Credit Consulting Basics for Small Business Owners

Credit Consulting Basics for Small Business Owners

Credit Consulting Basics for Small Business Owners is a foundational, easy-to-follow workshop designed to help entrepreneurs understand how credit works and why it matters for business success. Participants will learn the fundamentals of personal and business credit, how credit scores are calculated, how to read a credit report, and practical steps to improve and repair credit. This session breaks down complex credit concepts into simple, actionable steps so business owners can begin strengthening their credit immediately and position themselves for financing, growth, and long-term stability.

Workshop Overview Topics:

• The difference between personal credit and business credit
• Why credit matters for loan approvals, interest rates, and vendor terms
• Understanding credit scores (FICO vs. VantageScore) and score components
• How to read and understand a credit report
• Common credit report errors and how to document them and how to dispute issues
• Basic steps to establish and build business credit
• Creating a simple credit improvement action plan

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Understand how personal and business credit work and how they differ
• Gain confidence reading and reviewing credit reports
• Identify common credit errors and know how to dispute them correctly
• Learn which actions improve credit scores the fastest
• Develop practical strategies to repair and rebuild credit
• Create a clear, realistic action plan to improve credit over time

Meet the Presenter:

Darlene Rose-Shults has owned and operated her own business for nearly a decade and leverages her experiences to help entrepreneurs reach their goals through business planning, identifying new markets, developing and pivoting to in-demand products and services, and growing sales through social and other media. She has a passion for assisting business owners with creating business plans, understanding their credit and creating plans for better business operations. Darlene has an MBA, and her pre-entrepreneur career in higher education gives her the ability to keep clients on task and provide structured advising with demonstrable outcomes.