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An Introduction To The Humble, But Oh So Powerful, Credit Card
It's hard to imagine doing business today without credit cards. If you are 1 of the few who do not own a credit card, you probably have difficulty renting a car or reserving a hotel room. On the other hand, if you have a fistful of maxed out credit...

Credit Card Applications: Is It Safe To Apply Online?
Are you wanting to apply for a new credit card but feeling hesitant to perform the credit card application online? If so, you need not be concerned. Advances in the technology of secure e-commerce have made online credit card applications...

Credit Cards, Debt Consolidation and cellularphones
Need a credit card! Why do you need a credit card. The more obvious reason is to build up your credit history. However there are other more good resons sucha sdoing simple things such as renting a movie or ordering stuff online. If you go to: ...

Free Credit Report – A Website Typo Could Be Costly
In 2003, Congress passed the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions act (FACT), which made it possible for consumers to obtain a copy of their credit report for free. In fact, the legislation makes it possible for consumers to obtain one free report...

Home Equity Line Of Credit Or Second Mortgage Loan Online - Things To Do With Your Homes Equity
If you are wanting to get a home equity loan, rates are still low enough that you may want to make use of that equity in your home. Do you need some ideas on what you could do to multiply your equity or make some extra money off of the capital that...

 
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Building Good Business Credit After Bad Credit

Can you establish good business credit if you have bad personal credit? The answer is yes...but with a few caveats.

Business credit reports and personal credit reports are generally completely separate databases for legal reasons. However, there are some exceptions in terms of how independent that information may be:

-- If you are operating as a sole proprietor or Limited Liability Company, it is difficult to separate your personal and business credit. A corporation is a much better structure to build a completely independent business credit report.

-- Experian sells a credit score that is a combination of the business owner's personal credit history and the businesses' credit history.

In the early years of a business, the owner will almost certainly be required to personally guarantee loans. However, as you establish a strong business credit rating for your enterprise, you'll have more leverage to negotiate for a loan without your personal guarantee.

A warning: some people try to use business credit file to repeat bad credit habits.

"I've seen people who ruined their own credit go out and start a business, enlist the help of people with good personal credit to be executives in the company, and get major credit cards. They


didn't have a real product or service, and the objective was to just get credit. They would inevitably default on the corporate credit lines," says Erik Salmon, Director of Business Credit Services for Innovative Business Services (IBS) and an experienced business credit coach. If that's your intention in establishing a business credit rating, you're better off taking some personal finance courses to learn how to manage your money.

If, however, you legitimately want to make a go of a business, have a solid plan, and are willing to do what has to be done to get it off the ground, then you should let a bad personal credit rating stop you. Building or rebuilding good credit - whether it's personal credit or business credit - is a process. Be patient as you work on both your personal and business credit. The results will be worth it. For more information, visit www.businesscreditsuccess.com.

About the Author

Gerri Detweiler is considered one of the country's top credit experts. She has been interviewed for thousands of radio, television and print newstories including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dateline NBC and many others. She has testified before Congress several times and worked on reform of the national credit reporting laws.