Once changes have been submitted how long before my business credit report is updated?
What you should know about your business credit.
If my business changes names and tax ID numbers, how can my established credit history follow me to the new entity?
What are some credit related challenges that SMB owners face?
What steps can companies take to overcome blemishes on their credit?
What is an Entity Conversion and can I convert my sole proprietorship or partnership to a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation?
If my business expands into another state, do I need to register or qualify my business in that state?
What is a dba or doing business as filing?
Incorporation Wizard: Which business type is right for you?
Take the first step to improving your business credit score and report.
Can I gain access to credit for my business without loan fees or closing costs?
How can I establish a large working capital credit line for my business?
What tools do creditors use to evaluate my business?
What can I do to protect my business from commercial fraud and changing risk?
Does a business credit score use the same ranking scale as my personal credit score?
How does an annual review of my business credit report impact my business credit score?
What can impact my business credit score?
How can I partner with Experian and get my company's articles on BusinessCreditFacts?
Yes. No approval is needed from a business owner to order a business credit report. Unlike personal credit reports which are regulated under permissible purposes only, commercial business credit reports can be ordered as often as you wish and for any purpose.
SmartBusinessReports.com provides access to Experian's business credit database. Signing up is fast and easy. You sign up by clicking on the Member Login link located on the top of most SmartBusinessReports.com pages and following the Create Account link. To get started click here.
Your business credit score is one of the first things lenders, suppliers and even some customers look at before deciding to do business with you. A poor credit score can make it difficult, or even impossible, to get funding and obtain lines of credit for your business.
The first step in improving your score is to become aware of the factors that drive your current business credit score and report. By managing these more effectively, you can make a positive impact on your credit score, which can lead to more opportunities to grow your business.
SmartBusinessReports.com Business Credit Advantage package – a business credit monitoring service – gives you unlimited access to your business credit report and score so you'll always know what's in your business credit profile and be able to make it work to your advantage.
It's true that many small business owners fail to separate their business expenses from their personal expenses. The credit card used to take the family out to dinner also gets used to gas up a company vehicle or to pay for supplies used by the business. Half of all small businesses use some form of personal credit to finance their businesses.
However, the weakness of relying solely on personal credit is clear. If your business ever becomes at risk, your personal credit score becomes at risk as well.
Additionally, many creditors today are moving away from relying on personal credit alone when judging the financial health of the owner's small business. Personal credit is considered in the industry not ideal in predicting business behavior. Furthermore, smart creditors are taking advantage of new blended commercial scoring tools that integrate both personal and business credit attributes to assess and predict small business risk.
Much of the information displayed on a business credit report comes from actual businesses like yours, providing us with their accounts receivable information. As such, the information is reliable, accurate and non-biased, allowing for an objective view of a company's overall financial health.
Continuous trades are existing tradelines that have been updated in the previous 3 months. DBT, quarterly DBT and monthly DBT are calculated on continuous tradelines.
UCC filings or 'Uniform Commercial Code' filings are required whenever a company pledges assets as collateral against a loan. Experian's business credit reports lists up to the 10 most recent UCC filings (original, amendments or terminations).
Experian uses standard industry and government guidelines for keeping data on file. Expiration dates for data ensures that the information presented in a report is current enough to create an accurate picture of financial health.
You can check to see if Experian has your business in our database directly from this site, plus verify and request a correction to your business information, if necessary. Click here to begin the process. You must be the owner or a corporate officer to suggest changes to business information, and may be asked to verify your identity prior to submitting a business update request.
Business public records are records of actions or incidents filed or recorded with a government agency for tax and other regulatory requirements. These records are made available to the public to protect the interest of the filer.
Like personal credit scoring, business credit scores provide a quick view of risk potential based on where the score falls on the scale - the higher the score, the lower the risk. However, business credit scores use a scale that range from 1 to 100.
