Do I need good personal credit to start?
Nope! One of the best parts about our approach is that we focus on establishing business credit using your EIN. This way, your personal credit score doesn’t hold you back. You can focus on building your business credit while still improving your personal credit.
What’s the difference between personal and business credit?
Great question! Personal credit reflects your individual financial history, like how you’ve managed personal loans and credit cards. Business credit, on the other hand, is about your company’s financial health. It’s based on how well your business manages debt, pays bills on time, and handles financial obligations. While personal credit can enhance your business credit, they remain separate, and that’s key to protecting your assets.
Why is it important to build business credit separately from personal credit?
Keeping business credit separate from personal credit reduces risk. It helps protect your personal finances from business debt, and it keeps you safe from “piercing the corporate veil”—where you could be personally liable for business issues.
Can startups benefit from your services?
Absolutely! We love working with startups, helping them build a solid financial foundation from the beginning. Whether you’re just starting or have been in business for a while, we provide guidance that’s flexible enough for businesses at every stage.
Is BizResHub LLC’s process difficult to follow?
Not at all! We aim to make the process as simple and straightforward as possible. With clear steps and expert consultants, you’ll find the journey stress-free.
Ready to get started on the right path? Schedule a free consultation with us today!
How can I establish business credit as a new business owner?
If you're new to business ownership, the first steps are straightforward but crucial: Register your business, get your EIN, open a business bank account, and apply for vendors and business credit cards. While this may seem simple, things can get complicated if done in the wrong order or with the wrong vendors. A simple mistake in the process could cost you time, effort, and even result in denials before you get started. Even your company name, website, and NAIC code matter. Book an appointment to go over the details—it might surprise you what’s blocking your funding.
How does building business credit provide financial security?
When you build business credit, you unlock access to loans, better terms with vendors, and a financial cushion in times of hardship or expansion. Plus, it’s an entirely separate credit profile, which protects your personal finances. As a business owner, you can access 10-100 times more in business credit than personal credit, even if you have great personal credit.
Another reason to build business credit using your EIN instead of your SSN.
Many business owners, particularly parents, find themselves cosigning loans of all types—signature loans, auto loans, and especially student loans. In fact, did you know that approximately 90% of private undergraduate student loans require a cosigner? Due to their children's limited credit history, many parents feel compelled to cosign these loans. While you may want to help your child, cosigning loans adds personal liabilities that can impact your ability to secure business funding.
However, there’s an often-overlooked risk with federal student loans. If your child defaults or misses a payment, your credit is at risk. Even a missed payment, unintentionally, can hurt your credit score. Federal student loans offer protections like forbearance or income-driven repayment for the borrower, but cosigners don’t always have these options. This situation can further affect your ability to secure business funding, especially if you’re the primary income earner for your family.
At BizResHub LLC, we can help you protect your personal credit while navigating these financial challenges, so you can continue to build your business and support your family.
Secure loans and credit lines
Get better vendor terms
Increase financial security
Open doors to new growth opportunities
Personal Credit: Personal credit is regulated by the federal government and requires your consent before anyone can pull your credit report. Lenders and other entities must get your permission before accessing your personal credit file.
Business Credit: On the other hand, business credit can be pulled by anyone, for any reason, without your permission. This means that businesses or vendors can access your credit report for risk assessment or evaluating potential partnerships, without needing to notify you first.
Personal Credit: Personal credit accounts typically have a 30-day grace period before a late payment appears on your credit report. If you're just a day or two late, your credit score may not be affected, but you could face a late fee.
Business Credit: No grace period exists for business credit accounts. If you miss a payment, even by a few days, it will immediately show on your business credit report. It’s important to pay close attention to payment terms and due dates to avoid negative impacts.
Personal Credit: Personal credit reporting allows for flexibility with credit use, and payments made on time directly impact your credit score.
Business Credit: If you pay before the invoice is sent, even if you know the amount, it will be categorized as a cash transaction and will not help build your business credit. To positively impact your business credit, vendors need to report a transaction in which a credit relationship is established.
