7 Smart Ways to Use Business Credit Cards at a Startup
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If you’re considering launching a startup, small business or purchasing a franchise, then you’re probably thinking about your finances. Perhaps you’ve even thought about how business credit cards can help you finance operations and manage cash flow.
Yet, you want to make sure you make smart business decisions about how and when to use credit. After all, you don't want to put what you’re building at risk.
There are many ways small business owners can use a business credit card. When launching a startup, you can use these cards to maximize available credit, extend cash flow and add value.
Here are 7 smart ways using credit cards could help you as a business owner:
1. Business credit cards could help build your credit score.
You can use a business credit card to strengthen your business credit score. Even if you have a strong personal credit history, you’ll need to establish a credit score with the business credit bureaus. A strong company credit profile is important should you need to apply for funding down the line.
Each month, as you use your business card to make transactions and make your credit card payments on time, you build business credit. The better your business credit, the easier it could become for you to gain access to other business financing options, such as a small business loan.
For example, the data from your business credit cards can show an investor you repay your credit card bills. It also illustrates what you bought with that credit and how it contributed to the startup’s growth. You can use these cards to establish a solid business credit score and gain better financing rates.
While no one will recommend you make a late payment on a business credit card, unexpected circumstances or mistakes happen. If this occurs, it will most likely only impact your business credit score rather than your personal credit score. You may want to check though because some business credit card issuers do report to personal credit bureaus.
