Bank credit is the total
amount of borrowing capacity a business can obtain from the banking system.
Banks have their own internal way of scoring and rating businesses credit
worthiness. They do this through a system called bank ratings, which rates the credit
worthiness of a business from the bank’s perspective.
A business can secure
more business credit quickly as long as it has a minimum of one bank reference
and an average daily account balance of at least $10,000 for the past three
months. What lenders REALLY want to see is that a business has this $10,000
average balance. When a business has this, it yields a “Bank Rating” of Low-5,
meaning the business has an average-daily-balance of $5,000 to $30,000.
A business that has a
balance of $7,000 to $9,999 will net the business a lower rating such as a
High-4, which will make it harder for a business to get approved for bank
financing. Here is the actual bank rating scale, so you can see where you
business might rank:
High
5, account balance of $70,000-99,999
Mid
5, account balance of $40,000-69,999
Low
5, balance of $10,000-39,000
High
4, 7,000-9,999
Mid
4, 4,000-6,999
Low
4, 1,000-3,999
There are other factors
outside of average bank account balances that affect this rating. A business
will be scored higher if it has the average balance of $10,000 for 3 months, so
it’s crucial that the money be in the account, and stay in the account for 3
months to maximize the bank rating.
Overdrawing the account
and obtaining non-sufficient-funds charges is one big way any business can
severely hurt its bank rating. For the best rating, a business should ensure
their bank statements reflect a positive cash flow. Positive free cash
flow is the amount of revenue left over after the company has paid all its
expenses.
When the account shows a
positive cash flow it indicates that the business is generating more revenue
than is used to run the company, increasing the bank rating. The bank rating is
also improved when the business has a consistent amount of regular deposits.
Other factors can also
affect the rating including age of the bank account, other bank products that
the business uses, and how many investment and savings accounts the business
has.Having a good bank rating is essential with securing bank financing.
To maximize your bank
rating ensure you keep your bank balance average over 3 months as high as you
can, preferably over $10,000 and that your account doesn’t go negative.
Take advantage of and
use other services your bank offers such as CDs, savings accounts, and other
investment accounts and open your bank account when your corporation
starts, and leave it open as this longevity will help your bank rating.
Make consistent deposits
on a regular basis into your business bank account and ensure each month you
have good cash flow through your account by regularly putting into the account
more money than you take out. Taking these steps will ensure you have an
exceptional bank rating and can get approved for the greatest amount of bank
financing.
Expert
Credit Consultants, LLC specializes in establishing business credit and funding
using our exclusive Business Credit and Financing Suite as well as consumer
credit restoration and optimization. www.ExpertCreditConsultants.com.