AS SEEN IN BUSINESS NEWS
ADVICE TO AN ENTREPRENEUR: CREDIT CARD DEBT AND
KEEPING YOUR CREDIT CLEAN
The ease of obtaining a credit card can often be troublesome to an entrepreneur. Often with the difficulty of getting loans and credit lines to finance receivables or to grow a new venture, an entrepreneur will turn to a credit card to provide much needed cash. However, as debt is accumulated the interest rate on these credit cards can reach the point where the monthly fees and interest are more than what the entrepreneur can afford to pay. If credit card debt becomes too high, future investors or partners may perceive your company as living off credit which could affect your future opportunities to get additional resources. A few pointers can help alleviate this problem.
First of all, if you need to use a credit card for a trade show, to travel, or to advertise, it is a good idea to make sure that can realistically pay this off. Understand than the interest and monthly payments will become a cash flow issue if the amounts are too high. So consider this in any of your cash budgets. If receivables are slow it may make more sense to put a plan in place to call on your delinquent accounts and offer discounts for early payment. Follow-ups to these accounts on a regular basis can also sometimes speed up payments.
Second, do not apply for too many credit cards at any one time. Credit bureaus take this into consideration calculating your credit score. It is better to stick with one credit card with a reasonable interest rate so that you can make payments on time and make any future lenders comfortable with you as a potential borrower