeze. There is still available corporation financing
in addition to banks are still lending money, not nearly as much as they were last year, but none the less, they are still
lending.
 
To make certain unsurpassed results when applying meant for company financing, you need to make certain that your company credit
is well-built and be able to sustain like a finance request. Company credit is not commonly set up automatically, as a result just because
you have been within business doesn’t essentially mean you have small business credit.
 
Here is a first-rate rule of thumb: if you don’t identify for certain you have a business credit file, then you mainly likely
don’t! There are a couple MUST’s at what time setting up your corporation credit profile.
 
1.         Separate legal entity- this means that you ought to not be operating your small business as a sole administrator.
        You need to have a separate legal entity, separate from you personally.
 
2.         411 listing- you should have a local land line phone number that is dedicated to your corporation listed
        within the national 411 directly. Don’t use your cell phone, viop, or answering service.
 
3.         Proper licensing- state, federal and county licensing every need to be taken into consideration.
        This does not mean that you will necessarily need licensing at each of those levels, but you should
        verify what licensing is required based on your business plus location.
 
4.         Bank account balance- needless to say, your business must have a bank account, what many entrepreneurs
        don’t understand is so as to there is a bank account balance rating. The higher the average balance, the
        better the rating.
 
5.         Company credit profile- there are 3 main company credit bureaus, you should have a proper
        corporation credit file set up with each one of them.
 
Once each of these items is within place you can work towards building strong history to your small business credit file
with each bureau. When you go to apply for business financing, the banks will pull your business credit report,
if you have everything inside place along with a strong corporation credit file you greatly increase the chances of
obtaining favorable financing terms and business credit.

Currently rated 4.0 by 1 people

  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags:

establish business credit

by Trent Lee 19. April 2010 05:28
A business credit rating is similar a personal credit rating. Lenders will use the corporate credit to determine your worthiness to receive a loan and if you are a risky venture or not. Corporate credit concepts is all about understanding the impact your payment history and debt capacity have on your ability to obtain financing for your business.

When you are trying to obtain financing, you need to work on building your business credit history. You can do this by opening a small line of credit or a credit card that has a low balance. This gives you a chance to slowly build up your business credit. Of course in order for you to build your business credit, you do need to have your personal credit rating pretty high in order for lenders to use it as collateral to offer you other loans.

To establish business credit involves having a solid business plan. Your business plan will provide information about what type of products you plan to sell, how you plan to get it into the hands of your target market, and how your target market will be able to sustain your business for years to come. This helps the lender know if you actually have a market and if you have a good marketing plan to let people know you are here and you actually exist.

Another thing lenders may discuss with you is collateral. If your business is a separate entity from your personal finances you will find it much easier to get loans for the business. Having everything combined means that you may need to put your home on the line to secure the loan. Corporate credit concepts combines lending with being smart. If your business goes under, can you really afford to lose your home? Always think about the collateral you are planning to front and discuss it with other members in the household before you put their home on the line too.

Currently rated 5.0 by 1 people

  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags:

Building Good Business Credit

by Trent Lee 14. April 2010 11:43

Corporate Credit Concepts

A business credit rating is similar a personal credit rating. Lenders will use the corporate credit to determine your worthiness to receive a loan and if you are a risky venture or not. Building business credit is all about understanding the impact your payment history and debt capacity have on your ability to obtain financing for your business.

When you are trying to obtain financing, you need to work on building your business credit history. You can do this by opening a small line of credit or a credit card that has a low balance. This gives you a chance to slowly build up your business credit. Of course in order for you to build your business credit, you do need to have your personal credit rating pretty high in order for lenders to use it as collateral to offer you other loans.


It involves having a solid business plan. Your business plan will provide information about what type of products you plan to sell, how you plan to get it into the hands of your target market, and how your target market will be able to sustain your business for years to come. This helps the lender know if you actually have a market and if you have a good marketing plan to let people know you are here and you actually exist.

Another thing lenders may discuss with you is collateral. If your business is a separate entity from your personal finances you will find it much easier to get loans for the business. Having everything combined means that you may need to put your home on the line to secure the loan. Corporate credit concepts combines lending with being smart. If your business goes under, can you really afford to lose your home? Always think about the collateral you are planning to front and discuss it with other members in the household before you put their home on the line too.

