Some business owners think that getting a business credit card is unnecessary and choose to stick with their personal credit cards as a means of financing their business needs. But is there really an advantage in using a business credit card? Below are five important things a business owner must know about business credit cards.
1. Separate your personal and business finances.
At the start, one may feel that it’s okay to combine both personal and business charges using personal credit cards. But as you incur more business expenses in your personal account, you’ll see that combining the two isn’t such a good idea.
First, it makes accounting tasks more confusing and second, it makes management of your personal and business funding a lot more difficult. On the contrary, using a business credit card enables you to separate your personal account from your business account which is a great ease as your business starts to grow.
2. Business credit cards help build your business credit.
Every business owner must establish his own business credit history as early as possible. A business credit card lets you do just that. Keeping your business credit in good shape is a good preparation when the time comes that you’ll need additional help in financing or expanding your business.
3. Take advantage of special privileges.
Some privileges provided by business credit card companies are only limited to business credit card holders. These privileges include discounts, special rates, gifts, insurance, additional credit cards for employees, business reward programs and other perks that can boost your business.
In fact, credit cards with reward programs allow its holders to earn more points more quickly than personal credit card holders. This is because business expenditures are expectedly much higher than personal expenses. When you own a business, you’ll be spending the same amount of money each month whether you get a business credit card or not. So why let this opportunity pass when you can spend and earn rewards for your business expenses at the same time? Choose the best reward program that works best for your type of business. For instance, you may choose to get a credit card for business with a Cash Back Program, Frequent Traveler Rewards, Gas Rewards Program, etc.
4. Better rates.
Some people have the false notion that business credit cards always come with high interest. On the contrary, you can find business credit card deals today that are even lower than what personal credit cards offer. Don’t forget that competition between credit card companies enables consumers to choose the best deals.
5. Boost your personal credit history at the same time.
Since you haven’t yet established a business credit, when you apply for a business credit card, the bank would be granting you approval based on your personal credit history. This means, if you can keep up a clean credit in both your personal and business credit card accounts, it will be a great boost in your overall credit status.
More of Business Credit Card Articles
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Thursday, September 4, 2008
3 Ways to Build Business Credit Properly
Many small businesses could benefit from having extra capital available to free up their cashflow, but unfortunately most will never know that they can establish and build business credit for their business without using their personal credit.
There are 3 critical things that any small business can do to make sure they are building business credit.
Don't apply for credit cards that say they are business credit cards, if the application asks for your personal information such as your social security number. This is a dead give-away that it's a personal credit card in disguise as a business credit card.
Prepare Your Company's Documents
Make sure your small business is setup properly from the beginning. That means having your articles of corporation filed properly with the secretary of state in the state you do business in, as well as filing with the IRS for a Tax ID number (sometimes called an EIN number). These pieces of information are critical to filling out a true business credit application.
Friday, August 29, 2008
How To Find A Good Business Credit Card
by Joseph Kenny
Business credit cards can be a real asset to any business. They enable a business to carry on a number of its financial functions with greater ease and can certainly bring some savings along with it - if you get the right credit card. Here are a few tips on how to select the card that would be best for your business.
Business credit cards can be a real asset to any business. They enable a business to carry on a number of its financial functions with greater ease and can certainly bring some savings along with it - if you get the right credit card. Here are a few tips on how to select the card that would be best for your business.
The first thing you want to consider when choosing your business credit card is what do you primarily use it for - what kind of purchases will mostly be charged to the credit card? The variety of types of cards will enable you and your business to get sizable savings if you get the right one. If your company is looking for a card that your company representatives or executives can use, then you may want to get an air miles credit card - if air travel is required by most of your agents. Or, possibly a gas credit card if vehicles are heavily used on a regular basis.
After you select a type of card, you want to start looking at the various features. One of the most important ones is the interest. Some business credit cards now do not have any interest rate. Typically, the card will usually not have an introductory offer period, and there is an annual fee on the card that could be as high as about $180. This fee usually will not be charged for the first year. Otherwise, where there is interest charged, you will want to get the lowest possible since that is what you will be paying if you leave any balance on the card.
Monday, August 25, 2008
How to Find the Best Business Credit Cards
by: Steve Faber
Credit is vital to make almost any business operate at peak efficiency. Credit works as financial lubrication to maximize growth and allow for seasonal fluctuations in business. The largest category of business credit is the credit card. These are used by almost all businesses, and can be a vital step in building business credit to the point where a principal or owner's personal guarantee is no longer required for credit such as vehicle leases, inventory, or equipment financing.
Finding the best business credit card requires a careful analysis of your specific business requirements. What are you going to be using your credit cards for? If a majority of the card's use will be for travel, choosing a card that has rewards and discounts that can be applied to offset travel expenses and get discounts from hotels, air carriers and car rental companies.
