Monday, August 17, 2009

Building Your Business Credit through a Secured Credit Card

A business with no credit history or with a bad credit history can definitely benefit from a secured credit card. In this article, let’s talk about the basics of secured business credit cards and how it can help you establish or rebuild your business credit. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you can consider a secured credit card as one of the ways to finance your business.

Basic Details about Secured Business Credit Cards

As we’ve said, secured business credit cards are especially provided for companies with bad credit or no credit. What are the requirements you need in order to get approved for a secured business credit card account?

First, an entrepreneur must open a savings account and maintain the minimum required balance in his account. This is called a security deposit which would be used by the bank in case the account holder fails to pay off his credit card balances. For this reason, the amount of security deposited often determines the credit limit that would be given to the account holder.

If you placed a large amount in your security deposit, then you can enjoy a higher credit limit. On the other hand, if you can only afford a few hundred dollars as security, your credit line would most likely be low. Nevertheless, you can expect a guaranteed approval of your application regardless of the status of your credit.

How It Can Help Your Small Business

If you currently have a bad credit history, you may not qualify for business credit cards with the best deals. Still, you don’t have to suffer from bad credit forever. In fact, as soon as you get approved for a secured business credit card, you can immediately start working on improving your credit. How?

One important thing to remember is to be consistent with your payments. If you’re really serious about raising your credit, you need to be conscious about submitting your payments on time. Don’t forget that a single delay or miss can easily pull down your credit score. It is also crucial to pay attention to your spending and to stay within your given credit limit.

You may need to wait at least six months to a year before you can see an improvement in your credit history. Needless to say, by managing your secured business credit card correctly, you can be sure that you’ll be enjoying excellent credit history soon.

What to Expect About A Secured Business Credit Card

You may find that secured business credit cards have higher interest rates and fees compared to credit cards that require good to excellent credit. Understandably, because of the risk involved, credit card companies charge higher fees for their services. Still, this doesn’t mean that you should settle for unreasonable charges.

If you need a secured credit card for your small business, you need to be willing to spend time and effort in exploring the market to search for the right one. Read credit card reviews and compare each one more accurately by reading the fine print. Find a secured credit card that regularly reports your payments to the credit bureaus so that your credit history can be updated right away. Lastly, after improving your credit, request for an upgrade to a non-secured business credit card account.


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Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Difference between Business Credit Card and Corporate Cards

If you think that business credit card and corporate credit cards are the same, let this article help you compare the differences between the two. If you own a small business, you’ll be glad to know that small business credit cards are especially meant to serve small business entrepreneurs like you.

Small Business Credit Cards

Credit card companies realize the potential of the small business clients and for this reason, they have introduced small business credit cards in the market. Unlike a corporate credit card, applying for a small business credit card is not at all complicated. In fact, even newly started business can get approved for a business credit card using the business owner’s personal credit history. But what if your personal credit score isn’t as impressive as you want it to be?

Secured business credit cards are designed especially for business owners with bad credit. To make up for your bad credit, a collateral or “security” would be required and this can be your home or a property that you own. Both an unsecured business credit card and a secured business credit card are great tools in establishing a separate business credit for your company.

Corporate Credit Cards

What about corporate credit cards? As its name implies, these business credit cards are exclusively offered to large business owners or corporations. If you take a look at the business credit cards advertised today, all of these are credit cards for small businesses. Credit cards for corporations are actually not advertised at all.

Unlike a small business credit card where you can apply online, corporate credit cards involve a more complicated procedure. How can a large business obtain a corporate credit card? Before the application is submitted, the business owner along with his partners will set up a meeting with the corporate credit card’s representative. In this meeting, the specific needs of the company would be discussed as well as the requirements they need to submit for approval.

Since a corporation is often a partnership and involves a huge number of employees, one can expect that it also has complex needs. The credit card company would see to it that these specific needs are properly addressed and that the corporate credit card will duly serve its purpose.

Business Credit Cards – Partners for your Business

Clearly, no matter what type of business you own- whether it may be a small business, homebased business, medium-sized business or a corporation- there is a business credit card that is designed to suit your needs. If you’re a small business entrepreneur, there’s no need to be afraid that a business credit card is just made for businesses with incredibly huge expenses. Even if you only have a few business expenses, getting a business credit card is worth the deal.


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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Importance of Paydex Score in Building Business Credit

You may already be familiar with your credit report and your FICO score. But if you’re a new business owner, are you also understand the elements that make up your corporate credit? Do you know what Paydex means? This article discusses the basic points that you should know about business credit.