Think of capitalizing your business as digging a well. The wise business owner won't dig a well that only satisfies short-term needs, but will dig the well as deep as possible or at least lays that groundwork for doing so. At a high-level, there are at least five layers of your businesses financial well.
It starts with the personal assets of the principals. This is the most commonly used, but not necessarily the best source of all the business's needs. The use of leverage in using other people's money (OPM) is typically the best approach for funding most of the business's needs.
The second layer is the 3Fs: Friends, Family and Fools, another commonly exploited source of funds.
The next three layers are: credit, loans and investors. While there should be some order to this, usually new business owners are all over the place when it comes to the deeper layers of the well, and they can find themselves getting lost in the process or they waste time going after funding that they are unprepared for. The biggest tragedy is when business owners wait until it is too late to look for capital. They usually end up out of luck. The reality is no one wants to give you money if they know you need it. Your best bet is to dig your well, when you don't need the water.
1. Debt/Equity – Any capital that you receive is either going to be debt or equity. Equity requires a business owner to give up ownership in their company. Debt does not require giving up ownership in the majority of cases. You need to be clear on what type of money you are obtaining. For the most part, banks and businesses deal with debt, and investors deal with equity. Equity gives the investor a percentage of future profits. So while it may feel like free money, this is the most expensive capital you can get for your business (if you are successful!).
2. Control – Does the money reduce your control? Bringing on investors or partners will lessen your control. A lender may request financial oversight or independent audits. You need to be aware of what you are giving up.
3. Security – How is the lender or investor securing the money? Are you personally guaranteeing it? Is there a blanket lien on your assets? If you default who are they going after for repayment?
4. Transferability – Can you transfer the capital to the next business owner? In other words, is the capital for you or is it for the business? It won't do you much good to sell a business if all the working capital is still tied to you.
5. Ease of Attainment – How easy is it to get? How much time will you need to invest in order to secure the capital that you need?
6. Team – Are you adding players to your team that are invested in your success? Sometimes bringing on investors and surrendering control is exactly what you need to do and in other cases is the furthest from where your business needs to be.
As banks look at their bottom line from the recent mortgage issues, there has been a ripple effect that reaches to small business owners.
The Federal Reserve surveyed U.S. banks and found that one third of them have recently tightened their lending standards for loans to small businesses. The Fed data shows that many lenders, nervous about their bottom line, have increased their credit standards for small business loans at a rate not seen since September 11, 2001, making it harder and more expensive for small businesses to get loans.
In addition 80% of U.S. banks have tightened loan requirements for commercial real estate purchases as well.
With the banks tightening their credit requirements entrepreneurs need to explore other strategies for finding the capital they need. One of the most important tools for small business owners is business credit, also referred to as trade credit. Trade credit is the single largest source of lending in the entire world. If you aren't using this source of credit you are stifling your ability to grown your company and surpass your competition.
Business credit or trade credit is when one business provides a service or sells a product to another business on credit terms. The business buying the service or product does not need to pay for the transaction up front but rather has terms to pay either monthly with interest or better yet in 30 or 60 days without interest. In fact in most net 30 terms they will provide the opportunity to pay early with a discount.
Reporting the payment behavior of your commercial customers works to build the business credit of those who pay you on time. It also acts as a consequence to those who do not pay per their terms.
By simply reporting your commercial accounts receivable information, you can minimize the occurrence of late payments or defaults in your account base.
Better leverage debt collection — Customers who know that you are reporting payment behavior to Experian are far less likely to default on their debt.
Growth — By sharing your customers' trade payment experience with your fellow credit managers, you can help ensure the growth of your company and of the business community as a whole.
Access to Experian's Management Reports — Experian's Management Reports will identify customers who are late paying other vendors and who still may be current with you, which will help you minimize your risk on future sales.
Product discounts — Receive discounts on other Experian business credit solutions.
