How a Business Email Address Can Hurt or Help Your Financing Efforts

We can all agree that email is another tool used for exchanging information. But when it comes to business, it plays a much greater role then many people seem to realize.

Unfortunately, one of the most common mistakes business owners make is obtaining a business email account from one of the many free email services available on the Internet. While a free email services does serve a purpose, it can give a bad impression to a potential customer or even hurt your chances for obtaining credit because some creditors require a dedicated business email account.

You can help your business by obtaining a business email account that clearly shows that your company has a personalized domain name. The email address you set up should have @yourbusinessname.com. Not only does this look professional, but it also shows that you are a “real” company with a dedicated communications system.

The first thing you will need to do is register a domain name for your business with an approved domain registrar.

Once you visit the site, you will need to conduct a domain search to see if a .COM for your company name is available. I strongly suggest that you obtain a .COM because it adds another layer of credibility and professionalism to your business as opposed to a .Biz or .Net name.

If your company name is not available as a .COM, then consider searching for a .COM with the extension of your structure title as well. For example, ABC Company.com may not be available, but try ABC CompanyLLC.com as an alternative.

Be prepared to supply the following information when setting up your business email account:

1. Name, company name, address and phone number
2. Administrative contact information
3. Technical contact information
4. Domain Name System (DNS) server details

The DNS server is usually provided by the web hosting company that you use to host your website. If you don’t have a website, you can have your domain name parked on your registrar’s servers until you set one up. This can be done afterwards and you can always contact their tech support for additional help.

Once you register a domain name, you will be able to set up a business email account associated with your new domain name. When you select an email address, keep it simple because you will be supplying this information on all your company documents, applications, registrations and so on.

If you decide to establish multiple email addresses like ceo@abccompany.com, support@abccompany.com and sales@abccompany.com, make sure you use only one of these email addresses on all things related to the business credit building process.

It’s essential that you understand how lenders and credit providers assess the creditworthiness of a business. Even though it may seem like a minor detail, having a dedicated business email account does play a role in the decision making process. Small details like this that get overlooked can cause problems for you later on.

About the author

Marco Carbajo is CEO of the Business Credit Insiders Circle (http://www.businesscreditblogger.com), a step-by-step business credit building system providing credit recovery, lines of credit, business credit cards, trade credit, and funding sources.

About the Author

Marco Carbajo is CEO of the Business Credit Insiders Circle (www.businesscreditblogger.com), a step-by-step business credit building system providing lines of credit, trade credit and funding sources.