Your D&B number is asked for when applying with some credit card and leasing companies. Most banks and lending companies will ask for your D&B number. Once your corporation is setup and has been issued a Federal ID tax number, you can apply for your D&B number online at http://www.dnb.com.

The process of obtaining a D&B number is free and takes about two weeks to receive your number. D&B also has the Express Service for $499, where they will post your most recent financials and will call your trade references for an initial report. There is no need to pay the $499 that D&B wants to set up your "business credit file". The first time a vendor or lender asks for the file, D&B will set up your business credit file for FREE.

Potential creditors that ask for your D&B number will send a request to D&B asking for a credit profile on the corporation. If a profile is not already available, D&B will compile one from information D&B will request from your corporation. Then D&B will ask you for financial statements, tax returns, and the trade and bank references listed above.

Finally D&B will check the status of the corporation and business licenses along with any existing credit amounts and payment histories from your trade references. All of these items will be reflected in the profile.

Experian reports are developed only from information that is provided by your trade references.

11. Trade References

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMPLETED ALL TEN (10) STEPS ABOVE BEFORE THIS STEP.

I have giving you the steps to build an excellent business credit profile, FREE of charge. But you must do the steps! Our goal is to relieve you of having to personally guarantee every level of your business funding. To do that we must reach a PayDex Score of at least 75.

PayDex is a "1 to 100" score calculated by using up to 875 payment "experiences" from your trade references reporting how your company pays its bills. Below is the PayDex Score Key, with a score of 75 or above being your goal.