Personal Credit: Personal credit providers report to the credit bureaus on a consistent schedule, usually monthly, and as long as you meet your payment deadlines, you won’t see any negative impacts.
Business Credit: For business credit, the timing of payments is crucial. If you pay close to the due date, the payment may not be processed in time for it to reflect on the credit reporting date, which means the vendor’s report won’t show up as a positive payment for your business credit profile. Paying early may result in the transaction not being recorded.
Personal Credit: On personal credit, when you use a vendor, such as Home Depot, it will appear as Home Depot on your credit report. This makes it easy to track where your credit is coming from and how it is being used.
Business Credit: Business credit reports don’t list individual vendor names in the same way. For instance, instead of seeing "Home Depot," you may see a category description, like building supplies, reflecting the nature of the business or expense. This can be a benefit in business credit reporting if you use vendors or lenders that report to multiple credit agencies, as it may improve the diversity of your business credit history.
Personal Credit: Personal credit is generally built around a person’s credit utilization, payment history, and credit inquiries. Building personal credit often takes several years of consistent use, with credit cards and loans contributing to your credit history.
Business Credit: Building business credit is a more dynamic process. It’s tied to your EIN rather than your Social Security Number, and many factors contribute to the process, including your company's operating history, vendor relationships, and timely payments to service providers. It can also grow much faster than personal credit if handled correctly.
Personal Credit: Every time someone checks your personal credit, it is noted as an inquiry on your report. Too many inquiries can hurt your score, as it may imply you're seeking a lot of credit at once.
Business Credit: Business credit inquiries are less impactful on the score compared to personal credit, especially if they are soft inquiries. A business may receive numerous inquiries from potential vendors, lenders, or other business partners without significantly hurting the business’s credit score.
Personal Credit: A key factor in personal credit is the debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, which impacts your ability to get approved for loans or credit cards. If you have high personal debt relative to your income, it can harm your ability to obtain further credit.
Business Credit: For business credit, DTI isn’t necessarily a primary concern. Lenders are more likely to look at your company’s ability to generate revenue and its financial statements to determine your borrowing potential. High levels of debt or equity investors in a business may have different implications compared to personal credit
Personal Credit: With personal credit, the individual is personally liable for all the debts associated with their credit accounts. If you fall behind or miss payments, your personal assets can be at risk.
Business Credit: With business credit, the business itself is primarily responsible for the debt, not the business owner personally. However, if you personally guarantee a business loan, your personal assets may be at risk if the business defaults on the loan.
Personal Credit: Personal credit reports are managed by three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Business Credit: Business credit is reported by multiple agencies, including Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, Experian, and others. Each agency may have different data, and it’s crucial for business owners to regularly check all reports to ensure they are accurate and reflective of their financial activities.
How can I improve my business credit score?
Start by paying bills on time, reducing debt, and maintaining strong relationships with your vendors. Unlike personal credit, business credit doesn't offer a grace period. In fact, if you pay your bill on the due date, it’s often too late to prevent it from being marked as late. The payment window for business credit can range from 7 to 90 days, depending on the vendor. If you pay too early, it may count as a cash transaction, which won't help your credit. But if the payment doesn’t post in time, it may show up as late.
We can help you navigate this process to maximize your credit score. Book a free consultation to find out the best strategies for improving your business credit score.
Is there a minimum credit score to start building business credit?
No minimum score is required. Building business credit is about maintaining solid financial habits—timely payments and responsible credit usage. Your score will improve gradually as you follow the right steps.
What’s the difference between business lending and business credit?
Business lending involves borrowing money from a financial institution—like a bank or credit union—and agreeing to repay it with interest. Business credit, however, is a reflection of your company’s ability to manage debt and financial obligations. Having both allows you to qualify for better terms and lower interest rates when seeking financing.
Do you need both business lending and business credit?
Yes! Having both provides financial flexibility and stability. Strong business credit helps you qualify for loans at favorable terms and interest rates, while business lending allows you to finance growth and operational needs without risking personal assets.