Experian offers business credit data reporting through the Internet via Secure HTTP. Experian utilizes Connect: Enterprise, a tool that manages the intricacies of sending or receiving data securely and reliably over the Internet. Experian encrypts the transfer session using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, the Internet security standard.
If you are a creditor or a supplier, you may learn more about reporting business credit data through the Internet and obtain a user ID and password. To get started, please contact your authorized Experian reseller or Experian directly at 800 478 0650.
Just like your personal credit report, Experian only accepts company credit and payment history from creditors and suppliers. If you would like to see your creditors or suppliers report to Experian so your credit and payment history is displayed on your business credit report, please write your supplier a letter of request. Experian BusinessCreditFacts provides you with the tools to easily do this. Visit our supplier page to access our letter template.
If there is incorrect business demographic information on a report, you can submit a request for updates using this site. Simply view the Update My Business Information page.
If you need to dispute certain details on your business credit report, please write Experian Commercial Relations by following the instructions below.
On the report, circle the specific items in question and provide the correct information. Please provide supporting documentation when available.
On current company letterhead, list all variations of company name including any doing business as and any formerly known as names that your company has operated under for the past 10 years.
List your company's current and previous addresses (including physical and PO Box addresses) for the past 10 years.
Provide the signature and phone number of an officer of the company.
A business credit report is a detailed reporting of a company's credit report history. A ContractorCheck report is a summary view of financial stability designed for consumers to make more informed hiring decisions on potential contractors for their home improvement projects. The contracting business's credit report detail is used, but not displayed in full, to create Experian's summary ContractorCheck report and rating.
ContractorCheck Pro is a combination report package that enables home improvement professionals the convenience of accessing their ContractorCheck report and their detailed business credit report together, with a full year of business monitoring to proactively manage their business profile. To learn more, visit www.contractorcheck.com.
Experian compiles a score of points to determine your overall ContractorCheck rating. Among items that give you points are the presence of License, Bond, and Insurance information. If this information is not listed on your business credit report, you should go to the update section of this site to request an update to your Experian business credit profile. Items that can negatively affect your score are delinquent or past due credit items. To see a full copy of your Experian online business credit report, visit SmartBusinessReports.com or go to www.contractorcheck.com to view both your business credit report and ContractorCheck report in one easy to read layout.
You've got a great idea and the capital and know-how to make it happen. But entrepreneurial success also depends on something else many small business owners don't pay enough attention to: the business' credit.
"Just as your personal credit has a big impact on your financial health, your business credit can help you get competitive business loan rates and terms from potential suppliers," says Marc Kirshbaum, former president of Experian's Business Information Solutions group. "Having complete, up-to-date information on your business credit report and a good business credit score is the best way to obtain favorable financial terms."
The current economic climate makes it more important than ever for small business owners to know their business credit score, Kirshbaum adds. Small businesses, which often have challenges managing cash flow, are especially vulnerable to economic changes. A strong credit score can help small business owners access additional capital during difficult times.
Business scoring is much less regulated than consumer credit scoring. The process of scoring your business is much more complicated and less clear than the consumer scoring process.
Just because you have a business, don't assume you have a business credit score. Credit reporting companies require a minimum amount of information before they can generate a report and score for your business. To establish your business credit history, encourage vendors to report your payment history to one of the major credit reporting companies. Many credit reporting companies can provide you with information on suppliers who report to them.
Don't rely on your personal credit rating to finance your business. If your business becomes at risk, so will your personal credit score. Keep in mind that many creditors are now looking at scoring tools that consider both personal and business credit to predict small business risk.
Access to business credit scores and reports is not restricted like personal credit reports. Business credit reports are available to the public, and anyone - including potential lenders and suppliers - can view your business credit report. This makes it imperative to monitor your business credit score and report.
You can proactively manage your business credit score. Ensure your vendors are reporting your business payment history, and monitor your business' credit on a regular basis. Experian's BusinessCreditFacts.com provides easy access to business credit reports and information about the business credit scoring process.
