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The Importance of Personal Credit When Obtaining a Business LOC

Unlike a business investment from a private investor, obtaining a business LOC requires that you have a good personal credit score. If you do not have a great personal credit score then it is still possible to obtain a business line of credit, but it will be more difficult. In the event that you credit is not “up-to-par” then there are a number of lenders available that can provide you with alternative forms of debt financing that are not wholly dependant on personal credit. However, these lines of credit often have very difficult terms and high interest rates.

As any good accountant will tell you, it is imperative that you have a good credit before applying for a business line of credit, business LOC, or any other type of credit facility. Contrary to popular belief, your credit score is not directly tied to your income. Your credit score is based on the number of accounts that you have open, your outstanding balances, and your history of making payments to your creditors in a timely manner. As such, any bank or finance company that may be providing you with a credit facility will want to know this type of information. If you have large outstanding balances, delinquencies, or if the amount of debt you owe is far above normal than a bank or finance company will be less inclined to provide you with a business LOC.

As was discussed in our of our main articles, it is important that you are well aware of your credit profile among the three major credit bureaus that monitor personal credit profiles (Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union). Each of these companies can provide you with a full credit report that showcases your entire credit history over the past seven years. If there are any errors on your credit report, you have the right to have them fixed or reviewed by the credit bureau. Additionally, you have the right to obtain a free credit report once a year.

I made this presentation for a client. It is twenty-seven minutes long, and is unlike any of the other videos I have posted prior to this date; it will hold little interest for most people. The video posted as a response shows how to download a higher-quality version. Somewhere after minute 16, the narration gets scratchy for a few seconds. I hope to fix that, but since I haven’t already, it probably won’t be fixed.

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Credit Scores and Looking for A Business Loan

As has been one of the topics discussed throughout these articles, credit scores are extremely important when applying for business loans. With lending standards tightening among all banks and financial institutions, it is imperative that you have a credit score that implies that you are a worthy credit risk. A credit score is calculated based on a number of factors including your past payment history, your current debts, how long you have had credit, and whether or not you have any delinquent accounts. Today, most lenders want to see a credit score above 680 if they are going to grant you a business loan.

When looking for business loan, you should pull all three of your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian). Each bureau maintains its own records so it is important to ensure that the information on each of your reports is correct. Most banks now look at all three different reports to make sure that there are no discrepancies.

If your current credit is not in a good state then you may want to talk to your accountant or a properly licensed credit counselor before applying for a business loan. They will be able to assist you in making appropriate decisions regarding how you can improve your credit score so that when you do apply for a business loan – you will have no issues pertaining to your credit.

As we have discussed earlier, if you have an outstanding business project that needs financing but you do not have an appropriate credit score then you may want to seek alternative methods of finance. This can include bootstrapping your business or seeking equity investments from private investors. You may also want to go to familiar sources such as family and friends as potential lenders/investors in your business venture.

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Securing a Business Line of Credit

In most instances, you will be required to put up significant collateral in order to obtain a business loc. This is because banks, finance companies, and private lenders do not want to take the risk of losing money. In the event that you do not repay the credit facility, the lender can take the collateral and sell it in order to recoup their investment. This is almost identical to the recoupment principles of taking out a mortgage.

If you are a startup business, you can acquire a business loc by using property that you already own to secure the credit line. This would be similar to a home equity line of credit. In many startup situations, the primary residence is used as the securing collateral. The alternative to this is method is if you have substantial assets or credit. In this case you can apply for an unsecured business loc. Again, you will need substantial assets and an extensive credit history to acquire an unsecured credit line.

In the event that you are an established small or medium sized business, you can use the assets held by the business to secure the credit facility. These assets can include accounts receivable, owned real estate, equipment, or the predictable income from your credit card acceptances. In lieu of tangible assets, you can use the highly predictable cash flows generated by your business to secure a business loc. However, in order to accomplish this – you must have an extensive business history that shows continued profitability and a positive cash flow over a number of years (usually the minimum is three years for this type of credit line).