Business credit topic guides
Each guide takes one topic owners ask about and explains how it works in practice, where the limits are and what lenders actually check. They are educational, not advice, and nothing here is an offer.
Topic guides
- Topic guideEIN-Based Credit vs Personal Guarantees: A Realistic GuideWhat 'EIN-only' business credit can and can't do, which kinds of credit young companies can get without a personal guarantee, and when lenders still require one.
- Topic guideBusiness Credit Compliance Basics: Records, Rules and Red LinesThe compliance basics behind business credit: entity standing, consistent records, honest applications, ECOA and Regulation B rights, state disclosure laws.
- Topic guideCost of Capital for Small Businesses: Rates, APR and Total DollarsHow to measure what business financing really costs: interest rate vs APR vs factor rate, fees, total dollars repaid, and the cost of equity and trade credit.
- Topic guideGetting Lender-Ready: How to Position a Business for FundingHow to prepare a small business before asking for financing: clean books, a clear use of funds, the right amount, the right lender type and the documents to gather.
- Topic guideBanks, Credit Unions, SBA Lenders and CDFIs: How Institutional Credit WorksHow community banks, credit unions, SBA lenders, CDCs and CDFIs differ as small-business lenders, and how each one tends to evaluate applicants.
- Topic guideBuilding a Relationship With a Lender Before You Need OneHow small businesses build trust with banks and credit unions over time: deposit history, clean reporting, a first small credit, and communicating before problems.
- Topic guideCapital Structure for Small Businesses: Debt, Equity and Working CapitalHow a small business can think about its capital structure: how much debt it can carry, matching debt to assets, working capital, owner equity and leverage ratios.
- Topic guideManaging Business Debt: Schedules, Refinancing and Avoiding StackingHow to manage existing business debt: a debt schedule, ranking debts by real cost, when refinancing helps, why stacking advances is dangerous, covenants.
- Topic guideCredit and Debt Before Selling a Business: A Cleanup GuideHow owners can prepare debt, liens, guarantees and credit files before selling a business, and how buyers' financing, including SBA loans, shapes the deal.
Three questions owners ask most
- GuideWhat It Takes to Qualify for Bank and SBA FinancingWhat usually separates businesses that qualify for low-cost bank and SBA financing from those steered to expensive alternatives, and how to close the gap.
- GuideHow Business Owners Can Limit Personal Risk When BorrowingPractical ways owners can limit personal exposure to business debt: real entity separation, capped guarantees, insurance and borrowing what cash flow supports.
- GuidePractical Ways to Lower What Your Business Pays for FinancingPractical, honest levers for lowering what a small business pays for credit: timing, comparison shopping on APR, matching terms, collateral, fees and refinancing.
Financing options
- Financing guideSmall-Business Financing Options: A Plain GuideAn independent guide to U.S. small-business financing options, from bank and SBA loans to factoring and cash advances, organized by what the money is for.
- Financing guideBusiness Lending Options Compared: Costs, Terms and Trade-offsEvery common small-business financing type in one place: how each is priced, typical terms, collateral and guarantees, speed, and the trade-offs to weigh. No offers.