Credit monitoring is a key tool used in managing risks and maximizing revenue. Often, being the first to know about financial distress can help creditors ensure collection of their assets from distressed accounts. The converse is also true. Quickly spotting accounts on their way up provides opportunities for growth that may not be there from latecomers. Monitoring systems employ event-based notifications, or triggers (delivered in the form of an alert). Effective use of triggers can help credit managers partner with business customers who are on the way up and limit exposure to those on the way down.
Positive alerts might include a score changing for the better; days beyond terms decreasing, indicating bills are being paid in less time; balances going down; or balance-to-limit ratios declining.
Positive alerts can allow credit managers to identify customers to whom they'd like to extend or increase credit. Perhaps an account with a $5,000 credit line should be increased to $10,000. Perhaps an account's score has risen by 10 points, and the company has been gradually increasing its spending while paying on time. If it's a business that's expanding, that business may be receptive to an offer of improved service or better terms.
For example, a customer paying on net 30 terms could be offered a 2 percent discount for paying within 10 days, or this customer should not be restricted to terms requiring payment of the net balance within 30 days of delivery or receipt of the invoice. Perhaps the customer should be allowed net 45 terms in exchange for a larger percentage of the business.
To update information on your Experian business credit report, please click here to begin the process.
Experian collects credit obligation information from thousands of business suppliers and lenders nationwide. Experian only reports trade relationships provided to us by these third-party suppliers and lenders (Experian's data contributors) to ensure the integrity of our business credit database.
Experian relies upon these data contributors to provide small business payment account information, known as trade credit transactions, to Experian's business credit database. However, not every company contributes to the Experian business credit database.
The key to building a business credit report and score, particularly for small businesses just starting out, is to find companies that will establish credit for your business and then report the company's payment experience to the business credit bureaus, such as Experian.
To encourage your existing business credit issuer or supplier to report your payment experiences, Experian has made it easy for you to write or email your supplier. Simply click here to visit the page and download our template containing a letter of request.
It is not uncommon for a business credit score to fluctuate slightly. Experian's proprietary model for business credit scores looks at over 140 modeling variables to derive the business credit ranking score, so there are other factors beyond what is displayed on the business credit report that can cause a score to slightly change or shift.
A business credit score is modeled on a particular company's payment history, existing credit obligations, previous or existing legal filings, and background history. Often used as an indicator of a company's "financial health", a business credit score is most commonly used to help a lender decide if a company can take on additional financial obligations, and if it will most likely pay those obligations on time.
Satisfaction of derogatory items, such as liens, judgments and collections, will have a positive impact on the overall business credit score. As well, the further away in time from the event, gradually the business credit score will get better.
Periodic or annual reviews of your Experian business credit report do not have an impact on your overall business credit score. Such reviews of your own report are considered "soft" inquiries, and are part of the normal business management practice of a business owner.
It is always a good idea to periodically check your business credit report for accuracy, and it is a first step toward securing a good credit standing. Many lending institutions pay very close attention to payment behavior trends of a business when determining the interest rate and borrowing power for business loans.
You can develop a strategy to improve your company's credit standing by examining the strengths and weaknesses of your business credit report.
If a business changes its name and tax ID, its credit history will not follow because a new business has been formed. The old credit history will stay with the old business, and the new business with the separate tax ID will build its own credit history.
Many SMB owners run their company using a combination of supplier financing and personal credit – maybe adding an equipment lease or commercial loan into the mix, and then buy office supplies on a personal credit card, and have the telephone account listed in a personal name.
Being inconsistent in maintaining sound payment practices may result in missing important opportunities to build a solid business credit profile. Whereas having a robust history of steady payments to a variety of creditors boosts the borrowing power of your business and puts other companies at ease about extending credit to your firm.
With the everyday rush of tasks that comes with SMB ownership, it can seem difficult to add yet another thing to monitor, but your company depends on it, especially small businesses looking to grow.
