How Can I Increase My Business Credit?

How Can I Increase My Business Credit?

Business credit and personal credit are separate systems, but lenders evaluate both when approving business financing. Strengthening your personal credit score through authorized user tradelines can improve your FICO SBSS score, help you qualify for SBA loans, and give you access to better business financing terms. Eze Credit Services offers seasoned authorized user tradelines that can support your personal credit profile as part of a broader business credit strategy.

Why Business Credit Matters for Your Company

If you are a business owner, a strong credit profile can be one of your most valuable financial assets. Business credit determines whether you can access capital to grow, what interest rates you receive on loans, what payment terms vendors and suppliers will extend to you, and even how insurers and landlords assess your company. A well-established business credit profile signals financial responsibility and opens doors that a thin or nonexistent profile will keep closed.

Business credit is tracked separately from your personal credit. The three major business credit bureaus are Dun and Bradstreet (which produces the PAYDEX score), Experian Business (which produces the Intelliscore Plus), and Equifax Business (which produces the Payment Index and Credit Risk Score). Each of these bureaus collects payment data from vendors, lenders, and other creditors who report on your business’s payment behavior.

Unlike personal credit, business credit scores are not automatically generated when you open a business. You have to proactively build your profile by establishing your business as a legal entity, registering with business credit bureaus, and opening accounts that report to those bureaus. The good news is that with the right strategy, you can build meaningful business credit within three to six months.

Business Credit Bureau Comparison

Bureau	Score / Metric	Key Details
Dun & Bradstreet	PAYDEX (0-100)	Requires DUNS number; minimum 3 tradelines to generate score; 80+ is good
Experian Business	Intelliscore Plus (0-100)	Uses payment history from vendors, banks, and leases; 76-100 is low risk
Equifax Business	Payment Index (0-100)	Tracks payment trends; also produces a Credit Risk Score (101-992)

The Personal Credit and Business Credit Connection

One of the most important things business owners need to understand is that personal credit and business credit are not isolated from each other. When you apply for a business loan, a business credit card, an SBA loan, or most forms of small business financing, lenders review both your business credit profile and your personal credit history.

This two-part review is standard practice. As SCORE.org explains, most small business owners have two financial profiles: their personal credit profile and their business credit profile, and both play a role in business loan approval. For newer businesses that have not yet built a robust business credit history, personal credit carries even more weight because lenders have less business data to work from.

A low personal credit score can disqualify you from business financing even when your business cash flow is healthy. Conversely, a strong personal credit score can compensate for a limited business credit history and help you qualify for better rates and terms. This is why improving your personal credit is a direct and legitimate part of your business credit strategy.

Understanding the FICO SBSS Score

The FICO Small Business Scoring Service (SBSS) score is one of the most important scores for business owners seeking SBA financing. As Nav explains, the SBSS score combines data from both your personal credit report and your business credit report into a single score ranging from 0 to 300. The higher your score, the lower the lending risk you represent.

Because the SBSS score pulls directly from personal credit data, improvements to your personal FICO score flow through to your SBSS score. SBA Small Loans (loans of $350,000 or less) have historically required lenders to prescreen applications using the FICO SBSS score, with a minimum threshold typically set at 155 to 165. Lenders who prefer SBSS scores of 220 or higher treat applications as lower risk, which can result in expedited underwriting and better loan terms.

This means that every point you add to your personal FICO score can meaningfully improve your eligibility for SBA-backed small business financing. Understanding this link between personal credit improvement and SBA loan qualification is the foundation of why authorized user tradelines can be a relevant tool in a business credit strategy.

FICO SBSS Score Ranges and What They Mean

FICO SBSS Range	Risk Category	What It Means
0-154	High Risk	Below SBA minimum threshold for most lenders
155-164	Marginal	Meets minimum SBA threshold; lender dependent
165-219	Acceptable	Qualifies for most SBA Small Loans
220-300	Low Risk / Strong	Expedited underwriting; better rates and terms

Personal Credit Score Requirements for Business Financing

Different types of business financing have different personal credit benchmarks. According to Lendio’s SBA loan analysis, most SBA lenders look for a personal credit score of at least 650 to 680, with stronger applications typically coming in at 690 or above. Traditional bank loans tend to require 700 or higher.

It is important to know that the SBA itself does not set a hard minimum personal credit score. Individual SBA-approved lenders apply their own internal underwriting standards. This means that the credit threshold you need to hit can vary from lender to lender, and other factors such as your time in business, annual revenue, cash flow, and collateral can offset a lower credit score to some degree.

That said, crossing key credit score thresholds (650, 680, 700) meaningfully changes which lenders and programs are available to you. If your current score is in the 620 to 650 range, adding even one strong tradeline to your personal profile could be the difference between a declined application and an approved one.

Personal Credit Score Requirements by Financing Type

Loan Type	Min. Personal Score	FICO SBSS Min.	Notes
SBA 7(a) Loan	650-680	155-165	Most common SBA loan type
SBA 504 Loan	680+	155-165	Real estate and equipment
SBA Microloan	600+	N/A	More flexible; intermediaries
Traditional Bank	700+	220+ ideal	Stricter underwriting
Business Credit Card	670+	N/A	Issuer varies; personal PG

How Authorized User Tradelines Support Your Business Credit Goals

Authorized user tradelines are established credit card accounts with strong payment histories that you are added to as an authorized user. When a cardholder adds you as an authorized user, the account history of that card can appear on your personal credit report, which may improve your credit score by adding positive payment history, increasing your total available credit, and reducing your overall utilization ratio.

