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Business Credit 101: How to Build Credit Using Your EIN, Not Your SSN

Your personal credit doesn't have to hold your business back.

Business credit is tied to your company's EIN — not your Social Security Number. For people with damaged personal credit or a criminal record, this is the path to funding that doesn't involve your past.

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From Felon Friendly Jobs Now — serving 70+ million Americans with records.

Reentry is hard enough without someone trying to steal from you.

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Unfortunately, people coming home from jail or prison are actively targeted by scammers. Not because you're careless — but because scammers assume you're under pressure, short on resources, and trying to move fast.

This guide explains the most common reentry scams, how to spot red flags immediately, and what to do if you're unsure whether something is legitimate.

This isn't about fear.

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It's about protection.

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From Felon Friendly Jobs Now — serving 70+ million Americans with records.

🚀 THE BUSINESS CREDIT ROADMAP

1. Make your business "fundable" — address, phone, professional email

2. Get your D-U-N-S number — free at Dun & Bradstreet

3. Open 3 Net-30 vendor accounts — pay early, build score

4. Get a secured business card — reports to bureaus

5. Graduate to No-PG cards — no personal credit check required

Timeline: 6-12 months to establish solid business credit.

Why Business Credit is the "Equalizer"

Most second-chance entrepreneurs hit a wall when lenders run personal credit checks. Business credit removes that wall entirely.

  • Separate identity: Your business credit profile is tied to your EIN, not your SSN. Your personal history stays separate.

  • No personal guarantee: Eventually, you can get credit cards and loans that only look at the company — no personal background check.

  • Higher limits: Business credit lines are often 10x to 100x higher than personal credit cards.

 

What we see working: Entrepreneurs with terrible personal credit scores building $50K+ business credit lines within 18 months by following this exact process.

Step 1: Make Your Business "Fundable"

Before any bureau will give you a score, your business must look legitimate on paper. Here's the checklist:

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Business Address

Use a physical office address or a Virtual Address service (like Regus or iPostal1). Never use a P.O. Box. Credit bureaus flag P.O. Boxes as non-commercial.

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Business Phone

Get a dedicated business line (Google Voice for Business or Grasshopper work well). List it in the 411 Directory — bureaus verify phone numbers against this database.

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Professional Email & Website

You must have a professional email: name@yourbusiness.com. A Gmail or Yahoo address signals "hobby," not "company." A simple website also helps establish legitimacy.

📌 Don't Have an LLC Yet?

You need a registered business before building business credit. Our LLC guide shows you how — no background check required.

→ [Link: How to Start an LLC with a Felony]

Step 2: Get Your D-U-N-S Number (Free)

Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) is the most important business credit bureau. Your D-U-N-S number is like a Social Security Number for your business — it's the identifier that tracks your credit activity.

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How to get it:

  1. Go to the Dun & Bradstreet website

  2. Apply for a D-U-N-S Number

  3. It's 100% free — don't let them upsell you

 

⚠️ Warning: D&B will try to sell you "credit builder" packages for $500+. You do not need them. Just get the free number and build credit through the vendor accounts below.

Step 3: Open Net-30 Vendor Accounts

Net-30 vendors let you buy products now and pay within 30 days. When you pay on time (or early), they report your positive payment history to the business credit bureaus.

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Start with Tier 1 vendors — these are the most "second-chance friendly" because they often don't require a personal credit check or personal guarantee.

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Tier 1: Starter Vendors (Easiest Approval)

Pink Poppy Flowers

Tier 2: Growth Vendors (Score Required)

 

Once you have 3+ Tier 1 vendors reporting for at least 90 days, apply for Tier 2 to boost your credit limits:

  • HD Supply: Maintenance and property management supplies. Reports to all three major bureaus.

  • Newegg Business: Computers and IT hardware. Reports to D&B.

  • Summa Office Supplies: Reports to Equifax Business with no personal guarantee.

  • Strategic Network Solutions: IT services and software. Reports to Experian and Creditsafe.

 

How to Use Net-30 Accounts (Step-by-Step)

  1. Register using your exact business name and address (matching your LLC paperwork)

  2. Purchase something your business actually needs ($50–$100 of supplies)

  3. Select "Invoice Me" or "Net-30" at checkout — not credit card

  4. Pay early — same day you receive the invoice, or at least 15 days before due date

 

💡 The Golden Rule: Pay EARLY

In business credit, "on time" is a C grade. To get an A grade (PAYDEX score of 80+), you must pay invoices 10 to 15 days before they're due. This single habit is the fastest way to build a high credit score.

Understanding the Business Credit Bureaus

Just like personal credit has three bureaus, business credit does too — but they use different scoring models.

Pink Poppy Flowers

What we see working: Focus on D&B first — most lenders look at PAYDEX. Once you have 80+, the other bureaus tend to follow.

Step 4: Get a Secured Business Credit Card

If your personal credit is low, a secured business card is your best option. You provide a deposit (example: $500), and that becomes your credit limit. The card reports to bureaus just like an unsecured card.

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Top picks:

  • Discover it® Secured Business — Reports to business bureaus, earns cash back

  • Valley Secured Business Card — Good for building business credit with lower deposits

Step 5: Graduate to No Personal Guarantee (No-PG) Cards

This is the goal. Once you have 3–5 reporting trade lines and a good PAYDEX score, you can apply for cards that don't check your personal credit at all.

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  • Brex: A corporate card that looks at your bank balance and revenue, not your SSN. No personal guarantee required.

  • Ramp: A charge card for businesses with at least $25K in the bank. Based on company financials, not personal credit.

 

These cards represent financial freedom for people with damaged personal credit. Your past stops mattering — only your business performance counts.

Bonus: Credit Builder Services

You can "force" your credit score to rise by reporting bills you're already paying:

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  • eCredable Business: Links to your utility accounts (power, water, internet) and reports those payments to bureaus as business tradelines.

  • Nav Prime: A monthly subscription that reports to bureaus as a "financial tradeline" — often weighted more heavily than vendor tradelines.

📌 Need a Business Bank Account First?

You'll need a business checking account before you can build credit. Our Banking Hub shows which banks are second-chance friendly.

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→ [Link: Open the Banking Hub]

Business Credit Readiness Checklist

  • Business address is commercial (not a P.O. Box)

  • Business phone is listed in 411 directory

  • Professional email (name@yourbusiness.com)

  • D-U-N-S number obtained (free)

  • At least 3 Net-30 accounts opened

  • Paying every invoice at least 10 days early

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⚠️ Go slow: Business credit is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't apply for 10 accounts at once. Start with 3 vendors, pay perfectly for 3 months, then add one new account every 60 days.

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The Bottom Line

Business credit is the great equalizer. It doesn't care about your past — only how your business handles its obligations today.

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Start small: establish fundability, get your D-U-N-S, open 3 vendor accounts, and pay every invoice early. In 6–12 months, you'll have access to funding that seemed impossible before.

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Your personal credit got you here. Business credit can take you somewhere else entirely.

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