How to Maintain Good Business Credit

Join the Esme experts to find out what a business credit score is and how it is calculated, as well as three ways you can help maintain a good credit for your business.

Setting up and running a successful business comes with a number of obligations and requirements, and maintaining good business credit should be at the top of the list. Good credit can say a lot about your business’ ability to manage its finances and increase your chance of securing business finance.

A business credit score is a figure calculated by a credit agency – a company that collects information about a business and makes it available to banks and other lenders.

A credit agency will look at your business’ information and allocate points to each piece of information, which is then combined to create your credit score.

This score is used by banks and lenders to help assess how well your business may be able to repay a loan based on previous financial activity.

Every credit agency will calculate your score using different formulas; therefore you may see your credit score changes depending on the agency used.

Credit scores are calculated using different scales. Therefore, there is no universal credit score or a number that represents the highest achievable score. For example, some credit agencies will score from 1-700, and others may score from 1-1000. The closer your score is to the maximum the better, whatever credit agency you use.

Your credit score is calculated based on your business’ financial information that is available at the time, such as:

• Electoral Register
• Companies House
• County Court Judgements
• Payment History to Utilities and telecom companies
• Bankruptcy Orders
• Trade Credit Information
• Previous Applications to banks/building Societies
• Past and Current Bank/Building Society accounts
• Finance and leasing companies
• Financial associations (people you may share a bank account or lending agreements with)

It’s important to keep your information up to date, especially with the electoral register and companies house, so that your business’ information and credit score is accurate.

You can get a free business credit check with credit agencies Experian and Equifax. Once you’ve received your credit score, check which scale is being used so you can fully understand your score.

If your business is in good financial health, chances are you’ll have a good score.

If you’re looking to maintain or improve your credit score, an effective way of achieving this is by paying your bills on time, or even early. It demonstrates good habits and organisation as well as reliability in paying your business’ expenses.

Without a business credit card, credit agencies find it difficult to track how your business spends money and how well you are able to pay it back. If you pay back at least the minimum payment each month, and keep expenditure relatively low compared to your credit limit, it could boost your credit core.

Whether your business is new or well established, many lenders will also look at your personal credit score.

Keeping your business and personal finances separate makes it much easier to manage your business’ finances and cash flow. Although they should be separate, it is strongly recommended to maintain your business and personal credit core to be in with a higher chance of being accepted for business finance.