Currently rated 5.0 by 1 people

  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags: ,

Is business credit for you?

by Trent Lee 12. April 2010 07:38

Corporate Credit Concepts

Any time you approach a bank to ask for money to expand your business, you will run into a few roadblocks along the way. Since the recession, lenders have really tightened their restrictions on lending money to small businesses and individuals with mediocre credit ratings. Building business credit involves knowing where your business stands financially and looking for ways to improve your personal and business credit.

Everyone wants to get the best interest rates on their loans, but in today’s economy this is going to be hard. Your personal credit rating should range upwards of 700 and your business PayDex score should be 80. The combination of these two elements will make you more attractive to lenders because they can few you as a small risk. They see that you are able to repay your debts and you don’t get in over your head. This is one of the best corporate credit concepts tips to follow if you want to reduce the interest rates on your loans.

Now what about actually receiving the loan in the first place? What type of information do lenders search for? Here are some of the things every lender searches for when they are mulling over the decision to offer you a loan:

•    Is your business a separate entity? Do you have an actual business structure like an LLC?
•    Do you have a good business plan? Do you actually have a target market that will buy your products?
•    Where is all the money going to go? Are you hiring new people? Are you buying new equipment? Proper financial documentation is important for lenders to offer you a loan.

Another tip to follow; always keep a tight leash on your books. You need to keep your cash flow out of the red and in the green. Watch your cash reserves and make sure you have a niche market that can keep the money rolling in. Bank will want to see full documentation typically so have them handy.

Currently rated 5.0 by 1 people

  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags:

Business credit

by Trent Lee 9. April 2010 09:39

Corporate Credit Concepts

In order to start or expand a business, you need to understand what your corporate credit is all about. It involves separating your personal expenses and income from your business life. You cannot use your business credit cards to buy furniture for your new home and other things as this will make it difficult when tax time comes around and an auditor is poking through your books. Lenders want to work with businesses that know what they are doing, have a proven track record, and have a future ahead of them. Here are some items you need to be aware of to increase your chances of getting a loan:

1.    Order a copy of your credit report. You need to find out where your personal and your business credit currently stand. Check the reports for errors to make sure the score you have merit financial worthiness. Once you have cleaned any errors off your report you can develop a strategy for how you can improve your credit rating, which usually involves making timely payments and keeping low balances on your loans.


2.    A great tip is to create a good business plan. Banks always want to see what your business plan is because this helps to give them a well-rounded decision about your business. Your business plan should include information about what your business is, who your target market is, how you plan to reach your target market, and what you plan to do to stay in business. Have several people read over your business plan in order to make sure you have built a strong one.


3.    Talk to multiple lenders. Never limit yourself to one company, especially if you know your credit rating is less than perfect. Even though times are tough, there are still some lenders out there that want to see you succeed.Make sue to ask if they require a personal guarantee.

Currently rated 5.0 by 1 people

  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags:

Building Business Credit

by Trent Lee 8. April 2010 03:29
Corporate Credit Concepts

How can you obtain financing for your business venture? Building business credit involves  helps in establishing a smart business plan and reducing your personal liability. Here are some things you need to know when you are ready to start begging for business financing:

Corporate structure
A large part of your ability to obtain financing depends on your corporate structure. This is critical to your business success as it will build a business that is separate from you financially. Now the business will be held liable instead of you if it fails or if there is a crisis. This is the number one corporate credit concepts tip to follow when you are looking for financing. There are 4 types of corporate structures to choose from:
1.    LLC
2.    C-Corp
3.    S-Corp
4.    Non-Profit
Meet with an attorney to figure out which one is right for you so you can get your new business up and running in no time.

Register with the Credit Bureaus
Another important tip to remember is to make sure you register with the credit bureaus. This will allow them to build a financial record for your business. Obtain a small credit card or line of credit for your business credit to take effect. Work with vendors that report information as this will help to improve your chances to get a loan. When you make timely payments, vendors will tell the credit bureau and this show lenders that you have no problem meeting your payment obligations.

Monitor your credit
If you really want to get the best financing out there, you need to keep a close eye on your credit. This is perhaps one of the best things you can do to improve you ability to get a loan. You will be aware when you have credit problems so you can fix them before they start to hurt your credit rating significantly. It is well worth it to establish business credit in the long run.

