Program 02 · Houston, TX
Business
Credit Builder.
$297
A separate business credit file lenders take seriously. D-U-N-S, reporting tradelines, the first business card that reports only to business bureaus, and a business line of credit prepared the right way.
§ 01 · The order matters
Apply too soon and you stack inquiries on personal credit.
A business credit file is a separate identity, tied to your EIN, lived at three business bureaus: Dun & Bradstreet (PAYDEX), Experian Business (Intelliscore Plus), and Equifax Business. The order in which you build it determines whether it actually opens lender doors — or just adds hard pulls to your personal report.
Apply for credit before the file exists and you collect hard inquiries on the personal side. Apply with mismatched address or phone information and your applications get auto-denied as identity flags. Apply with vendors who don't actually report and you get six months of payments on file with no one who matters.
The build, in the order the bureaus expect.
- D-U-N-S request walkthrough — direct with Dun & Bradstreet, free.
- Reporting NET-30 vendor shortlist (the ones that actually report, not the rumor list).
- First business credit card script — issuers that report only to business bureaus.
- Second & third card stacking plan with timing windows.
- Business line of credit prep — utilization, file age, depth targets.
- Identity audit: address, phone, EIN match across all three bureaus.
- PAYDEX / Intelliscore Plus / FICO SBSS monitoring checklist.
- Handoff to the Business Funding consult once the file is fundable.
The reporting partner we actually use.
During months one through four of the Business Credit Builder program, the reporting tradeline most of our clients use is the CreditStrong Business Credit Builder Program. It reports on a published schedule, the amounts are predictable, and the file movement is real.
Owners with an LLC. Ready to stop guaranteeing everything personally.
This program assumes the foundation track — entity, EIN, business bank, identity match — is already in place. If it isn't, start with Program 01 first; the credit work won't hold without it.
If your LLC is filed cleanly, your EIN is correctly registered, and your address is consistent across the IRS and your business bank, you're ready for this track. We'll do everything else.
§ 05 · What you'll have at the end
A fundable file. Not just a score.
A PAYDEX score above 80, an Intelliscore Plus in lender-acceptable range, two to three reporting tradelines, your first business credit card paid down and reporting cleanly, and the identity match across all three bureaus that prevents the kind of auto-denial most founders never realize was happening.
That's the file the SBA, the business banker, and the line-of-credit underwriter want to see. It's also the file that opens the conversation we have in Program 03.
Most-asked questions.
How long until I have a fundable file?
Sixty to ninety days of clean reporting from two or three tradelines moves a new EIN from "no record" to "thin established." The first business credit card paid for another sixty days moves it to "established with revolving history." So roughly four to six months from a clean start, assuming nothing breaks.
Will building business credit affect my personal credit?
It depends on the product. Most business credit card applications report inquiries to personal credit, regardless of which bureau the card itself reports to. NET-30 vendor tradelines and pure business credit products generally don't. We sequence the applications so the personal-credit impact is minimized.
What's the difference between this and the $597 program?
The $597 Proper Business Structure program builds the foundation: entity, EIN, banking, identity. The $297 Business Credit Builder builds the credit file on top of it. Most clients start with $597 unless their LLC is already cleanly in place.
Why CreditStrong over other reporting services?
It reports consistently. It's reasonable to size for new businesses. The reporting cadence is published. Most other "credit builder" services either don't report, report inconsistently, or charge for features you don't need. We use what actually works.