5 Steps to Build a Strong Business Credit Profile

Get the funding you need now!

Presented by Amber Colley

We know:• Small businesses are the

backbone of our economy• Women business owners are

on the rise! • 1.5 X higher than national

average• 200K + in the past year!• 550 new firms/day!

• Women business owners seize unique opportunities!

Women Business Owners

We’re moving the economy forward!

Our Role in Our Economy

Know a business owner who could NOT get: • Lease terms?• Freight terms? • Payroll credit? • National distribution? • Lucrative jobs on bids• Line-of-credit increase?

Does Business Credit Matter?

Great business credit is a key to funding your biz growth

• Economic growth requires small business growth

• Small businesses need access to capital to grow

• Banks want to loan• Qualified small business

owners are hard to find!

The Problem:

Facts:

What is Business Credit?

Benefits of Improved Biz Credit

• More sales & loan opportunities

• Better financing rates & terms

• Improved biz credibility for increased deals & sales

• Increase in your line of credit• More competitive inventory

management• Better Cash Flow

Overview• Intro: Why you should

care? • Who are we? • Understand how

business credit tracking works

• Concrete steps you can take to improve your business credit

174 year-old startup

• Character• Capacity• Capital• Collateral

Source: Original Credit Report from The Mercantile Agency, November 22, 1893

Did you know? • 85% of commercial lenders use the D&B

Commercial Credit Score in their decision making• Most credit decisions under $100K rely on credit

scores for automated decisions.• There are over 1.5M updates to the D&B

database every day• A DUNS number is required to do business with

the Fed Gov, most major retailers and many other companies

How D&B Tracks Business Activity

Lack of Information is Not Neutral

5 Steps to Improve Biz Credit

1. Check Your Business Credit File2. Establish a Business Credit History3. Pay Your Bills On Time4. Monitor Your Business Credit Profile5. Monitor Your Customer’s & Vendor’s Credit

Example: Business Deals• Manufacturer didn’t

maintain their profile• Given 10 days to fix or

lose major retail customer

Take Home Lessons• SBA says:

Insufficient or delayed financing is the most common reason for business failure

• Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Questions? We’re Here to Help!• White Paper: Securing

Capital in a Crunch• Ask us for info on your

vendors, suppliers, competitors and/or customers

• Talk to one of our staff to discuss your individual business needs