Not Two Peas in a Pod
Like oil and water, bad credit history and an entrepreneurial spirit just do not mix. Unless that is, you have the tools and the know-how to work on improving your credit rating, while still pursuing your dream of starting up a new business. A new business venture usually requires a great deal of start-up capital, which very few of us will have on hand. We will need funds to buy, rent or lease items such as space, equipment, and machinery; pay upfront for certain goods, services, and raw materials; and take care of the payroll for any employees we might need to hire. To do all of this we hope to have some institutions extend a line of credit to us. They, of course, will check our credit history and find out we have been labeled as ‘high risk’.
What Does a ‘High Risk’ Label Mean?
Being labeled a high risk could possibly have two connotations, and either one will make it difficult for you to get your business off the ground.
1. Some businesses, due to the very nature of what it is that they do, are given a high-risk label by creditors. Some of these types of business are online dating services; healthcare providers; gambling and gaming businesses, such as online casinos; agriculture; construction; sports bookies; online pharmacies; and credit repair merchants since their credit repair merchant account accepts credit card payments online.
The label is given due to several factors, for example:
- There is a high incidence of customers canceling transactions, returning goods, and asking for refunds;
- There is a propensity for credit card fraud;
- There is a predisposition to accidents (whether fatal or non-fatal); and
- The required input costs are high.
Also likely to give your business a high-risk label is the quantity and quality of your competitors, particular government regulations that apply to your industry, and the general economic climate.
2. It is likely that the high-risk label applies specifically to you, due to your poor credit history. In other words, creditors see doing business with you as a carrying a level of risk of them losing money because you have
- A low credit score;
- A history of making late payments;
- Defaulted on payments and perhaps had one or more of your accounts sent to a collection agency; and
- Been turned down by other creditors.
How to Get Going
To get your business off the ground, you have several possibilities to consider.
* Seek out a private lender – a friend, family member, former boss, or co-worker with faith in you and/or your idea and some cash to spare. Documenting the loan and your repayments may actually go towards helping to raise your credit score. This can be done quite efficiently by a loan management company.
* Consider using a micro-lender or a web-based lender. While their rates may be higher than those of a traditional lender, they are more likely to approve your request and will help to improve your credit score by reporting your payments.
* Think about getting a government grant or a grant from a non-profit organization. You may find ones specific to your industry, your location, or your particular circumstances. Be warned that this may require a decidedly fair amount of looking, and the competition will be stiff but will be worth it if you stick out the searching and applying process.
* Contemplate using a credit repair merchant. They may be classified as high risk by creditors, but they do have a credit repair merchant account that accepts card payments (credit or debit). It is their business to work with you to fix your credit rating. This may involve checking to ensure that credit agencies did not make mistakes when processing your account, or coaching you on the best ways to design and stick to a budget.
Whatever the reason for your business being assigned that dreaded high-risk label, take heart, your dreams of starting a new business are not completely squashed. Your options are varied but the one underlying fact is that you will need to work on improving your credit rating so your future ventures do not come upon these same roadblocks.
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