{"id":15281,"date":"2026-04-27T11:15:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T18:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/?p=15281"},"modified":"2026-04-27T16:28:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T23:28:53","slug":"business-credit-score-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Credit Scores 101 &#8211; An Easy to Use Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A business credit score is a number assigned by a calculation from one of the three business credit bureaus (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnb.com\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Dun &amp; Bradstreet<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.equifax.com\/business\/small-business\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Equifax Small Business<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/smallbusiness.experian.com\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Experian Business<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">) and is used by companies that loan, lease, invest, or offer credit to\u00a0determine\u00a0how risky the company borrowing may be. A higher business credit score means the company\u00a0is\u00a0a lower risk, and a lower business credit score means it is a higher risk.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Each of the three bureaus has their own scoring system that helps\u00a0determine\u00a0a company\u2019s ability to make payments, but each uses a different focus to generate their score.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dun &amp; Bradstreet (D&amp;B) focuses on the company\u2019s payment history on loans, business credit scores, lines of credit, and other debts using\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnb.com\/en-us\/smb\/resources\/credit-scores\/db-credit-scores-ratings.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">their PAYDEX score<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(1\u2013100). Unlike the other two bureaus, D&amp;B requires a D-U-N-S Number to start a file.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Experian Business uses their \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.experian.com\/business-information\/credit-risk-management\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Intelliscore Plus<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d system with ratings from 0 &#8211; 100 and is used to predict the likelihood of a borrower being delinquent in making payments. It is more common for small and mid-sized business credit checks, as well as startups for smaller amounts of credit.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Equifax Small Business uses data from the Small Business Finance Exchange (SBFE) and other business scoring models to generate their score (101 &#8211; 992) based on payment trends, debts owed, credit history, public records, risk scores, and information like company size, age, and industry. This can then be compared against other similar types of businesses and peers. The focus of this number is to measure the borrower\u2019s financial stability and their likelihood of being able to make payments.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While each financier, lender, or leasing company will\u00a0pick\u00a0their own bureau when evaluating you, or they may use multiple, knowing what the three bureaus\u00a0main focus\u00a0is can give a borrower an idea of which one the lender will use. Knowing which\u00a0bureau\u00a0a lender uses gives the borrower an advantage.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If the borrower is late making payments to a vendor, and that vendor does not report a delinquency to Experian Business, the borrower\u2019s business credit score won\u2019t have the delinquent payment work against them when applying for a loan or business credit card because it is not reported to Experian Business. It could be reported to Equifax Small Business instead, so\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0not as much for the borrower to worry about.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Every company that has any form of debt, lease, or financing will likely have a business credit score. Knowing yours is going to help you know where you stand alongside your peers and how <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/what-being-creditworthy-means-how-to-improve-yours\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">creditworthy<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0you may appear when you apply for financing, leasing,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/what-is-a-trade-credit-for-businesses\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">trade credit<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, or are being evaluated by third parties that want to work with you.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0curious about improving,\u00a0maintaining, or what\u00a0impacts\u00a0your company\u2019s business credit score, we can help. Below\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0learn about what and how the score is\u00a0impacted, the two options to request yours, and then some tips\u00a0on\u00a0ways to raise your number.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Way the Score is Calculated<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A business credit score is calculated using data reported to the\u00a0business\u00a0credit bureaus about payments, debts, and credit accounts to\u00a0come up with\u00a0a number that shows how creditworthy the business is. The number can be a combination of:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Debts and balances on business loans, lines of credit, and business credit cards.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Payments being made on financed and leased vehicles, equipment, and machinery.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Vendor and supplier accounts including payments owed on net 30\/60\/90.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Corporate memberships and software subscriptions with monthly or annual payments.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Liens including taxes,\u00a0UCC filings, and debts reported to collection agencies.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Any other type of financial debts or payments that a vendor, supplier, leaser, or financier reports to one or all three of the business credit bureaus.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While you\u00a0are able to\u00a0get a free copy of your personal credit report and score, unless you have a corporate membership that includes a free business credit score check,\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0need to pay for a full report. If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0only curious about your number, do a soft pull instead of a hard pull.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"3\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Soft and Hard Pulls<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:320,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There are two types of inquiries made with business credit bureaus about business credit\u00a0scores\u00a0and they are called soft pulls and hard pulls.