Business credit score

Business bureaus build scores from your company's own record: payments reported by suppliers and lenders, public records such as liens and judgments, and details like years on file and industry. Dun & Bradstreet's PAYDEX score and Experian's Intelliscore Plus both run from 1 to 100, and higher is better.

Unlike personal credit reports, business credit reports are available to anyone who buys them, including lenders, suppliers and competitors. Liens and judgments against the business show up there too.

Many small businesses have thin business files, so funders lean on the owner's personal credit and bank statements. To build a business file, get an EIN, pay suppliers that report to the bureaus and keep business and personal accounts separate.