Free Business Support Resources

💬 Verizon Small Business Digital Ready

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready was developed in partnership with small business owners like you, who understand what it takes to succeed in the digital economy. The platform is simple to use with personalized learning plans, live coaching from experts and networking opportunities with diverse, industry-specific businesses. Platform users will also be eligible to apply for grant funding exclusive to users of Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. *Register here

💻 Start Small Think Big

Start Small Think Big (SSTB) connects small business owners to their network of professionals who provide deep expertise in three areas: 1. legal, 2. finance, and 3. marketing. SSTB provides free 1:1 short and longer-term support customized to your business needs as well as free small business live webinars. *Apply here

💡 Venturize

Venturize.org is a free online resource hub for small business owners like you that need help accessing tools and information to sustain and grow your business. Venturize offers unbiased education and resources to help bolster businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and empower you to make informed financing decisions. Venturize is not a lender—but a program from nonprofit organization Small Business Majority. *Learn more here

📢 SCORE For The Life of Your Business

SCORE offers various on-demand courses and topics for businesses at all stages. Some of the topics include:

• Starting Your Business

• Finding Funding

• Accounting, Insurance, and Legal Considerations

• Marketing Your Business

• & more!

It is free to access and the variety of courses will support you no matter where you are in your business! *Learn more here

🇺🇸 U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is a government independent agency that recognizes the importance of small business in the U.S. They offer free courses in a variety of topics from the planning phases of a business to growing a successful business. They also offer free courses geared towards woman-owned businesses! *Learn more here

📱Centro Community Partners - Centro Business Planning App

Centro Community Partners is one of Kiva’s Hubs that supports borrowers in Oakland, CA. Centro recently launched an app for all Kiva borrowers to use to help plan their businesses. This app includes a guided step-by-step process to create a business plan that will help keep your business organized! *Learn more here

📊 Wave Financial

Wave is a company that provides financial services and software for small businesses. Manage your business finances with ease for FREE - get Wave here, or reference their Fearless Accounting Guide to get you set up quickly!

We're glad you asked!

Learn more in this blog post: https://www.kiva.org/blog/business-owners-build-business-credit-through-kiva

Below, we're sharing some FAQs related to building your business credit via your Kiva loan:

• Will this (opting in to have my business credit built through Kiva) affect my personal credit score? No, there is a clear separation between personal and business credit.

• What aspects of the Kiva borrower journey – from application to review to crowdfunding to loan disbursal to repaying – will be affected if I opt in? There will be no changes to the loan application review process nor will your likelihood of getting approved for a loan be affected. If you have opted in, once you are crowdfunding on Kiva.org, your loan profile will indicate that you will be building business credit with the help of this Kiva loan.

• Will my lenders be notified of my business credit report? Your lenders will not be explicitly informed of your business credit report, nor will this information be public on your Kiva loan profile. *Please note that, unlike your personal credit score, your business credit profile is public, so anyone who wants to can take a look at it.

• Can I opt in even if my business is not yet incorporated? Yes, you can. Commercial reporting has no restrictions on any type of business, but it is greatly important that you provide Kiva with your accurate business information (business name and registered address of business), as this information is used to generate the credit report.

• At what point does Kiva stop reporting on my business credit? Kiva will continue reporting on open accounts – an open account is defined as any account that still has a balance, including defaulted loans. We will continue reporting on these accounts until the balance is fully satisfied/paid off, or until the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s 7-year mark* is surpassed. *The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) prohibits background screening firms from reporting any arrest record or adverse non-conviction information older than seven years.

• Can I change my mind if I decide I no longer want to have my business credit reported? What does that process look like / how should I contact Kiva? What are the consequences of backing out? Yes. Kiva can withdraw previously-provided information from the credit reporting agency on a monthly basis. If you would like to opt back out, please email borrowers@kiva.org with your request. We will then delete the Kiva repayment data from your credit report and stop providing future repayment data to the credit bureau. This process may take up to a month from the date of your request to complete. There are no consequences of opting out other than losing the ability to access your business credit report and have your business credit profile built through Kiva, as well as losing the ability to opt back into this service.

• Where can I go to see my business credit report, and when can I see it? Experian and Dun & Bradstreet will grant you access to view your report. In fact, because they want to ensure the information they have about your business is accurate, it makes sense to regularly review your profile. Please note: You may not see a particular payment reflected for up to 45 days due to reporting cycles. E.g., if you make a payment on the 1st of July, Kiva reports July payment information at the beginning of the following month, in this case, in August. Next, the Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) reviews and processes the information, then the credit bureau processes the data, and then you are able to see the updated result.

• What kind of financial decisions are impacted by information contained in my business credit report? - How much business credit a supplier will extend to you - What repayment terms you’ll receive - What interest rates you’ll pay - How much credit or funding a bank or lender will extend to you - How your customers view your business - And more

• If my business is located in Puerto Rico, will I still be able to have my business credit built through Kiva?

  Please note that Experian Business does not process the data for businesses containing an address in Puerto Rico. Dun & Bradstreet, however, do process these accounts, so they will show on D&B reports.