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/soft-inquiries-how-they-impact-credit-scores-loans\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Soft pulls (soft inquiries)<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0do\u00a0not\u00a0impact\u00a0a business credit score because the business owner does not have to agree to\u00a0them,\u00a0meaning there is no signature on an application and no permission granted to run the report. Soft pulls provide a\u00a0high-level\u00a0overview of the company\u2019s creditworthiness and are used by business owners to get a general idea of how\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0doing, or by third parties to send pre-approved offers or credit and financial repair services.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hard pulls (hard inquiries) must be signed off by the company being evaluated as they have a temporary negative impact on the business\u2019s credit\u00a0rating\u00a0and they give\u00a0all of\u00a0the details reported to the business credit bureau. This is used by a company evaluating if they should or should not loan, lease, or work with the business that is applying with them.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some companies that do a soft pull, like us, will ask for the customer\u2019s permission before pulling it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Business credit scores can\u00a0impact\u00a0who wants to work with you, and when\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0need to do some work to improve yours. And getting a better business credit score may be easier than you think.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ways to Improve Your Business Credit Score<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To improve your business credit\u00a0score,\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0want to do a mix of these three things.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Reduce the debts\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0currently paying\u00a0on.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have vendors that you make regular payments to and report the payments to the bureaus.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Clear any debts that have been paid off but are still listed\u00a0off of\u00a0your business credit report.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Your score is a mix of the above, and any of these things can help improve your numbers. Actionable ways to start\u00a0include:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Improving your\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/credit-utilization-ratios-and-how-to-calculate-yours\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">credit utilization ratio<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(a measure of how much available credit\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0using) by getting a larger line of revolving credit or reducing the debts owed on the accounts. This is even recommended by\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.experian.com\/blogs\/ask-experian\/credit-education\/score-basics\/credit-utilization-rate\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Experian<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, so it is one of the first things to look at doing.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Paying off as many reported debts as possible, or lowering them with\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/a-guide-to-curtailments-how-to-make-them-work-for-you\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">curtailments<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0on large or\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/small-business-loans\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">small business loans<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, lump sums on business credit cards, and clearing balances on business lines of credit.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Opening a new revolving credit account like a business line of credit or business credit card instead of increasing limits will likely have a short-term negative impact on your score, but making regular on-time payments will show fiscal responsibility if the on-time payments are being reported in. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"7\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you have positive cash flow and make immediate payments to suppliers and vendors, see if\u00a0they\u2019ll\u00a0allow net 30 or net 60 payments, and ask if they will report the\u00a0on-time\u00a0payments to the bureaus.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"8\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Get a copy of your business credit report and look for any tradelines (the\u00a0line\u00a0items on the report) that show debts\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0already cleared. Then contact the vendor or lender and ask them to have it removed.\u00a0If that fails, reach out to the bureau and submit a request to have it removed.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"9\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Automate any payments that you sometimes forget to pay on time to help prevent the missed payment from getting reported to the bureau.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Your business credit score is one of the best ways to show your creditworthiness along with financial statements and business history. When you have a good business credit\u00a0score,\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0more likely to get approved for financing or leases with better rates. If your business credit score is poor,\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0have a harder time getting approved for them, or you may get less than ideal terms.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">National Funding does not provide tax,\u00a0legal\u00a0or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only. You should consult your own tax,\u00a0legal\u00a0and accounting advisors.<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:195,&quot;335559739&quot;:195}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding how a business credit score works is essential to managing your company&#8217;s finances.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":191978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[64],"class_list":["post-15281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance-lending","tag-credit-score"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Business credit score 101<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Your business credit score will determine if your company can borrow, lease, or rent, and the terms you get. Here\u2019s what it is and how to modify yours.