First, check and correct your business credit. Know what is in your business credit report at all times, monitor it and understand your business credit score. It is a modest investment that will help you spot any issues in the file and address or correct them. It can also alert you to any fraud being perpetrated in the name of your business. And, be sure to check your credit profiles well in advance of applying for new credit so that you have time to address any inaccuracies or problems prior to submitting your loan or other credit application. A good resource for this is www.SmartBusinessReports.com and www.BusinessCreditFacts.com.
Second, borrow and pay on time. Some businesses think that the only way to establish business credit is to open a business credit card. While that makes sense for some companies, securing credit terms from suppliers or taking out a commercial loan can offer similar benefits with fewer downsides. Paying according to agreed-upon terms is a critical step in establishing good business credit.
Lastly, act like a business. Even the smallest operation can benefit from a positive business credit profile. Again, your business accounts (telephone, utilities, leases, loans) should be established in your business' name. In the early stages of a business, you may need to personally guarantee payment, but the more established your business credit history is, the more likely it is you'll be able to negotiate and secure good credit terms without those guarantees.
There are many advantages to establishing and maintaining solid business credit. A few of these benefits are listed below.
1.)	With better business credit you will be able to obtain more working capital for your business. You will also be able to borrow money at lower rates.
2.)	Having a separate line of business credit, such as a business credit card, makes it easy to keep your business expenses separate from your personal expenses. This means when it comes time to file your taxes, you'll already have separate financial records for business expenses and personal expenses, making both your life and your tax attorney's life simpler.
3.)	With a business credit line, you can also extend credit to your employees by requesting additional cards. You can even control how much they can spend by adjusting their credit limits.
4.)	With Cash Back Rewards for your business, such as those offered by the First Equity Platinum Visa, you'll have more money available to invest in the growth of your business.
5.)	Perhaps the most important benefit of separating your business credit from your personal credit is that having a separate line of business credit means that your personal credit is protected if your business ever gets in trouble.
If you are a small business owner, a credit card designed for your type of business makes a lot of sense. A small business card is a commercial card that builds credit standing in the name of your business, and it can offer a higher credit line for working capital than you might obtain with an equivalent consumer card. A small business credit card provider may also be able to approve your business for an account even if you have not already established a commercial credit history in the name of your business.
Choosing the right credit card product will maximize the value you get from your credit provider as well as enhancing the probability that you will be easily approved.
Experian provides you an easy way to obtain a copy of your own company's business credit report instantly online. An Experian business credit report can be purchased by you at any time for any reason and any purpose.
A business credit report can be purchased on your own business or on any company within the United States, such as a business client, supplier, vendor or partner. One does not need permissible purpose or authorization from the company, or business principal of the company, to obtain a business credit report on another company. You may purchase a business credit report instantly online to view another company's business credit information for any reason and any purpose.
1. State that you are requesting a copy of your company's Experian business credit report. You must include a copy of the notification letter from the creditor who declined you. If a copy is not available, Experian cannot provide you access to a complimentary business credit report.
2. List your full business name, including any variations, and any names or prior names under which your company has operated ("doing business as" or "also known as") for the past 10 years.
3. List your company's current physical address(es) and P.O. Box(es).
4. List your company's prior physical address(es) and P.O. Box(es) for the past 10 years.
5. Provide the signature of an owner or officer of your company.
Yes, the costs of business credit can be tax deductible. You should consult your tax attorney for more detailed information, but interest and finance charges incurred on your business account are tax deductible. This is an important distinction between business credit and personal credit, and is one of many reasons why it is in your best interest to separate your business expenses from your personal expenses.
There are many ways to gain access to credit for your business. Some types of credit involve loan fees and closing costs. These are often secured bank loans which use property or other collateral to back the loan. In the event that you cannot repay your loan, the creditor has the right to seize the property used as collateral in the loan.
