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Updated: 04/16/2013 　 This is what worked for me. Use it only as a guide. I think it can really help people that want to know the general process of how things work in the ''new age'' of establishing business credit. Ok if you want to get some business credit it's NOT going to be instant. If you look in my signature where it lists my trades you can see exactly how much I have and who has extended me credit. Starting from the top. Left to right. Is the order they were obtained. So you can look at it as ''Easiest'' to Hardest'' if your just starting out. The first thing you need to do is sign up with google places using your business name and information.. 411 directory. White pages online. Yellow pages online. Superpages online. And any other directory you can find. It's hard to get listed with 411 but it's a must if you want credit. A lot of times before businesses will extend credit they will verify the business information by searching for the phone number on 411. Getting listed on 411 will take a cupple of months. Unfortunatly thats just how long it takes. 411 Get's their information from other ''Sources'' as well as accepting submissions through their own site.. By signing up for everything above it will not only help you get listed quicker but it will help you receive more business when people search for ''Towing company's'' ect. Trust me. The phone will start ringing off of the hook. Next. Sign up with DNB. https://iupdate.dnb.com/iUpdate/viewiUpdateHome.htm;jsessionid=3F4AA5AD50A26625D629DEC76E03D8EB.app2 DNB can automaticly create a file for you if you have been in business for a while (Similiar to how 411 works, You don't have to actually sign up with them but you can still get listed. (Just takes longer). It's best if you sign up with DNB before they create a file for you. If they create a file with incorrect owner information it may be hard for you to get in at that time because you won't be able to ''verify'' the correct information they have on file, Which may be incorrect. DNB has a credit file for your business and reports ''Trade lines'' (Net 30's, Net 7's, Some revolving,Net 14's ect) and your payment history from company's that CHOOSE to report to DNB. DNB mainly handles NET accounts. Revolving accounts are usually reported to Experian or Equifax . These are the only 3 business credit reorting agencies that you need to worry about. DNB is FREE! DNB is FREE! I can sign on and look at my payment history, Change company information and dispute tradlies that are not mine (Happens occasionally. If they are reporting good leave them. If they are derogatory dispute them) at any time through IUPDATE. DNB will call you every month or after you sign on through IUPDATE and try to tell you that you have to buy a credit package from them for you to get any credit ect. WRONG! They will tell you that 14 business have tried accessed your credit file but enless you have this package they won't be able access your file.You won't realize it at first but almost every time they call you they will be attempting to sell yo something. You won't realize it untill after they are talking with you for a cupple of minutes. Do yourself a favor and simply ask them to take you off of their calling list. If not expect to hear from them at least once a month or everytime you check your file on DNB. They will lie to your face and try to sell you the shoes you walked in the door with. I am fine with selling things, but not lying in an attempt to sell things. With the old E-Update (Before they changed it to IUPDATE) you had to call in to get access to be able to login online to view anything. If this is still the case AGAIN they will try to say that you have to buy a credit package to be able to veiw anything about your company through IUPDATE. Tell them as many times as it takes.... "' No thanks I'd jut like access to IUPDATE''. DNB gives sales people a bad rap. They will lie to your face. They will probably tell you it can't be done anymore without paying for one of their packages. If you can't get anywhere call back and talk to someone else. Next you can start calling the companys listed in my signature. Again starting from left to right. Some will ask to pre-pay for 90 days .You may be able to get your credit file going quicker if they do give you the prepay option and you decide to take it. Some won't ask at all. I choose not to prepay for those that asked. Which was ULINE. Grainger is one of the easiest accounts to get. You can usually get it as long as you are listed with the Secratary of State. Even if you don't have any other business credit. Usually they will start you off with a 1000.00 Credit line. It's best to place an order of about 75.00 or above that way it reports as 100.00 (It's usually rounded up). 