Your Suppliers Are A Good Source Of Credit
If you sell to other businesses especially large companies you are probably in the position of having to extend them credit. This is especially true if you own a small business that sells to large businesses. Your customers due to their size and buying ability can put the squeeze on you just about anytime they want. So you end up extending them credit. Maybe you give them thirty days to pay you. But I bet they take sixty days or longer to actually get you a check. This situation can put a lot of pressure on your companies finances.
To help alleviate the problem you need to ask your suppliers for lines of credit too. You can't afford to be paying for supplies and materials up front when you don't get paid up front also. An added benefit of this additional credit is that it's usually interest free. You do have to keep in mind that some companies can penalize you a small percentage for paying late but many do not and some will even offer a discount for paying early.
You'll find that supplier credit lines are integral to helping improve your cash flow. And as your business grows your suppliers will be able to develop a deeper relationship with you. Plus your bank will appreciate you having those lines of credit. Because if that credit is available to you then you're less reliant on the bank when money is tight. To the bank this is a good thing.
So how do you go about setting up such lines of credit? We ask of course. If you do business with other small businesses then all you probably have to do is ask for a credit line. If you've already established a solid relationship with your supplier then they'll probably be more willing to extend credit. Basically a hand shake and a quick letter of credit that you can show to your bank later if need be. I really do suggest you make sure to get a letter of credit for your records even if your supplier never had you fill out a credit application with them.
Most of your suppliers will provide you with some sort of basic credit application. If they've got a good relationship with you this will still only be a formality. I do suggest you be proactive and put together a basic company credit reference sheet. It should have information like the legal name of the business, your employer identification number, business address and phone numbers, plus your best credit references on it. Many businesses will accept this instead of having to fill out a credit application as it contains most of the information they are seeking anyway.
If you are applying for credit with a large company then the application process is going to be more thorough. Make sure your credit references are good and you might want to consider letting them know that you've used them as references. Larger companies want your business too but are more wary when extending credit to small companies even if you have a history with them. Even if you have done alot of business with them they realize that you had to pay up front to get what you needed. Their question becomes how good are you at paying when they've already given you what you needed?
Bigger companies will usually take longer to do their credit checks since they have the resources to thoroughly check into your credit. And they don't just check into your companies history either. They will usually check into your credit as well. Especially if your company is still young. Which makes it a good idea from a business standpoint to know your credit score. You can of course get your score through companies such as Equifax, Transunion, and Experian. They'll use these companies and probably get a Dunn & Bradstreet report to check out your company.
If you do ask for credit from your suppliers you need to remember that while this is a way to help your cash flow it can also come back to bite you if you don't pay. Your suppliers can cut you off. And while this is a chance for you to grow your relationship with your supplier many people abuse it instead. You need to pay them on time and if for some reason that's not possible you need to tell them when it will be. The key to any good relationship is communication.
About the Author
Cash Miller is an experienced entrepreneur and speaker who has spent over a decade as a small business owner. His years of experience in small business covers such topics as planning, management, marketing, human resources, ecommerce, and taxation. If you are looking for more information on this subject and others related to starting and running a small business you can visit his website at http://www.SmallBusinessDelivered.com
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