Growing a business takes patience, time, and money. And while investing in the business, it is normal for the business owner to find themselves with a bad credit score.
So, if you’re a business owner seeking business loans with bad credit, you must know that one cannot answer the question of bad credit business loans in a “yes” or “no” manner. And this is dependent on the business’ circumstances, time, growth, and lender’s requirements.
Over 2 million small enterprises operate in Australia, and if you’re one of them, this article is for you! It discusses each factor you need to examine before choosing whether or not you can get a small business loan with a not-so-good credit score.
Understanding Credit Rating
Credit rating helps the lender decide how risky it is to lend money to you. And this is measured in terms of a credit score that is generated per your borrowing history. Meanwhile, the more the credit score, the better are your chances of getting a small business loan. So, to understand what is considered to be a good or bad credit score, look at the table below that classifies scores under five categories.
| Below Average | Average | Good | Very Good | Excellent | |
| Score | 0-505 | 506-665 | 666-755 | 756-840 | 841-1,200 |
Different lenders will have different expectations, and to be safe, the credit scores of your personal and business accounts should be in line.
Getting a small business loan approved without a good credit score is indeed challenging but not impossible. So, first, you must look at lenders that have a broader selection criterion for providing loans.
Some lenders are pretty flexible with loan requirements and look beyond your credit score. And instead, they assess things like your business’ revenue model, the period since the business’ establishment, the industry you operate in, the financial health of your business over time, etc.
All of these factors collectively impact the influence of your application on the lender. And subsequently determine if the loan will be approved.
How to Improve Credit Score?
So, if you are struggling to get a loan from any reputed source in Australia, you must work on increasing your credit score. This can work out by implying some specific strategies that are listed below.
● Debt
You must clear the existing debt in your business’ name. And as a best practice, try to pay off as much as possible of existing loans before applying for a new one.
● Number of Credit Applications
Most lenders do a complete credit assessment before granting a loan; this information is provided to the lender from the credit bureau. And once in the knowledge of your credit bureau, your application can impact your credit score. Therefore, you should not shop on credit and make well-informed decisions to reflect the credit score positively.
● Pay Bills on Time
Credit reports track if you are paying your bills on time. This makes it increasingly necessary to pay all invoices in time. In addition, your account must have sufficient money to cover all ongoing costs. And once this is sorted, you can automate your payments and make the procedure hassle-free.
Getting bad credit business loans is not entirely impossible and can be done if you find the right lender. But to do so, you must understand all that you will need to apply for a loan with a bad credit score.
