My Business Credit Journey to 1,000,000

Ok,

So the second step is here. We now have a Texas corporation and I applied for the DUNS number online and got it in 24 hours. I next went to vumber.com and got me a virtual number for the corp with the right area code for the city it is in. I then went to listourself.net and got the phone number listed.

past 3 days I then called the 1800 number to update my dnb credit report. I waited until the phone number shows up in 411 for me to update the information so that the number on file will match the one  in 411. I ensured that the information updated included the fact that I have more than 10 employees and estimates that I will do more than $1MM in revenue for the year. I also requested my eupdate information with this same number.

Once I confirmed that my information was updated on eupdate, I then got the DNBi SelfMonitor Benchmarking – Monthly which is now $69 per month. What this did is allow me to keep an eye on who is pulling my credit, but what we actually want it for is to input the three credit references. This insures that we get an 80 paydex quickly, but we will still use our net 30 accounts that report in order to build a stronger file by having more tradelines. (if you do not know what I am talking about with the net 30 accounts, I suggest to go to the menu bar and go to the “Start Here” Link)

So we have the self monitoring but I am yet to input any references. The next step is to get some goods ordered from some of the net 30 accounts but the truth is, they will be pulling my credit so I do not want all this activity to happen to quickly. So I am waiting 3-4 days to start ordering from my  net 30 accounts. I will be posted next which net 30 accounts I am ordering from and how much I am spending so that you can follow me step by step.

Marc Augustine

Happy Business Credit Building

I wrote a couple weeks ago that I will be starting to build business credit from scratch and I will be starting today. So the first corp we will be working on is a texas corp. I will be incorporating the business entity today. This should take 24-72 hours. Once that is done I will get the tax id, duns number and phone line. We will be getting DNB credit monitoring and business credit builder since it is now $69 a month. I am incorporating in Texas because I am doing this corp for a friend of mine who lives in Houston. I personally prefer New Mexico, Florida and Delaware but he prefers not to get a virtual office and all that jazz. On my contact information, my travelling caused me to temporarily stop taking calls, but I will be back on by the end of the week. Marc

Hey guys,

how is everything? I have decided to do what I did at the beginning of the blog. I have decided to build business credit from scratch and document it so that you guys can follow my lead once again. I have done this before but have decided to do it again because there has been some changes in the game.

1. Some of the initial accounts require a prepayment now.
2. There are one or two new vendors.
3. DnB credit builder’s structure has changed. They now market it is a credit monitor and there is a $69 per month plan, so they may be more feasible to use on each corp.
4. Some of the later accounts are now harder to get.
5. Some of the cash accounts are gone and there are one or two new ones..

The plan is to start with a brand new corporation with a clean file as well as a shelf corporation with a clean file.

Marc

Anyone that has been in this business credit building world for a little while should know that DnB is full of tricks, and they keep changing as the consumer gets aware. I try my best to keep you guys up to date with their tricks so that you will not spend more money than you have to.

Fairly recently, DnB has changed the way the sell their credit builder. I personally never thought it was branded properly as it was not a true credit building program, as it is some assistance in uilding business credit.

DnB has now bundled there previous credit builders, where you add credit references with  DnBi Self Monitoring. Now you pay to monitor your own credit and you have the possibility to add credit references.

The new tactic that is being employed to sell this service usually starts when you start appluing for business credit. DnB calls the number on file to inform you, the customer that there has been companies that have been pulling your credit and they claim that you should know that they are pulling the file. They will make it seem like there are more companies than those that you have applied to, just to get you flustered to make a quick rash decision.

In my opinion, I would not generally purchase the service unless I want to get a quick paydex. If that was the case I would purchase th “DNBi SelfMonitor Benchmarking – Monthly”. In this case you will be paying $69 per month for self monitoring and you can add 3 trade references per quarter. This in my opinion lowers the initial outlay of cash and still gives the ability to get a very fast 80 paydex..

Marc

You all know that one of my goals with the new blog is to expand the focus outside of simply business credit and add more information on personal credit and making money with credit. I have explored the option of forex trading and spoke briefly about creating a forex fund or offering managed accounts so that you guys will have access to these alternative investments.

A few years ago, I was considering starting a real estate syndicate. Basically this is where a group of people will invest money in order to invest in real estate. I was speaking to one of my mentors today and telling him that I think now is a great time to do so. I have been giving advice to a client of mine on which real estate markets are relatively stable and accessible when I realized that this is a great time to reconsider starting the real estate syndicate. Although it is very possible to purchase real estate with business credit, forming a syndicate will allow for a smaller initial investment by each individual which will spread the risk among the individuals. In speaking, we were considering a minimum investment of $1000. We have seen a number of homes in the south miami area and houston area which seem to give a pretty good return on your money, when it comes to renting and with the bottoming of real estate prices, the potential for an increase in value is very likely.