Your Paydex Score

Your Paydex Score is the equivalent of your FICO score. Dun & Bradstreet – a major business credit bureau, uses this method of calculation to measure a business’s credit. Once you’ve registered with D & B and you have received your D&B number, your financial dealings with creditors and other businesses will be reflected in your business credit report. When you obtain a copy of your credit report from D&B, part of the report includes your Paydex score.

A Paydex score ranges from 0-100, with 90 and above considered as excellent, 80 as good or acceptable, and 70 and below indicates a poor rating. Just as individuals aim for a high FICO score, business owners also want to reach a high Paydex score and maintain an excellent standing.

How to Raise Your Paydex Score

How do you achieve a high Paydex score? Timeliness of payment plays a vital role in how your business credit score is calculated. Of course, the best way to achieve an outstanding score is to always submit your payments on time. If you can pay your bills earlier than your due date, then the better it would be for your business credit.

Would occasional late payments affect your score? Yes. In fact, even a single late payment can pull down your score by a point or two. Nevertheless, if your average score is around 95 or more, falling one or 2 points down would bring you to a score of 93 which is still considered as an excellent rating. On the other hand, if your average score happens to be 82 flat and you’ve lost 2 points because of occasional late payments, then that would bring your total score down to 79 which can be considered as a poor rating.

Thus, as much as possible, it is crucial to be on time in submitting your payments to all your creditors. What if you can’t afford to pay all your creditors on time? It would be better to pay off your highest bill first to lessen the impact on your credit score.

Using Your Paydex Score to Get a Business Credit Card

Obviously, a high Paydex Score makes you an ideal client for banks and lenders while a low score makes you a high-risk borrower in the eyes of creditors. It is interesting to note that the best business credit cards in the market always require good to excellent credit.

However, if you have a poor business credit, you may consider getting a secured business credit card as a tool to raise your Paydex score. Understandably, a bad credit business credit card would have higher interest rates and lower credit limit than credit cards that require good credit. Nevertheless, by using your credit card account and paying your bills on time, you can make an improvement in your score within just a few months. Find a credit card that would report your payments to the major business credit bureaus as it is the only way you can raise your Paydex score. Eventually, you can ask your credit card issuer to upgrade your account once you’ve raised your credit score.


Credit Cards Resources

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Friday, July 3, 2009

Using Business Credit Cards in Business Solutions

If you haven’t yet recognized the benefits of owning a business credit card, it’s definitely a matter worth your consideration. Aside from enabling you to separate your business finances from your personal money, business credit cards offer more advantages. Let’s take a closer look at some of them.

Build your business credit.

As soon as you’ve applied for a corporate credit, it’s best to start building up your credit history with the help of a business credit card. You be already aware of the importance of having a corporate credit. A solid and excellent business credit prepares your business for its future growth and expansion. How can business credit cards help you build a solid credit history?

By using your business credit card for your expenses and paying off your balances on time, you are showing your worth as a borrower. Aside from timely payments, staying within your credit limit is just as important. Financial experts recommend using only 30% to 40% of your given credit limit but not more than 50% of your credit as this could send a negative impression on lenders.

Monitor your business expenses.

A business credit card can also help you in keeping track of your business expenses. Take advantage of the online account access that most business credit card issuers provide. This feature allows you to check on your account at any time without even leaving your office or desk. For a manager who handles a hectic schedule and so many tasks, this is a very valuable option.

You can also use your monthly billing statements as well as your quarterly and yearly account summaries as detailed references to your accounting. When it’s time to file your business taxes, these documents can also prove to be indispensable in determining which of your past purchases can be deducted from your taxes.

Get rewarded for your spending.

Some credit cards for business offer reward programs that can help you save more from your expenses. The basic reward programs for business credit cards are the Frequent Flyer Miles, Gas Rewards and Cash Back Rewards. You can choose a reward card that gives the incentives that complements the nature of your business.

For example, if your business is into a lot of traveling, you can certainly get more benefits from a Frequent Flyer Miles Business Credit Card. On the other hand, if you own a fleet of vehicles that you use in your business operations, a gas reward business credit card may be your best choice. If you’re in a buy and sell business, you may want to consider getting a cash back reward business credit card instead.

Be prepared for unexpected expenses.

With the help of a business credit card, you are ready to take on unexpected expenses at any time. Did one of your customers place an unexpectedly large order at a time when you don’t have cash? You don’t have to refuse this particular customer just because you lack the resources. Instead, you can simply charge everything you need to your credit card so you can deliver this order on time.

Having the option to make purchases instantly and pay them off at a later time is certainly one of the best things about owning a business credit card. The important thing to remember is to always pay off your balances on time to avoid the risk of credit card debt.

