What Now: Denied Business Credit?

Per recent reports, as many as one-third of applications for business loans get a denial. If you are part of that group, there are some ways to help the situation.

First, try to determine where the problem is. Possible areas of concern may include:

1. Your business profits. Does your business have a healthy profit margin? Improving your profits by reducing and trimming operational excess and unnecessary business spending can help improve profits. This will boost your chances of approval.
2. Your business assets and liabilities. Most lenders will run the other way if your balance sheet is out of whack. If your business is already heavy on debt, then this will be an area of concern you should address.
3. Your payment histories and business credit profile. How you pay existing obligations will play a role in your approval or denial of credit. If you’ve recently gotten a business credit denial, check your business credit score and other payment performance data.
4. Most payment information is only reported for 2 to 3 years (depending on the credit bureau), so if you’ve made a mistake or hit a bump or two in the road, don’t let it worry you. Keep the positive payment history going, and make sure what is being reported is accurate.
5. Your bank ratings. If your business bank account balances are often low, this can rule you out for certain types of business credit. To avoid trouble, try to maintain $10,000 or more in your business bank accounts.

The bottom line if you’ve had a credit denial, then there is something about your business making it seem to be a bad risk.

Your job is to analyze and understand your business credit report and business finances. Find where the problem is and take the necessary steps to correct your course. Sometimes, a lack of history or data on your business is a critical factor in a credit denial.

You can fix this with careful steps to shape your business’s financial picture and credit profile.