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Business credit score 101\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Your business credit score will determine if your company can borrow, lease, or rent, and the terms you get. Here\u2019s what it is and how to modify yours.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15281\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Bottom Line by National Funding\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/national.funding\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-27T18:15:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-27T23:28:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.nationalfunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Business-Credit-Score-101.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kelly Hillock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@NationalFunding\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@NationalFunding\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kelly Hillock\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/\",\"name\":\"Business credit score 101\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.nationalfunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Business-Credit-Score-101.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-27T18:15:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-27T23:28:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bc06f44d4c81138ad3f536fee0606768\"},\"description\":\"Your business credit score will determine if your company can borrow, lease, or rent, and the terms you get. Here\u2019s what it is and how to modify yours.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.nationalfunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Business-Credit-Score-101.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.nationalfunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Business-Credit-Score-101.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":200,\"caption\":\"business credit score\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Business Credit Scores 101 &#8211; An Easy to Use Guide\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"The Bottom Line by National Funding\",\"description\":\"Read National Funding&#039;s small business blog for tips and suggestions on how to grow your business by focusing on different aspects of business operations.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bc06f44d4c81138ad3f536fee0606768\",\"name\":\"Kelly Hillock\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f9731694c10dd48ef5c8395aacfc3923cb3079b712f05464ba6d33a85395065b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f9731694c10dd48ef5c8395aacfc3923cb3079b712f05464ba6d33a85395065b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kelly Hillock\"},\"description\":\"Kelly Hillock is the content marketing manager for National Funding, where she writes and edits articles for small business owners. Kelly has over eight years' experience in copywriting across a variety of industries, focusing on entrepreneurship and finance. She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Diego State University.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/author\/khillocknationalfunding-com\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Business credit score 101","description":"Your business credit score will determine if your company can borrow, lease, or rent, and the terms you get. Here\u2019s what it is and how to modify yours.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Business credit score 101","og_description":"Your business credit score will determine if your company can borrow, lease, or rent, and the terms you get. Here\u2019s what it is and how to modify yours.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15281","og_site_name":"The Bottom Line by National Funding","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/national.funding\/","article_published_time":"2026-04-27T18:15:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-27T23:28:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":300,"height":200,"url":"https:\/\/blog.nationalfunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Business-Credit-Score-101.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kelly Hillock","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@NationalFunding","twitter_site":"@NationalFunding","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kelly Hillock","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/","url":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/","name":"Business credit score 101","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog.nationalfunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Business-Credit-Score-101.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-27T18:15:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-27T23:28:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bc06f44d4c81138ad3f536fee0606768"},"description":"Your business credit score will determine if your company can borrow, lease, or rent, and the terms you get. Here\u2019s what it is and how to modify yours.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blog.nationalfunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Business-Credit-Score-101.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog.nationalfunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Business-Credit-Score-101.jpg","width":300,"height":200,"caption":"business credit score"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/business-credit-score-101\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Business Credit Scores 101 &#8211; An Easy to Use Guide"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/","name":"The Bottom Line by National Funding","description":"Read National Funding&#039;s small business blog for tips and suggestions on how to grow your business by focusing on different aspects of business operations.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bc06f44d4c81138ad3f536fee0606768","name":"Kelly Hillock","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f9731694c10dd48ef5c8395aacfc3923cb3079b712f05464ba6d33a85395065b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f9731694c10dd48ef5c8395aacfc3923cb3079b712f05464ba6d33a85395065b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kelly Hillock"},"description":"Kelly Hillock is the content marketing manager for National Funding, where she writes and edits articles for small business owners. Kelly has over eight years' experience in copywriting across a variety of industries, focusing on entrepreneurship and finance. She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Diego State University.","url":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/author\/khillocknationalfunding-com\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15281"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208830,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15281\/revisions\/208830"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/191978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalfunding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}