Other types of business credit do not have any loan fees or closing costs associated with them. One of the easiest and quickest ways to gain access to credit for your business, without loan fees or closing costs, is to apply for a business credit card.
Credit cards offer one of the most convenient types of credit for a small business. As with consumer credit cards, you can use a business credit card at millions of retail locations and ATMs worldwide. You also have access to online shopping, which is very difficult without a credit card. Also, unlike a fixed payment loan, you have the option to pay off only a portion of the balance in a given month. This greater flexibility of payments means you have money available when you need it most, and it gives you the freedom to buy the things you need when you need them.
The best way to establish a high credit limit is through responsible use of credit using the most appropriate credit card products. For a small business credit card, your credit improves every time you make a timely payment. You can request credit line increases from your credit issuer as your credit standing improves, and most credit card programs also grant credit line increases periodically on an automated basis. By using a credit card account and making payment by the due date each month you can build up a very significant credit line for your business over time.
If you would like to request a federal tax ID number, please contact the Internal Revenue Service for Form SS-4. You can download this form from the IRS web site at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss4.pdf. If you would like more information on establishing and building a new business, you can visit the Small Business Administration website at www.sba.gov. For more information on taxes related to starting a business, please visit the IRS's business tax site at www.irs.gov/businesses/index.html and your local tax attorney.
If you have a business credit card, you can request additional cards for your employees. Some issuers, such as First Equity, offer these additional employee cards for free! With the First Equity Platinum Visa or MasterCard, you, as the owner of the business, get to decide how much credit to extend to each of your employees since each card has its own credit limit. In your monthly statement, you will also be able to see which purchases were made using each card, so you can make sure your employees are using their cards for business expenses. Even better, as the owner of the business, you receive all rewards points earned from the purchases made by your employees.
Commercial fraud is a growing problem for all businesses, but particularly for small businesses. To combat commercial fraud, you need to check your own business credit report, as well as the credit of those you do business with on an ongoing basis. Checking once is not enough to protect you and your business. This is a simple yet crucial process that many companies skip, but it could mean the difference between working with legitimate businesses and losing money — or even your business.
In addition, Experian business credit reports provide data that is drawn from the largest business database in the industry, including more than 27 million credit-active company records. Our information is constantly updated and third-party verified with no self-reporting accepted from listed companies. This assures that you'll receive accurate information from objective sources. Through Experian's business database you can find all the business information you need in one place, including comprehensive demographic, financial and public record information as well as analytic credit scores.
Experian's SmartBusinessReports.com also helps you confidently extend credit to vendors, suppliers and customers, protecting your business from changing risk.
We've all become well educated on the increasingly bold moves fraudsters take to steal personal identities to secure jobs, cars, homes and more; but what about business-to-business fraud? As a small business owner, how much thought do you give to fraud protection for your business?
You have much to fear and even more to lose if you become a victim of commercial fraud. Approximately 30 percent of all business credit losses are attributed to some type of misleading or fraudulent information. How do these fraudsters operate?
"Bustouts" or "overbuys" — These terms describe criminal activity designed to obtain large amounts of merchandise without paying for it.
Hit and run — A swindler moves into a location and orders merchandise COD, paying with phony certified or cashier's checks. By the time the check bounces, the "skip artist" has moved on to a new location to repeat the fraud.
Advanced fee scams — An up-front payment is obtained for services to be rendered after, supposedly to cover costs. This advance fee is accepted with no intention of providing the service.
The net result is that financial damages from these and other business scams far overshadow losses from consumer fraud. On average, losses are three to 10 times higher.
References supplied by a fraudulent company may not be all they seem at first glance. To avoid being lulled into a state of complacency by a company with all the right references, re-examine those references with a more critical eye.
Be suspicious if a reference provided by the new customer gives an instant "glowing" account without taking time to consult records when you call.
Both trade and friends or partners of the fraudulent businessperson can fake bank references. Take care when you are provided with a specific extension from an individual and are told to "Ask for Joe".
