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There are as many, if not more, forms of credit available to businesses as there are to individuals. A corporation of LLC in good credit standing has access to a credit card, a loan, a business line of credit, a cash advance, and standard P2P lending.

Business credit cards are the best things for newcoming entrepreneurs to start out with for the purposes of building business credit. Business credit cards are a little more difficult to be qualified for, as they require Federal registration with an EIN, a number of fees and permits, specially designated telephone lines and bank accounts, and registration with at least one of the three business credit reporting bureaus. However, they typically have larger credit limits than those available to individuals, and are one of the quickest ways to build credit.

Loans are available in all shapes and sizes to businesses, and from many different sources. While large banks are the preferred source of lending for many personal loans (like home mortgages), large banks are typically less favorable to businesses because of the strictness of their regulations. Business people (especially those with less than good credit or who are just starting out) are generally better off going to small banks or credit unions, where they are more likely to speak with someone who is more closely connected to the lending process.

A business person can also apply for a business line of credit, which is a loan with a revolving interest rate that behaves similarly to a credit card. Lines of credit allow for flexible spending and flexible repayment. You can get a business line of credit from a bank, and are typically executed through paper checks.

Finally, good old fashioned venture capitalists are still a very common source of business credit. The online markets have greatly opened the world to small investors wanting to get solid returns on investment without the annoying hassle of overhead of a middle man.


This Business article was written by Mark Karavan on 11/9/2009