I will like to get some feedback from you guys if you think this is a good idea and if you think it is something that will interest you.

Marc

Since I am gotten into the business credit industry I have gotten more questions than I will like to admit about buying real estate with business credit. A couple years ago it was possible, but extremely difficult to get a commercial mortgage with no PG, and it is simply impossible to get it now. Strangelyenough though, it may be easier than ever to buy real estate with business credit now.

You can buy homes cash. Yes, you read it right, with cash. This will mean that you will pay for the house in full without getting a mortgage. Basically you will have to find homes that are cheap enough to acquire enough business credit to buy it cash and still have the ability to afford the monthly payments. It seems that Detroit is giving us this opportunity. I am not saying that we could purchase homes, rent them out and sell them in a couple months and make a killing, but what I am saying is that Detroit lends for the ability to own real estate for a very affordable price.

I do not claim to be a real estate specialist but I have seen homes listed in Detroit for as little as $8000 which needed as little as $1000 in repairs. You can view some of these listings at http://www.myfirstmichiganhome.com/.

These guys not only find you properties, but they work with contractors to get the house up to standard, and they also assist in finding renters (section  8 in many cases) to fill the houses.

I myself have given a quick browse of creaigslist Detroit so see what is available. One of my goals here is to purchase on property by February, with business credit.

Marc

When I first got into this business credit and shelf corp game, I figured it will be an awesome idea to just incorporate many businesses and leave them. 5 years later I wish I did. I felt like. $79 to INC in FL and $150 a year for annual reports is a solid investment. A 3 year old corporation will cost me less than $400 and I can easily sell it for $1000. That’s a 100%+ return in 3 years. Well I did INC a couple and still have maybe 2. I sold off some of them and I just didn’t keep up with the filing of the annual reports online due to laziness and lack of foresight.

Well as I always say, you always learn something new. Apparently, New Mexico LLCs are exempt from filing annual reports. Yea, I know, CRAZY. So you can form an LLC in New Mexico, get the EIN and DUNS number and completely forget about it and have a perfectly good shelf corporation in a number of years. Forming an LLC in NW is also as cheap as $50 if you directly through the SOS(secretary of state).

I only learnt this because a client came to be to build a corp that he Inc’s in 2002 and I was amazed that they do not have to file anything.

There are also a number of Tax and Privacy advantages when forming an LLC in NW and you can view them at http://www.keepyourassets.net/nmllc.html.

GET MY EBOOK SHELF CORP SECRETS

Usually a Corp will get a little more credit per creditor than an LLC, but this situation is specifically to forming shelf corporations in NM..

In concluding, spending $50 to incorporate a NW corporation and waiting 2 years for it to age and selling your shelf corporation for a mere $500, will give a 900% return in 2 years. I know many of you may say that Shelf Corporations may not be popular or needed in the future, but I cannot see this happening. Even without using them for credit purposes, they are used for other purposes, like getting government contracts.

These are just some importantphone  numbers that will come in handy while you start building business credit. Feel free to add to it in your comments.

Borders (734) 477-1039 – Fax Application (877) 254-9229 – Status Update

BP/Amoco Status Update (800)365-6204
Chevron/Texaco Business Card Status Update (888) 243-8358
Citgo Fleet; (734) 477-1039 – Fax Application (877) 254-9229 – Status Update
Citi AA: 888-662-7759
Citibank Status:800-645-7240, 800-288-4653, 800-750-7453
Conoco – Status Line, automated 1-866-289-5622
Experian Business:888-211-0728
ExxonMobil Business Card(800) 903-9966
Key Bank:800-254-2737
Lowes – Status; 1-800-445-6937
Lowes – Underwriter;1-866-232-7443
Lowes Fraud/UW: 800-444-1408
MBNA – 1-800-673-1044
Meijers MC (801) 517-5560
Office Depot – Staus Line, automated 1-800-767-1358
Office Depot;800-767-1358, 800-729-7744 automated line to check status.
Office Max – Status Line, atomated 1-800-283-7674
Philips 66: 866-289-5630, 800-610-1961
Phillips 801-779-7369
Radio Shack;1-800-442-7221
Sam’s UW:800-301-5546, 866-246-4282
Sears – Status; 1-800-599-9710
Shell Fleet Card Status Update(800) 223-3296
Shell: 800-223-3296, 866-438-7435
Shell; 800-377-5150
Staples – Status Line, automated 1-800-767-1275
Staples: 800-767-1291, 800-282-5316
Sunoco Corporate Card(800) 935-3387,(800) 278-6626
Sunoco: 800-310-4773
Target: 800-440-5317
Tiffany:800-770-0800
VALERO (800)324-8464 ACCOUNT STATUS
Valero;1-877-882-5376
Walmart;800-301-5546, underwriting 877-294-7548
Wright Express; 888-743-3893

Hope this helps. If you have any other numbers or emails for business credit contacts please add them