Starting up a business can be a tremendous strain on your personal finances. It can take six months or more before your new venture is profitable and can provide financial support for you and your family. Before going into business it is always wise to get your finances in order.

Write a monthly household budget that accounts for your income and your household expenses. Be as conservative as possible, because it is vital to your success that you have the resources to maintain your household expenses while your business is growing. Any strain on your personal budget will put the financial success of your business at risk.

It is also a good idea to check your personal credit situation. Too often, entrepreneurs think that their business credit and personal credit are separate. A business' credit is built upon the owner's personal credit. Because you have not established a business credit history, lenders and suppliers will use your personal credit history to determine your terms of credit.

Your credit report determines how you will be perceived by potential lenders and suppliers. You should know what appears on your credit report because you may find errors that you will want to have corrected. To get a copy of your personal credit report, refer to one of the three major credit bureaus:

Equifax
Experian
Trans Union

In addition, it is very important for business owners and entrepreneurs to make sure their business credit report is accurate before they submit a credit application. To get copies of your business credit report, contact one of the business credit reporting agencies including D&B eUpdate.

For Additional Information:

What is Credit Scoring?
Fair Credit Reporting?
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection
Fair Isaac FICO Scoring