Currently rated 4.5 by 2 people

  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags:

How to Save Money With Business Credit

by Trent Lee 15. May 2009 07:47

It is a well known fact that in order to get ahead in the business world, you need to be extended some form of a credit line. Typically, these credit lines are secured from a bank. To qualify for a loan at a bank, your business will need to have business credit established. This is the part that most people did not know. Do you know the difference between business credit and personal credit?

Personal credit is when you are being held personally reliable for the loan. This means, if the loan is not re-paid, the bank has right to take your home, car and other assets that belong to you; even if it was for your business.

Note: This is the main difference between a sole proprietorship or partnership and a corporation.
Business credit is when the company is liable for the debt obligations. The company establishes their credit history through trade lines of credit and paying those bills as well as other debt obligations on time and consistently.

In business credit, personal credit plays no role in the scoring. The business is its own legal, separate entity that becomes liable for its own actions and outcomes.
Businesses can save a lot of money not only monthly, but yearly when operating their business by utilizing business credit. Here are some effective ways where you can actually save money with business credit.

1.    A business loan versus a personal loan shows a very big difference in interest rates. A personal loan has a higher interest rate because it is deemed more of a risk. A business loan is deemed less risky than a personal loan because it has an established business credit history.

In order to get a business credit, you have to achieve at least 5 open trade accounts; this means you have been successful at maintaining numerous accounts in good standing.
Example: A 7% difference between a personal and business loan on a dollar value of $55,000.00 can save you more than $10,000.00 on a 5 year loan. When speaking of interest rates, the money adds up- quickly!

2.    Business Credit offers you a more flexible way to make purchases, thereby leaving your liquid assists, money. This offers money saving right off from the start. Instead of spending your money right away, you can let it sit in an account and earn interest until the end of the month.

By establishing business credit, not only are you being active in the money saving opportunities business credit provides, but you are placing your business on a solid path to success. It is imperative, whether or not it is a start up business, to weigh all options where maximization of profit can be achieved.

Generally, a start up business will rely on its first contacts to establish themselves. During this time it is important to monitor the business credit report closely. Many inconsistent reports can happen, and even no reports at all. As a business, you are responsible for keeping track of reporting accuracies. After all, it is your business.

Currently rated 2.5 by 4 people

  • Currently 2.5/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags:

How Do I Build Business Credit?

by Trent Lee 8. May 2009 07:14


Many businesses are looking to get a loan. They soon realize they did not take the appropriate steps in order to attain that loan. For them, it is back to the drawing board or worse yet, folding. If you do not want to be one of those businesses, then you need to make sure you have all things lined up and in order. As you might have guessed, the first main step is found in establishing good business credit.

Please note that building personal credit and building business credit are different. Although they rely on the same principles, there are things in business credit that are not found in personal credit and vice versa. 

For example, in personal credit you have laws that help establish and maintain a correct credit score. With business, there are no laws to protect you. It is up to the business owner to monitor their credit and make the necessary corrections.


1.    You need to first establish a sound business structure. Make sure you are a corporation or LLC per DUN prerequisites. Establishing a solid business structure requires all licensing and tax obligation papers, etc. You want to show you are compliant with law and regulations.


2.    Make sure you establish and build credit by purchasing from companies that report to the major credit bureaus: Dun and Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax. You can do this by establishing a net 30 account with these companies.


There are also some aspects you should avoid when looking to build business credit. There are companies out there that look to trick the unknowing. If you are browsing through information and come to one that says you can build your business credit for a certain amount of money, you are looking at a scam. Stay far away from those as possible. Here is what some of them look like.


1.    You can buy trade accounts. This is extremely against the law.  If the credit agencies find out about this, they will purge your credit history. This will also not allow you to establish very good credit history later on, as it will be a permanent blemish on your business credit history. No one likes to deal with a cheat or liar.


2.    There are companies out there that are called shelf companies. They will basically guarantee you a loan based on their credit rating. This is wrong for two reasons. One, you want to build your own credit and relying on someone else is the wrong way to do it. Two, they more than likely will not have the credit to obtain that loan either.


3.    Make sure you have good personal credit as well as good business credit. Do not just rely on good personal credit as a back fall. Remember, you want to keep personal and business completely separate.


If you follow the steps outlined above, you will ensure that you have a good solid foundation to begin establishing business credit that is necessary for advancement and growth.