Credit Cards Resources

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Managing Business Credit Card Debt

Starting up a business involves expenses. For most new entrepreneurs, a loan is a must in order to get the business started. Aside from business loans, additional support may be necessary in keeping up with the production and operating costs. Small business credit cards often provide this much-needed financial assistance to business owners.

Why Get a Business Credit Card Debt

Some people may be skeptical about obtaining credit cards for business because they are afraid that credit cards may lead to uncontrolled spending and debt. However, business credit cards can be great tools not only in keeping a steady cash flow but also in separating your business and personal finances. With the help of business credit cards, monitoring your expenses is also a lot more convenient and easy. How can you get the most from your business credit card? How can you avoid credit card debt?

Obviously, proper management and control is needed to avoid the risk of credit card debt. For instance, some entrepreneurs may be prone to charging their personal expenses on their business credit card but such a habit can easily lead to uncontrolled debt. As a business owner, you need to make sure that your business credit card is exclusively used for official business purposes.

Submitting your credit card payments on time is also crucial if you want to stay away from trouble. It could be tempting to pay only the minimum due even if you have the cash to pay your balances in full. But carrying over your balances from month to month also means paying for the additional interest charges. Thus, to avoid unnecessary costs, make it a point to completely pay off your charges each month.

Business Credit Card Debt Consolidation

But what if you’re already stuck in credit card debt? What can you do about it? A business owner has two options to solve this problem. One is by acquiring a debt consolidation loan to pay off all existing balances and stop the interest rates from accumulating further. By combining his credit card debts into a single loan, the interest rate is reduced and monthly payments are significantly lowered.

Another way is by getting a balance transfer credit card with low interest or zero interest. This would enable you to pay off all the balances you transferred at a low rate or zero interest. However, take note that the 0% APR is only applicable for a limited time, so you must take advantage of this opportunity by completely paying off all the debts you’ve transferred within the zero interest period.

Any of these two credit card consolidation options can work but in order to be effective, a business owner needs to ensure that he/she can pay bills without a single delay or miss. It would also be wise to avoid incurring new debts while still working on your repayment. Finally, once you’re done with your repayment, you need to a lot more careful about using your business credit cards to avoid falling in the same debt trap again.

Credit Cards Resources

* Business Credit Card Reviews
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* Free Credit Report

Thursday, June 18, 2009

All about Your Business Credit Score

All businesses –both large and small – all rely on good credit standing for a favorable stand with prospective lenders. By having an excellent business credit score, a business owner can be confident that he can obtain the financial assistance he needs at any time without difficulty.

But building a credit history for your company is not achieved in an instant. Time and effort is also needed in order to build a solid business credit. In this article, let’s discuss the necessary steps to establish your own corporate credit.

Ensure your business entity. The legality of your business is crucial in establishing business credit. First, you need to define the legal entity of your business. It can either be a corporation or an LLC (Limited Liability Company) to qualify for a bank loan. If your business is a sole proprietorship, you may not qualify for a business loan and it would be easier to apply for a personal loan instead.

Proof of existence. In order to be considered as a legitimate company, you need to have a physical address, a business telephone number, and a complete contact information. A website and an e-mail would not be a sufficient proof of your company’s existence since anyone can easily create a presence online. Having a physical address is what’s most important.

Obtain all necessary business permits and licenses. Make sure that you’ve secured all licenses and permits that are required for all businesses in your local state.

Register for a business tax ID number. A business that has been in operations for at least 2 years should have a complete record of financial statements and have its own tax ID number. Make sure that your tax ID number, EIN (employer ID number), and licenses are all listed in the same exact legal company name.

Establish your business savings account. Having your own business bank account is a solid proof that your business is financially stable. A balance of at least $10,000 for the past three months is considered as favorable and stable.

Establish at least 5 trade references. Build up a good business-to-business relationship with your suppliers or business partners so you can use them as references for establishing your business credit.

Register your business with a business credit bureau. Before you can start building your company’s credit history, you need to register your company with a business credit bureau like Dun & Bradstreet or Experian. D & B is a leading business credit reporting agency in the US.

Get a business credit card. After registering your company with a credit bureau, applying for a business credit card is a great way to build up your business credit. As you use your small business credit card with your expenses, you are also building up a solid credit history. Of course, maintaining an excellent credit history depends on how well you handle your credit card account. If you make it a point to stay within your credit limit and if you’re always on time with your payments, you are building a positive reputation for your business.



Credit Cards Resources

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* Free Credit Report

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

5 Important Things About Business Credit Cards

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.

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