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There are several options to basic business financing, which include business credit cards, business lines of credit, business loans of different sorts, and P2P lending. All of these credit forms are specially tailored to specific purposes and conditions, so it is important to be familiar with all of them so that you can come up with a sound credit building strategy.

Business credit cards are usually one of the first forms of business financing tools that new entrepreneurs apply for. Business credit cards are easy to acquire (though your first ones may require a savings account in order to secure them) and allow lots of flexibility in use, helping you build credit quickly in the initial stages of your business. While they are not going to be ideal for large-scale financing, they are a very easy and convenient way of acquiring what you need in order to build your business.

Business lines of credit are similar to business credit cards, in that they are forms of revolving credit that are issued by banks. Business lines of credit tend to have better interest rates and higher credit limits making them a little bit more suitable for larger purchases than credit cards.

Business loans come in all sorts of varieties and from all sorts of sources. In general, government and credit union loans tend to be the best for most businesses, as they provide a very good and flexible financing with high limits and low interest rates. Smaller bank branches also tend to be good, especially if you have a history of banking with them. It helps, of course, to have a very solid credit score when applying for a business loan, so be sure that you have built a business credit score and infrastructure so that you have the money available when necessary.

P2P lending is another method that has risen in popularity in the last decade. With financial firms routinely crumbling in the marketplace, people are turning to their friends, colleagues, and small venture capitalists to provide them with financing options. P2P lending has been made easier with the advent of online tools that can cheaply provide the business and legal resources you need to conduct a loan in a professional manner.

As the markets expand, there will always be new ways to finance businesses. It is important to know what options you have so that you can make the best choices.


This Business article was written by Mark Karavan on 1/9/2010