If you will be using your business' card for recurring expenses such as office supplies and fuel, a rewards card that gives vendor discounts and supplier rewards can be a good choice. Many business supply firms, oil companies, and vehicle manufacturers offer cards with rewards that can be redeemed for their merchandise.
What ever special benefits your credit card may confer to the user, the first step is to make sure the basics are covered. The best business credit card for you should have a low interest rate, attractive fee structure, and good customer service. If the basics aren't in place, the other details aren't nearly as important.
Credit is vital to make almost any business operate at peak efficiency. Credit works as financial lubrication to maximize growth and allow for seasonal fluctuations in business. The largest category of business credit is the credit card. These are used by almost all businesses, and can be a vital step in building business credit to the point where a principal or owner's personal guarantee is no longer required for credit such as vehicle leases, inventory, or equipment financing.
Finding the best business credit card requires a careful analysis of your specific business requirements. What are you going to be using your credit cards for? If a majority of the card's use will be for travel, choosing a card that has rewards and discounts that can be applied to offset travel expenses and get discounts from hotels, air carriers and car rental companies.
If you will be using your business' card for recurring expenses such as office supplies and fuel, a rewards card that gives vendor discounts and supplier rewards can be a good choice. Many business supply firms, oil companies, and vehicle manufacturers offer cards with rewards that can be redeemed for their merchandise.
What ever special benefits your credit card may confer to the user, the first step is to make sure the basics are covered. The best business credit card for you should have a low interest rate, attractive fee structure, and good customer service. If the basics aren't in place, the other details aren't nearly as important.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Find the best out of your Business Credit Cards
Maximize the great advantage of business credit cards. Find out how your business can benefit from the flexibility and conveniences that business credit cards bring.
Not proper use of business credit card will result to bad credit, but if you know how to handle your credit card responsibly, then definitely you and your business can avail the great benefits a business credit card offers.
Here are the advantages of small business credit cards and how you can use them to their full potential:
Keeps Your Cash Flow Steady. Sometimes your petty cash isn’t enough to cover for everything like for unexpected expenses, charge them on your card and pay at a later time. Having a business credit card on hand is indispensable. Make sure that you can pay back your charges on time because a business credit card covers some of your operating costs.
Build-up Your Business Credit. Building good credit and maintaining an excellent credit status depends on your timelines of submitting your credit card payments. Also, pay attention on how much of your credit limit is used. Ideally, to keep a high credit score, you should not exceed more than 50% of your allotted credit.
Track Your Business Spending. Use of business accounting software isn’t enough; business credit card is another way to easily monitor your accounts. Use you monthly, quarterly and yearly account summaries from your credit card company as references to your accounting particularly when filing your business taxes.
Get rewarded from your credit card spending. Choose from a wide variety of credit card rewards programs that are especially created to meet your business needs. By choosing a business reward credit card that complements your business’s spending, you can certainly get more from a reward business credit card.
Not proper use of business credit card will result to bad credit, but if you know how to handle your credit card responsibly, then definitely you and your business can avail the great benefits a business credit card offers.
Here are the advantages of small business credit cards and how you can use them to their full potential:
Keeps Your Cash Flow Steady. Sometimes your petty cash isn’t enough to cover for everything like for unexpected expenses, charge them on your card and pay at a later time. Having a business credit card on hand is indispensable. Make sure that you can pay back your charges on time because a business credit card covers some of your operating costs.
Build-up Your Business Credit. Building good credit and maintaining an excellent credit status depends on your timelines of submitting your credit card payments. Also, pay attention on how much of your credit limit is used. Ideally, to keep a high credit score, you should not exceed more than 50% of your allotted credit.
Track Your Business Spending. Use of business accounting software isn’t enough; business credit card is another way to easily monitor your accounts. Use you monthly, quarterly and yearly account summaries from your credit card company as references to your accounting particularly when filing your business taxes.
Get rewarded from your credit card spending. Choose from a wide variety of credit card rewards programs that are especially created to meet your business needs. By choosing a business reward credit card that complements your business’s spending, you can certainly get more from a reward business credit card.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Separating Your Business Finances from your Personal Money
Separating Your Business Finances from your personal expenses is a challenge. In this article, it's all about the advantages of using business credit cards for your business expenses.
Still today, many small business owners and home based business entrepreneurs prefer to use their personal credit cards with their business expenses thinking that it makes no difference. But a wise business owner should think about the long term complications that combining personal and business funds in just one account could cause later on.
At the start, you may find that using your personal credit card is enough. But as your business begins to grow and accumulate expenses, having a separate business account is indispensable. It will make a big difference not only in managing your business finances, but also in making finance-related decisions.
