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.