Build business credit (before you need it)

Business credit is your company's own reputation with lenders — separate from your personal credit. Build it early and quietly, and when you need a loan or better terms, you'll qualify. Ignore it, and you'll be borrowing against your house at the worst possible time.

Do this

1. Make the business its own entity: register it, get an EIN, and open a business bank account.
2. Get a free D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet — it's how business credit is tracked.
3. Open a business credit card or a small vendor/trade account, and pay it on time, every time.
4. Keep business and personal finances separate — mixing them keeps your business a credit unknown.

Start your business credit

• Business registered + EIN from the IRS
• Business bank account (money kept separate)
• Free D-U-N-S number (dnb.com)
• A business credit card or vendor/trade account in the business's name
• Every bill paid on time — on-time history is the whole game
• Personal and business spending never mixed