According to Tradeline Supply’s research on business credit and personal tradelines, personal credit scores carry significant weight for newer businesses without a robust credit profile. When a small business applies for a loan, lenders look at the owner’s personal credit history, particularly when the business itself does not yet have a strong track record.

For business owners, the most direct benefit of authorized user tradelines is what they do to your personal FICO score. Because lenders use that FICO score to evaluate your SBA loan applications, business credit card applications, and lines of credit, improving your personal score through tradelines can unlock financing options that were previously out of reach.

Eze Credit Services is an authorized user tradeline marketplace. We connect clients with vetted cardholders who list their established accounts for purchase. When you purchase a tradeline through our platform, you are added as an authorized user on a real, seasoned account. These accounts may report to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, which are the personal credit bureaus that lenders pull when evaluating business financing applications.

Expected Personal Credit Boost by Profile Type

Credit Profile Type	Expected Score Boost	Business Financing Benefit
Thin file (few accounts)	50-250 points	Opens access to SBA loans and business credit cards
Moderate file (some history)	20-80 points	Crosses key lender thresholds (650, 680, 700)
Strong file (680+ FICO)	10-30 points	Improves SBSS score; unlocks better loan terms
Near-prime (640-669 FICO)	30-100 points	Potential to qualify where previously declined

How to Build Business Credit: A Step-by-Step Approach

Strengthening your personal credit is an important first step, but it works best as part of a comprehensive business credit strategy. Building a strong business credit profile requires several foundational steps that create a separate, verifiable credit identity for your company.

Step 1: Form a Legal Business Entity

Register your business as an LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp with your state. A legally registered entity separates your personal finances from your business finances, which is essential for building independent business credit. Sole proprietors can also build some business credit, but a registered entity provides stronger separation and credibility with lenders and vendors.

Step 2: Obtain Your EIN and DUNS Number

An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is the business equivalent of a Social Security number. You can obtain one for free from the IRS. A DUNS number is your business identifier with Dun and Bradstreet and is required to establish a profile with the most widely used business credit bureau. Both are free to obtain and essential before applying for any business credit.

Step 3: Open a Dedicated Business Bank Account

A dedicated business checking account creates a paper trail of legitimate business financial activity. Many lenders and vendors require a business bank account before extending credit. It also makes it easier to demonstrate your business revenue and cash flow during loan applications.

Step 4: Open Net-30 Vendor Accounts That Report

Net-30 vendor accounts extend you 30 days to pay invoices after purchase, and vendors that report those payments to business credit bureaus are the fastest way to build business tradelines. As Nav notes, Dun and Bradstreet requires at least three tradelines reporting before it will calculate a PAYDEX score. Opening three to five net-30 accounts with vendors that report to D&B, Experian Business, or Equifax Business is the most direct path to a calculable business credit score.

Step 5: Pay All Business Accounts Early or On Time

The PAYDEX score rewards early payments. Paying invoices before the due date can push your PAYDEX score into the 80 to 100 range, which is considered strong by most lenders. Paying exactly on time produces a lower PAYDEX score than paying early, so making payments ahead of the net-30 deadline whenever possible will accelerate your score growth.

Step 6: Strengthen Your Personal Credit with Tradelines

While building your business credit profile through vendor accounts and business cards, keep your personal credit strong. This is where Eze Credit Services comes in. Purchasing authorized user tradelines through our platform can add positive payment history to your personal credit report, raise your available credit, and potentially push your FICO score above the thresholds lenders require for SBA loans and business financing.

Step 7: Monitor Both Profiles Regularly

Monitor your personal credit through the three personal bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and your business credit through D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. Errors on either profile can suppress your scores. Identifying and disputing inaccuracies promptly protects the profile you have worked to build.

Net-30 Vendors That Report to Business Credit Bureaus

Vendor	Reports To	Category	Notes
Uline	D&B, Experian	Shipping/Packaging	Easy to open; no annual fee
Quill	D&B	Office Supplies	$100 min. first order
Crown Office Supplies	D&B, Experian, Equifax	Office Supplies	Reports to all 3; new-business friendly
Grainger	D&B	Industrial/MRO	Strong for trade/service businesses
Newegg Business	D&B	Tech/IT	Good for tech companies
Staples Business	D&B	Office/Tech	Requires ~90 days in business

What Eze Credit Services Offers for Business Owners

Eze Credit Services is a tradeline marketplace that connects clients with vetted cardholders who offer their established personal credit accounts as authorized user positions. Our platform is not a credit repair company, and we do not dispute negative items or communicate with creditors on your behalf.

What we do offer is access to seasoned tradelines with strong payment histories, high credit limits, and low utilization. These accounts are real credit cards held by real cardholders. When you are added as an authorized user, the account history may report to your personal credit bureaus, which can improve your personal FICO score. Because lenders use your personal FICO score as a key input when evaluating business loan and credit applications, this is a direct and practical benefit for business owners who need to reach specific credit score thresholds.

Our tradelines are sourced from accounts that typically report to one or more of the three major personal credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Most tradelines report within one to two billing cycles. We offer a range of tradelines with varying credit limits, account ages, and utilization levels so you can select the account that best fits your current credit profile and financing goals.

If you are a business owner preparing for an SBA loan application, a business line of credit, or a business credit card, and your personal FICO score is below the lender threshold, a tradeline from Eze Credit Services can be a targeted tool to help you close that gap. Browse our available tradelines on our platform and select the account that best supports your timeline.