What Is Business Credit?

Your business credit record is the primary way that companies evaluate whether to do business with you — and on what terms. Companies rely on your business creditworthiness to make critical decisions, including whether:

• to sell to you
• to lend you money
• you are viable as a partner
• to lease the equipment you need to grow your business
• to increase your line of credit
• to help you carry more inventory at competitive prices
• to give you favorable financing rates and terms
• you stack up favorably against other companies competing in your market space

Business credit includes a variety of data points about your business, such as the date it started, the skills and experience of your top leaders, number of employees and annual sales. This type of information is listed in your business credit profile, along with scores and ratings that are derived from your business's past behavior to predict its future behavior. For example, your ability and willingness to pay your bills on time in the past is factored into your ability and likelihood of paying your bills in the future.