How do I build business credit?

By Ask a Shop OwnerUpdated Finance

Short answer

EIN, business bank account, business credit card, vendor accounts that report to Dun and Bradstreet. Two years of consistency and you have real business credit.

The steps

Get an EIN. Open a business checking account in the business name. Get a business credit card and pay it off monthly. Set up vendor accounts (Home Depot, Grainger, etc.) that report payment history.

Why it matters

Business credit lets you borrow against the business, not your personal name. Eventually it lets you separate personal risk from business risk. That's the whole point.

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