Can You Repair Business Credit? Complete Guide

Most business owners do not realize they have a business credit score separate from their personal score — or that it can be improved. Here is what you need to know.

Business Credit vs Personal Credit

Your business credit score is tied to your EIN (Employer Identification Number), not your Social Security Number. It is maintained by business credit bureaus — Dun and Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business — separately from the consumer bureaus.

Good business credit allows you to access better financing, get approved for business credit cards, secure vendor net terms, and in some cases protect your personal credit from business liabilities.

How to Build Business Credit

Get a DUNS number. Register at Dun and Bradstreet's website (free) to get your D-U-N-S number — the foundation of your business credit file.

Open a business bank account. Keep business and personal finances completely separate.

Get a business credit card. Use it for business expenses and pay in full monthly.

Establish vendor credit. Open net 30 accounts with vendors like Uline, Quill, or Grainger that report to business bureaus.

Pay everything early. Business credit scoring rewards early payment more than consumer scoring does.

Note: CreditGM specializes in personal credit repair. For business credit building, the principles are similar but the bureaus and processes differ. Contact us to discuss your specific situation.