Currently rated 3.3 by 3 people

  • Currently 3.333333/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags:

How Do I Build Business Credit?

by Trent Lee 1. May 2009 06:45


Many businesses are looking to get a loan. They soon realize they did not take the appropriate steps in order to attain that loan. For them, it is back to the drawing board or worse yet, folding. If you do not want to be one of those businesses, then you need to make sure you have all things lined up and in order. As you might have guessed, the first main step is found in establishing good business credit.
Please note that building personal credit and building business credit are different. Although they rely on the same principles, there are things in business credit that are not found in personal credit and vice versa.  For example, in personal credit you have laws that help establish and maintain a correct credit score. With business, there are no laws to protect you. It is up to the business owner to monitor their credit and make the necessary corrections.


1.    You need to first establish a sound business structure. Make sure you are a corporation or LLC per DUN prerequisites. Establishing a solid business structure requires all licensing and tax obligation papers, etc. You want to show you are compliant with law and regulations.

2.    Make sure you establish and build credit by purchasing from companies that report to the major credit bureaus: Dun and Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax. You can do this by establishing a net 30 account with these companies.


There are also some aspects you should avoid when looking to build business credit. There are companies out there that look to trick the unknowing. If you are browsing through information and come to one that says you can build your business credit for a certain amount of money, you are looking at a scam. Stay far away from those as possible. Here is what some of them look like.


1.    You can buy trade accounts. This is extremely against the law.  If the credit agencies find out about this, they will purge your credit history. This will also not allow you to establish very good credit history later on, as it will be a permanent blemish on your business credit history. No one likes to deal with a cheat or liar.

2.    There are companies out there that are called shelf companies. They will basically guarantee you a loan based on their credit rating. This is wrong for two reasons. One, you want to build your own credit and relying on someone else is the wrong way to do it. Two, they more than likely will not have the credit to obtain that loan either.

3.    Make sure you have good personal credit as well as good business credit. Do not just rely on good personal credit as a back fall. Remember, you want to keep personal and business completely separate.


If you follow the steps outlined above, you will ensure that you have a good solid foundation to begin establishing business credit that is necessary for advancement and growth.

Currently rated 2.7 by 3 people

  • Currently 2.666667/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags:

Email Marketing Campaigns

by Trent Lee 6. April 2009 09:30
Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing campaigns are a great way to not only stay in touch with your customers, but to bring them special savings on specials right to their home. You can use an email marketing campaign to attract attention to your company and it costs you nothing but your time to do it.

Gathering Emails

You can obtain email addresses in many ways. If you are running a company with a website, offer a free newsletter, you will be given the potential customers email address and since they have agree to accept the newsletter you can inform them that you will be sending special offers through that email address occasionally as well.

 Always notify them that they will receive emails before accepting their address, this will eliminate the angered customers who feel you are spamming them later.

You can also obtain the email addresses through your ordering process; include a short statement asking them if they would like to be informed of upcoming specials and new products or services. If they agree, then they can insert their email address to be placed on future mailings.

Creating an Email Marketing Campaign

When you create the email you have to keep in mind that the subject line is the first thing they will see. You should make it personal, but to the point of what it is. A good example of a subject line would be:

•    A Special Offer Just For You (Customers Name) From (Company Name)

A bad example of a subject line would be:

•    OPEN QUICK – ONLY A FEW WILL RECEIVE THIS OFFER!!!!!!!!!

The reason being is that the all caps and generic statement are normally associated with spam mail. If you use the customers name they will know they have solicited this email and be more likely to open. There has to be a subtle approach to the subject line as the ones who tend to jump off the page look more like spam than an invited email.

In the body of the email is where all the real content should be. Your email should be professional, themed the same style as your site, using similar colors and fonts. The information that is contained within will display product images or service descriptions on what you want to advertise.

You should ensure that the target audience for what you are selling is the right one, do not send an email for a special savings on men’s shoes to the female that spent several hundred dollars purchasing ladies wear. This creates an informal feeling and will get you no attention.

You can advertise generically to anyone if you are simply sending out a savings offer or want to let them know about the new products or services you are offering.

Your email marketing campaigns are only as good as you make them. You decide how much time and detail will go in to making each one personal and with the time you put you, you should expect a huge profit in return.

Currently rated 2.0 by 2 people

  • Currently 2/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Tags:

Powered by BlogEngine.NET 1.4.5.0
Theme by Mads Kristensen