All your expenses are automatically included in your summary of accounts so you can be assured that you won’t miss a single purchase no matter how big or small that purchase was. You will be provided with monthly billing statements, along with quarterly and yearly summaries of your account. Purchases are categorized so you can use it as reference to your bookkeeping and accounting tasks. Filing your business taxes is definitely made easier with the help of business credit card account statements.
It has an option to access your account online. This is an enormous help for a busy business owner as it enables convenient tracking of business accounts at any time. Account summaries are also downloadable so you can use them along with your accounting software.
Getting a business credit card is to build a separate credit history for your business. By using your business credit card and keeping up with your payments on time, you can be assured that you will be building excellent credit history for your company. You may not need financial assistance at the moment but by the time you need to apply for a business loan to help you with your business projects, having a solid business credit history will help you secure an approval more easily. Aside form getting easy approval with your applications, having excellent business credit also guarantees that you’ll be offered better rates and terms by lenders.
In summary, getting a credit card for business is beneficial in two ways- for separating personal from business finances and for building up a separate credit history for your business. If you’re a business owner or planning on starting up a business of your own, this matter is definitely worth the thought.
Still today, many small business owners and home based business entrepreneurs prefer to use their personal credit cards with their business expenses thinking that it makes no difference. But a wise business owner should think about the long term complications that combining personal and business funds in just one account could cause later on.
At the start, you may find that using your personal credit card is enough. But as your business begins to grow and accumulate expenses, having a separate business account is indispensable. It will make a big difference not only in managing your business finances, but also in making finance-related decisions.
All your expenses are automatically included in your summary of accounts so you can be assured that you won’t miss a single purchase no matter how big or small that purchase was. You will be provided with monthly billing statements, along with quarterly and yearly summaries of your account. Purchases are categorized so you can use it as reference to your bookkeeping and accounting tasks. Filing your business taxes is definitely made easier with the help of business credit card account statements.
It has an option to access your account online. This is an enormous help for a busy business owner as it enables convenient tracking of business accounts at any time. Account summaries are also downloadable so you can use them along with your accounting software.
Getting a business credit card is to build a separate credit history for your business. By using your business credit card and keeping up with your payments on time, you can be assured that you will be building excellent credit history for your company. You may not need financial assistance at the moment but by the time you need to apply for a business loan to help you with your business projects, having a solid business credit history will help you secure an approval more easily. Aside form getting easy approval with your applications, having excellent business credit also guarantees that you’ll be offered better rates and terms by lenders.
In summary, getting a credit card for business is beneficial in two ways- for separating personal from business finances and for building up a separate credit history for your business. If you’re a business owner or planning on starting up a business of your own, this matter is definitely worth the thought.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Get to know Zero APR business credit cards
If you have a business, you should certainly be interested to know what is a Zero APR Business Credit Cards. This provides you basic knowledge on what you need to know about a Zero APR Business Credit Cards.
Business Credit Cards with 0 APR is similar to regular balance transfer credit cards. This kind of business credit card will help you get out from under your debts more quickly and easily especially if you do have a multiple business credit cards and is are trying to keep up with your existing balances with each card. It doesn’t impose an interest rate on the balances you transferred over. In this way, you can focus on paying off your credit card debts without worrying about the additional interest rate payments. But this offer is only for a limited time period.
How long shall it last? Check how much the interest rate will be after the introductory period ends. Make sure you weigh all the fees involved and it must be reasonable. Most important, understand business credit card terms and conditions, if not, you may end up with the wrong kind of business credit card in your hands. It is your responsibility to examine your chosen business credit card thoroughly by reading and understanding the agreement.
There are lots of business credit cards in the market and each one of them has different usage for a different type of business. Comparing them through a business credit card reviews helps you identify what kind of card suits your business.
More of Business Credit Card Reviews
Business Credit Cards with 0 APR is similar to regular balance transfer credit cards. This kind of business credit card will help you get out from under your debts more quickly and easily especially if you do have a multiple business credit cards and is are trying to keep up with your existing balances with each card. It doesn’t impose an interest rate on the balances you transferred over. In this way, you can focus on paying off your credit card debts without worrying about the additional interest rate payments. But this offer is only for a limited time period.
How long shall it last? Check how much the interest rate will be after the introductory period ends. Make sure you weigh all the fees involved and it must be reasonable. Most important, understand business credit card terms and conditions, if not, you may end up with the wrong kind of business credit card in your hands. It is your responsibility to examine your chosen business credit card thoroughly by reading and understanding the agreement.
There are lots of business credit cards in the market and each one of them has different usage for a different type of business. Comparing them through a business credit card reviews helps you identify what kind of card suits your business.
More of Business Credit Card Reviews
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
