Key Takeaways
- A business credit score is a numerical rating (0-100) of your company's creditworthiness
- Three bureaus track it: Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business
- Building business credit takes 6-12 months of consistent effort
- Strong business credit separates personal from business liability and unlocks better terms
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A business credit score (ranging from 0-100 on Dun & Bradstreet's PAYDEX scale) measures your company's creditworthiness based on payment history, credit utilization, and public records. Unlike personal credit, building business credit requires deliberate action — opening trade accounts, registering with bureaus, and maintaining on-time vendor payments.
A business credit score is a numerical assessment of your company's creditworthiness, separate from your personal credit score. The three major bureaus\u2014Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business\u2014each maintain profiles on millions of U.S. businesses and provide scores that lenders, suppliers, and partners use to evaluate financial reliability.
Business Credit vs. Personal Credit
| Factor | Personal Credit | Business Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Score Range | 300-850 (FICO) | 0-100 (D&B/Experian) |
| Built By | Credit cards, loans | Vendor accounts, business cards |
| Public Access | No (authorization required) | Yes (anyone can check) |
| Time to Build | 6+ months | 6-12 months |
Step-by-Step: Building Business Credit
- Incorporate or form an LLC \u2014 Separate legal entity required
- Get an EIN \u2014 Your business tax ID from the IRS (free)
- Open a business bank account \u2014 Separate finances completely
- Get a D-U-N-S Number \u2014 Register with Dun & Bradstreet (free)
- Establish 3-5 trade lines \u2014 Vendor accounts that report to bureaus
- Get a business credit card \u2014 Secured card if needed
- Pay everything early \u2014 D&B rewards early payment
- Monitor quarterly \u2014 Check all three bureaus for errors
Frequently Asked Questions
You can establish a D&B PAYDEX score in 3-6 months. Building a strong score (80+) across all bureaus takes 6-12 months.
Yes, through vendor accounts (net-30 terms) that don't require personal credit checks. After 3-6 months, you can qualify for business cards based on business credit alone.
D&B offers free access through CreditSignal. Experian reports at experian.com/business. Nav.com offers free basic info from multiple bureaus.
They are separate scores from separate bureaus. However, most lenders check both when evaluating applications.