50.00 trade lines are ok but 100's or above look better. Don't buy stuff you don't need enless you just have that money to waste. Some companys take months to report. Some take weeks. Grainger and quill are the quickest to report (Out of thetrade lines that I have). They usually report within weeks. Some of the trades in my signature ask for a DNB number and some do not. They can find you on DNB even if you don't give them one by simply searching using their software. The company's in my signature are company's that I know of that REPORT to DNB with the EXCEPTION of global industrial and Pep boys (Does not report) and ULINE (Which does report but they asked me to pre-pay for 90 days and I said no thanks). A lot of other companys offer NET accounts but don't report. Usually those are smaller company's. Once you start viewing your report online you will have a good idea on whats going on and when you can move to the next step. I try to order from everyone about every 2-3 months. That way the information stays current. I did this especially when I first started up. The trades will stay on your DNB report for about two years with no activity. So that means really you only need to order once from any giving company that does report to DNB. DNB will refresh the info listed on your report with any new info reported by creditors. So if you purchase 1000.00 from quill and then two months down the road you purchase a small 50.00 order, that 50.00 order will soon replace the 1000.00 trade amount that is being reported. Not good when trying to build credit. 　 And for anyone wondering, I never had over 100.00 trades reporting when building business credit in the initial stages. My higest cl on DNB was 250 (but showed 750 because there were three 250 trades stacked because they reported under the same catagory to DNB but were infact three different trades.) So if someone tells you that you have to make sure that 1 and 2 thousand dollar trades are reporting then come tell them to read this thread. And for those of you wondering about Experian and Equifax CRA's that I mentioned earlier (The only other two major business CRA's out there) there's a little trick on checking your progress with them. Experian no longer shows the number of trades the business has and now only shows if the business has one or more trade lines and does not give a specific number. Equifax still shows the business info and how many trades are currently reporting. Once you actually have a file with them you know you are on the right path. Experian - http://sbcr.experian.com/pdp.aspx?pg=sample&hdr=pp&link=5502&offercode=EXPSBpdebr-t&intcmp=EXPSBbusrep_marquee Equifax - http://www.equifax.com/small-business/credit-report/en_sb Any questions about ANYTHING? Post up here and let me know! I will be more than happy to help.

Hi, I has an account with HSBC years ago (2008). The account was closed with a listing on my credit report of 0 balance due and 0 current payment due. I think the card was stolen or I made a payment on it. Well, Capital One bought HSBC's credit cards from them (27 million of them). I think they took every account that wasn't paid in full, sold it to a company that doles out the accounts to lawyers, who then sue people 99% of whom don't answer the summons because they're scared and wind up losing by default and having their stuff repossessed or wages garnished. That's what Capital One did to me. They bought a closed account with a 0 balance from back in 2008, gave it a NEW account number and say the account is charged off and that I owe them $4K+. Here's the thing: I think it's below scummy for them to do something like this to people. Corporations that drove our economy into the ground and have caused countless economic suffering for people years after they defaulted on credit card debts from years ago and are now, in a sense, scaring them with lawsuits so they can pick regular people's pockets of what little they have left. Sorry- rambling. I know I can call the law firm that bought all of HSBC's old files and tell him that he can't 'reset the clock' by giving a new file number to an old account. I know that he lied when he sent me a letter saying he wasn't a debt collector, when he is, by my state's definition. I also know that he can't garnish my wages, and for that matter can't even sue, as the statute of limitations in my state is long passed. Bottom line, I'm SO DISGUSTED with the way these bottom feeders work that, rather than try to get them to take the listing off my credit report I want to sue them. Is that possible? This firm is in another state. I don't really have anything saying I LOST money by having the negative listing on my CRA reports- I mean, I haven't tried to buy a house or a car or anything. is it possible to sue them? And without any actual damages to me, is there a way to ask for money to make them stop doing stuff like this? Any knowledge of anyone suing a company in court and winning? I have asked them twice now to validate the debt and have heard nothing back. When I called them to have the debt validated they said I would have to supply proof that I paid it. I think they should have to prove I owe it. I sent letters to all the CRA's but from past experience I know they will call the CA and say, "Is this debt owed by him?" They will answer, "Um, yeah." the CRA's will say, "Yup- validated." and the whole process will start over and over again. Maybe it's just my testosterone shot is kicking in, but is anyone else on here had any experience with anything like this, or can they give me advice? CAN they restart the clock buy buying the debt from HSBC? Sorry to be so long. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.