How To Read Your Business Credit Report?

For every business owner, it’s a tricky phase where they have to win over the trust of their customers and maintain a healthy rapport with the investors. As a small businessman or MSME, you realize the importance of budgeting and managing your finances well to enjoy the seamless cash flow. Amidst the chaos, you may lose direction and fall under debt. Well, if you do things the right way, your business will reach heights. It starts with developing good financial habits like checking your business credit report and analyzing it to improve further.

Your business credit score means a lot to your lenders and investors. It tells them about the way you’re dealing with your vendors and suppliers. It gives them the impression that your business is on the right track, and there is less risk anticipated when it comes to lending credit for further expansion.

In this blog, we’ll understand how to read your credit information report and what all factors determine that your business CIR is impressive and impactful.

A business credit report contains information about your company’s business structure, its financial performance, and financial history. A slight change in your CIR can impact your company credit score positively or negatively. Below are the main components that need attention while reading your business credit report.

Your Business Information

The report lists your company’s name, address, contact details, and information concerning annual sales, industry codes like SIC or NAICS, your company’s subsidiaries, etc. You can read all this information upon opening your business credit report. It also contains your financial information concerning financial performance and credit history.

If you see any errors or discrepancies in your report, you can lay your concerns with a credit information bureau such as CreditQ. It generates a business credit report undertaking all the essential information about your business, including public documents, if available. Maybe your information is incorrect or obsolete, which could hamper your company’s credit score. Once you report this to the credit information company, the team corrects it, and you may get an increased business credit score.

Check Payment History and Public Records

Lenders and investors can obtain your credit information report and determine their interest in working with you. So, you must read your payment history thoroughly. You must check if your account information is correct, alongside paying attention to tax liens, vendor payments, existing dues, etc. If you’ve delayed payment, your business credit report will reflect it, and your lenders and suppliers may leave a negative review about your business.

You can any day improve on payment factors and make timely payments. Besides, it’s good to reduce or clear off debts on time. If your information is prepared considering any public documents that are available in open, you must ensure that the information provided in these documents is correct and updated.

Anticipate Suspected Fraud

To enjoy borrowing power, you must direct your business on the right path. While reading your report, if you find a mismatch in financial figures, you can report it to the credit information bureaus. If you think you’ve been trapped in a suspected fraud, you can report business credit defaulters on the CreditQ platform. The specialists then begin the standard procedure of settling payment with your business credit defaulters.

Besides this, you must check the collection proceedings. It means that some late payments can become a matter of dispute, which, in turn, can decrease your business credit score rating. Also, you must ensure to check your business credit report regularly so that you are aware of your company’s strengths and weaknesses, and it can help you gain creditworthiness in the longer run.