What’s the deal with 850? Well, if you’re a credit score aficionado like we are, you’ll recognize 850 as the absolute perfect credit score. Once you’ve hit it, there’s just no higher to go—you’ve made it. And it’s an especially important figure for small business owners on the prowl for business financing. Out of all your financial numbers, documents, and sheets, your credit score might just be one of the most important attributes out there. There are business loans for bad credit, but your credit score can make or break the loans you’ll qualify for. Since your credit is such a big deal, we’ve decided to build the biggest, baddest, most kickassest guide to achieving that perfect credit score.

1. Getting a Perfect Credit Score
Your Guide to...

2. The perfect credit score.

3. Why is Your Credit Score Important?
Your credit score is a measurement of your historical reliability
with financial obligations.
Lenders care—a lot—about your credit.
They want to see that you:
Repay your debts
Avoid taking out too many credit accounts
Avoid tax liens and other legal mishaps

4. Credit Breakdown
Score breakdown:
Excellent: 781 – 850
Good: 661 – 780
Fair: 601 – 660
Poor: 501 – 600
Challenged: Below 500
850

5. Types of Credit Scores
1. Personal Credit Score
Affected by personal loans, automobile loans, mortgages, student
loans, and personal credit cards.

6. Types of Credit Scores
2. Business Credit Score
If your business has been an excellent borrower, your business credit
score might offset a less-than-great personal score.

7. Types of Credit Scores
3. FICO SBSS Score
FICO’s SBSS (Small Business Scoring Service) combines your personal
and business credit scores.

8. What Goes Into a Credit Score?
Amount of debt you have
Payment history (including bankruptcies and judgments)
Tax liens
Credit utilization (or how much of your credit is being used)
Hard credit inquiries
Age of your open credit accounts
Diversity of credit accounts

9. What to Do:
Pay your Bills on Time, in Full
Use Your Available Credit Conservatively
Monitor Your Credit Reports (& Correct Any Errors You Find)
Become an Authorized User on a Trusted Friend's Account
Keep Personal & Business Credit Separate
Be Patient (Growing Your Credit Score Takes Time)

10. DON’T
What Not to Do:
Don’t Close Old Accounts
Don’t Default!
Don't Let Your Debt
Match Your Income
Don’t Assume a Lot
of Debt Quickly
Don’t File for Bankruptcy
(if you can help it)
Don’t Use Only One
Type of Credit

11. Do You Need to Be Perfect?
In the end, don’t worry too much if you only have a score of
There’s not much 850 can get you that 750 can’t
(apart from the satisfaction of being perfect).

12. Small Business Loans Made Easy