What is a good credit score for a small business loan?
A good
However, a credit score of 680 or higher is generally considered good and will make you eligible for most small business loans. A credit score of 720 or higher is considered excellent and will give you access to the best interest rates and terms.
Here's an overview of what high, medium, and low risk might look like to a lender2. 80 or over: A business credit score above 80 is typically considered excellent.
While LLCs can be started at any credit level, there will be some notable disadvantages for business owners who have bad credit. Here are a few examples: Money will be hard to come by.
Bad credit business loans typically require a personal credit score of 500 or higher. Rates tend to be more expensive, although shopping around can help you secure a better deal. Unfortunately, no-credit-check business loans aren't available.
How much of a business loan you can get depends on your business's annual gross sales, creditworthiness, current debts, the type of financing, and the chosen lender. In general, lenders will only provide loans up to 10% to 30% of your annual revenue to ensure you have the means for repayment.
Different lenders will weigh your personal credit score when considering your business for a small business loan differently, but the following rules of thumb typically apply: A personal credit score below 680 will make a loan with a traditional lender like a bank or credit union problematic.
You can get a small business loan with a FICO score of less than 670. But you may end up settling for high interest rates or a bad credit business loan, even if you technically have fair credit.
Most small business lenders like to see a business credit score above 75, but local lenders may consider lower scores for small businesses or startups. Conventional consumer financing companies rarely make loans to individuals with credit scores below 500.
The three major business credit scoring firms are Equifax, Experian, and Dun & Bradstreet, and each uses a slightly different scoring method. 234 Unlike consumer credit scores that follow a standard scoring algorithm and range from 300 to 850, business credit scores range from 0 to 100.
Does opening an LLC hurt your credit?
If your LLC has debts taken out in the company's name, only the LLC's business credit report will be impacted by whether you repay your debts on time. An LLC loan will only impact your personal credit if you cosign or guarantee it. If you don't do so, your credit report will remain unaffected.
Forming an LLC or corporation creates a separate legal entity with its own credit score different from the business owner(s) 's personal credit score. This differs from sole proprietorships and partnerships, where the business's credit is tied to personal credit profiles.
There's no set time limit for how long you need to have been in business to take out a line of credit. However, many lenders require two years. Some may be willing to work with you if you've only been in business for one year or, more rarely, six months. Don't expect to get the best terms, though.
- Best for Quick easy business loans. Bluevine. ...
- Best for Easy short-term business loans. OnDeck. ...
- Best for Easy equipment loans. Triton Capital. ...
- Best for Easy business loans for bad credit. Fora Financial. ...
- Best for Easy unsecured business loans. National Funding. ...
- Best for Easy business lines of credit.
Yes, it's entirely possible to secure a small business loan for a startup even with no current revenue or a poor credit score.
Lender | Loan Amounts | APRs |
---|---|---|
Upstart | $1,000 - $50,000 | 6.4% - 35.99% |
Oportun | $300 - $18,500 | 10.07% - 35.95% |
OneMain Financial | $1,500 - $20,000 | 18% - 35.99% |
RISE | $500 - $5,000 | 60% - 299% |
While getting a business loan can be difficult since most require strong personal and business credit scores, reliable cash flow and at least two years in business, there are alternatives available to obtain the cash you need.
Many SBA lenders require you to provide a down payment of at least 10% of the loan amount. Lenders often require you to put money down upfront because it shows you have an investment in paying the loan back, thereby reducing their risk of working with your business.
Loan type | Repayment terms | Loan amounts |
---|---|---|
SBA loans | Up to 25 years | Up to $5 million |
Traditional bank loans | Three to 10 years | $250,000 to $1 million |
Business lines of credit | Six months to five years | $1,000 to $250,000 |
Microloans | Up to six years for SBA microloans | Up to $50,000 |
If you have an LLC, you should have no trouble finding a business loan. You will need to qualify for the business loan requirements, but typically, lenders will give loans to multiple types of businesses.
What is the lowest credit score to borrow?
To qualify for a personal loan, borrowers generally need a minimum credit score of 610 to 640. However, your chances of getting a loan with a low interest rate are much higher if you have a “good” or “excellent” credit score of 670 and above.
