How business credit is evaluated

How business credit is evaluated

I received a question from a reader today about business credit. He asked, I was wondering how business credit is evaluated. Is my Dunn’s number the main number that details my credit, or is it my personal credit score? I’m confused on this topic.”

For starters, you can view a summary of your business credit score at Nav for free (along with your personal credit score)! Click here to visit Nav.

Business credit can often stump business owners. Many don’t know they have a business credit score. But there’s a business credit score that measures your business’ financial health similar to how a personal credit score measures your individual financial health.

Business credit scores are measured primarily by 3 agencies: Dun&Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. How they measure business credit varies among the 3 agencies. Dun&Bradstreet’s (D&B) business credit score, called the Paydex score, is the most popular business credit score. It ranges from 0 to 100, and generally anything above 80 is considered good.

In order to get a D&B score, you need to establish a business credit file by getting a DUNS number. You can do this for free on D&B’s website.

The best ways to improve your business credit are paying bills on time and opening a business bank account or business credit card and responsibly using it. For more tips, see our article.