Business credit, net-30 terms and business listings, in plain words

What business credit is and the first pieces a new owner puts in place.

• Business credit basics: a plain guideWhat business credit is, how it is separate from your own credit, and the first pieces a new owner puts in place. Plain words, with sources.
• Business credit vs personal creditBusiness credit and personal credit are kept in different records. Here is how to tell them apart, with quotes from the SBA and the FTC.
• What is an EIN and how do you get one?An EIN is a federal tax ID number for a business. Here is what the IRS says it is, who needs one, and where to apply.

How net-30 terms work, what a trade reference is, and how a payment is reported.

• How net-30 terms workNet-30 terms mean an invoice is due 30 days after its date. Here is how to read the terms and keep track, and where a payment record can come in.
• How trade payments are reportedWhat it means when a business payment is reported, what Factiiv says it does, and who Red Spectrum reports to. No promises about results.
• What are trade references?A plain look at trade references: what we mean by the words, who can give one, and how one differs from a credit report.
• What is a net-30 account?A net-30 account lets a business pay a vendor within 30 days of the bill. Here are the parts, in plain words, and how Red Spectrum's membership uses one.
• What is Factiiv?Factiiv is a company that records business transactions. Here is what its own site says, in plain words, and why Red Spectrum reports payments to it.

What a listing is, and why the same name, address and phone everywhere is a good habit.

• What is a business listing?A business listing is a page that shows your business details online. Here is what Google Help says about keeping that information accurate.
• What is NAP and why it mattersNAP means name, address and phone. See one business shown three ways, and what Google Business Profile Help says about complete and accurate info.

Short meanings for the words used on these pages, each taken from the article that defines it.

• Business creditIn this guide, "business credit" means the record of how a business pays its bills. It belongs to the business, not to the owner.
• EINAn EIN is a federal tax ID number for businesses, tax-exempt organizations and other entities.
• NAPNAP means name, address and phone. It is the three facts that say who your business is and how to reach it.
• Net-30 accountIn this guide, a net-30 account means you buy something and pay the bill within 30 days.
• Trade paymentA trade payment is what your business pays a vendor for something it bought.
• Trade referenceIn this guide, a trade reference is a vendor that your business pays, who can say how you pay.