5 Further, LLC debt does not count as personal debt unless the business owner personally guaranteed the loan.
SBA Express loans, part of the SBA's 7(a) loan program, offer the easiest application process and the fastest approval times among all SBA loans. These loans, with payoff periods as long as 25 years, are designed for purposes such as refinancing debt, buying equipment, or improving real estate.
You can apply for a business loan with your EIN if you're a new business owner without established credit. However, you may also need to include your SSN and details about your personal finances because you'll likely have to provide a personal guarantee.
Yes, startup loans tend to stay lenient in terms of credit requirements. For example, a lender may offer business loans with a minimum 600 personal credit score while accepting businesses with six months' experience. Some lenders do offer startup business loans for a 500 credit score.
References
- https://www.offermarket.us/blog/dscr-loan-for-llc
- https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-debt-to-income-ratio-en-1791/
- https://www.investopedia.com/business-loan-affect-personal-credit-7571375
- https://www.fundingcircle.com/us/business-loan-calculator/
- https://www.carsdirect.com/auto-loans/getting-a-car-loan/how-much-should-i-put-down-on-a-40-000-car
- https://www.sbaexpress.loans/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/pl/monthly-payment-for-40000-personal-loan-1000450-2140762729/
- https://www.wellsfargo.com/goals-credit/smarter-credit/credit-101/debt-to-income-ratio/dti-faqs/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business-loans/business-loan-with-ein/
- https://agilecap.com/steps-to-take-if-youve-been-denied-an-sba-loan
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/business-loan-credit-score/
- https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/what-is-the-28-36-rule/
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/sba-loan-approval/
- https://www.indinero.com/blog/sba-loan-application-requirements/
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/how-to-get-an-llc-loan/
- https://money.usnews.com/loans/personal-loans/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-affirm
- https://swoopfunding.com/us/sba-loans/sba-loan-approval-rate/
- https://sba-attorneys.com/sba-articles/cant-pay-your-sba-loan-heres-what-to-expect
- https://www.newcastle.loans/mortgage-guide/debt-to-income
- https://www.sba7a.loans/sba-7a-loan-terms-rates-fees-maturity/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/pl/how-much-can-i-borrow-with-a-570-credit-score-1000508-2140806912/
- https://www.connect2capital.com/small-business-lending-blog/why-was-my-sba-loan-denied-and-what-can-i-do-about-it/
- https://www.fundingcircle.com/us/resources/sba-loans/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/sba-startup-loans
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/auto-loans/how-to-pay-off-a-car-loan-faster/
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/sba-loan-guide/
- https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options/covid-19-economic-injury-disaster-loan/about-targeted-eidl-advance-supplemental-targeted-advance
- https://ramp.com/blog/can-business-credit-affect-personal-credit
- https://www.fundingcircle.com/us/resources/sba-7a-loan-credit-score-requirements/
- https://www.score.org/resource/blog-post/how-does-my-personal-credit-score-impact-my-business-loan-application
- https://www.lendingtree.com/business/sba/down-payment/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/pl/monthly-payment-on-50000-personal-loan-1000450-2140762731/
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/sba-loan-collateral-vs-guarantee/
- https://advancepointcap.com/blog/how-hard-is-it-to-get-an-sba-loan/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/calculator/auto-loan-calculator
- https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/llc/bad-credit
- https://money.com/how-to-get-a-startup-business-loan-with-no-money/
- https://money.usnews.com/loans/personal-loans/articles/how-to-get-a-40-000-personal-loan
- https://fundbox.com/resources/guides/business-credit-score/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/sba-loan-requirements
- https://www.incharge.org/debt-relief/credit-counseling/success-stories/how-to-tell-your-wife-you-are-40k-in-debt/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/sba-loan-credit-score
- https://sba-attorneys.com/sba-articles/which-industry-has-the-most-sba-loan-defaults-learn-what-can-be-done-about-your-sba-loan
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/sba-loan-default-know-cant-pay
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/business-loan-documents/
- https://www.cabotwealth.com/daily/personal-finance/extra-mortgage-payments-save-thousands
- https://www.sba7a.loans/sba-7a-loans-small-business-blog/sba-credit-requirements/
- https://504capital.com/what-is-the-debt-to-income-ratio-for-small-business-loans/
- https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/40000-personal-loan
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/auto-loans/what-credit-score-do-you-need-to-buy-a-car/
- https://www.experian.co.uk/blogs/latest-thinking/small-business/what-is-business-credit-score/
- https://www.carsdirect.com/auto-loans/can-you-make-a-50-down-payment-on-a-car
- https://swoopfunding.com/us/sba-loans/what-is-the-average-sba-loan-size/
- https://www.lendingtree.com/business/business-loans-for-bad-credit/
- https://www.lendingtree.com/business/sba/pros-and-cons-of-small-business-administration-loans/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/pros-and-cons-of-sba-loans
- https://www.business.com/articles/can-t-get-a-business-loan/
- https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/basics/what-is-debt-to-income-ratio-and-why-it-is-important
- https://www.unitedcapitalsource.com/blog/sba-loan-declined/
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/why-my-business-loan-was-denied/
- https://www.smbcompass.com/sba-loan-credit-score-minimum/
- https://www.business.com/articles/forgiveness-for-sba-loan-in-default/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/pl/how-much-can-i-borrow-with-a-700-credit-score-1000508-2140806873/
- https://www.guidantfinancial.com/sba-loan-guide/pros-and-cons-sba-loans/
- https://www.bluevine.com/blog/debt-to-income-ratio-for-small-business
- https://www.moneygeek.com/personal-loans/how-to-get-a-40000-personal-loan/
- https://www.novo.co/resources/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-business-credit
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/business-credit-score.asp
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/small-business/easy-business-loans
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-household-debt/
- https://www.way.com/blog/how-much-should-be-my-monthly-payment-on-a-40000-car-loan/
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/how-hard-is-it-to-get-a-business-loan/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-loans/articles/how-much-is-the-monthly-payment-on-a-50000-personal-loan/
- https://www.nav.com/blog/sba-loan-payment-95583/
- https://www.lendingtree.com/auto/how-much-money-should-you-put-down-on-a-car/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/pl/what-is-the-interest-rate-on-a-40000-personal-loan-1000502-2140800435/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/sba-loan-down-payment
- https://www.sba7a.loans/sba-7a-loans-small-business-blog/prime-rate-for-sba-7a-loan/
- https://stairsfinancial.com/blog/how-much-house-can-i-afford-on-40k-a-year
- https://www.midstreet.com/blog/how-to-calculate-debt-service-coverage-ratio-dscr
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/auto-loans/no-down-payment-cars/
- https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/50000-personal-loan
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/sba-loan-denied/
- https://www.unconventionallending.com/debtserviceloans
- https://www.sba.gov/partners/lenders/7a-loan-program/terms-conditions-eligibility
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/personal-loans/average-credit-score-for-personal-loans/
- https://www.quora.com/What-house-can-you-afford-on-40-000-a-year
- https://www.allbusiness.com/five-common-credit-factors-for-qualifying-for-a-small-business-loan-3541-1.html
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/how-long-to-pay-off-40000-credit-card-debt-1000423-2140858503/
- https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/debt-to-income-ratio
- https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans
- https://www.quickbridge.com/blog/why-sba-loans-seem-out-of-reach-for-small-businesses/
- https://www.unitedcapitalsource.com/blog/build-llc-business-credit/
- https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/size-standards
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/how-to-get-a-business-loan-with-bad-credit/
- https://www.credible.com/personal-loan/40k-loan
- https://www.investopedia.com/how-to-qualify-for-an-sba-loan-7507410
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/081214/whats-considered-be-good-debttoincome-dti-ratio.asp
- https://www.southstatebank.com/small-business/small-business-resources/growing-your-business/does-a-business-loan-affect-personal-credit
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/business-loans-for-500-credit-score/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/small-business-loans-sba-loans
- https://www.batonmarket.com/resources/own/llc-credit-score
- https://money.usnews.com/loans/personal-loans/articles/how-to-get-a-50-000-personal-loan
- https://www.wellsfargo.com/goals-credit/smarter-credit/credit-101/debt-to-income-ratio/understanding-dti/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business-loans/small-business-loan-terms/