Answering services can be used to provide a false confirmation or reference.
Beware of hard-to-trace fax numbers supplied as the only way to contact references. They may all lead to a single location where one individual can respond to reference checks using a variety of business names.
It's unfortunate that B2B criminal activity is on the rise, but you need to protect your business. Data validation on business information is an invaluable step. One of the best defenses is conducting regular business credit checks using Experian's SmartBusinessReports.
There are many differences between Experian business credit products and competitors' products. Three of the largest differences are blended data, data quality and ease of use.
1. Blended data scores: Experian combines up to 200 variables from a business owner's personal credit and business credit to deliver the most predictive score for a small business. Blending data utilizes Experian's vast consumer and business credit databases.
2. Data quality: Except for proprietary data in the Small Business Credit Share program, all Experian business tradeline data is provided by a third-party and/or is third-party verified. No self-reported tradeline data is accepted to maintain data integrity.
3. Ease of use: Experian offers a flexible customer experience. Products are scalable for any sized company and pricing ranges from various subscriptions to pay-as-you-go.
Click here to see a flash demo of Experian's business credit capabilities.
Experian has been doing business credit reporting and scoring for over 30 years. In addition to business credit reports and scores, Experian also offers commercial portfolio management tools, commercial fraud tools and collections tools.
Experian holds more demographic and credit information on individuals and businesses than any other company in the world, providing power and insight to better understand customer and prospect needs. We maintain credit information on approximately 215 million U.S. consumers and more than 27 million credit-active public and private U.S. businesses.
Experian's most used scores are the Intelliscore products built on our most sophisticated modeling algorithms. Commercial Intelliscore is calculated using a company's business credit data only. Small Business Intelliscore is calculated using a blend of consumer data for up to two business owners or proprietors and business data. Experian also offers two scores for the commercial leasing industry.
Business credit scoring models are developed using sample sizes that range from 1 to 3 million businesses. Development of business credit scoring models is extremely complex; but in simple terms, models are built after hundreds of hours of analyzing business firmographics and business credit histories, identifying payment trends, and creating predictive algorithms based on findings. Up to 200 variables may be used in calculating a single business credit score. All business credit scoring models are developed in-house and are proprietary to Experian.
Blended reports and scores of consumer and business credit data should be pulled when evaluating small businesses. Although the term 'small business' can vary by company. Experian identifies the quintessential 'small business' as having less than 25 employees and/or making less than $10 Million annually. Providing business credit ratings on these small businesses is where Experian excels because of our vast consumer and business data resources.
Most businesses start out small. The checklist below provides the basic steps for starting a business. The list is not all inclusive. Your specific type of business could require other steps. The Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov), Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov), and the organization SCORE (www.score.org) all offer free help to new small business owners with starting a business.
1. Apply for a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). You may need it for a variety of reasons, including some that are not tax-related, such as opening a bank account.
2. Consult a tax advisor, even if you are just thinking about starting a business. There are many decisions to make in starting a business such as choosing a business structure, tax year and accounting method.
3. Pay estimated federal and state taxes four times a year. Your tax advisor can help you determine how much to set aside ahead of time for your payment.
4. Keep good business records of income and expenses. Save all receipts.
5. If you plan to have employees, make sure you understand all the requirements and forms that you need to submit when hiring employees.
If you choose to use a tax advisor, it is important that you find a qualified tax professional. You are ultimately responsible for everything on your return even when it's prepared by someone else.
If you are starting a new business or are just thinking about it, talk with a tax professional who knows small businesses. Some tax professionals specialize in specific business types, like sole proprietors, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), S-Corps, or corporations. A knowledgeable preparer will ask you multiple questions to identify your small business taxation issues. Keeping good records will help your tax advisor when it comes time to file your return. Your income records and receipts determine your total income and your qualifications for expenses, deductions, and credits.
Avoid preparers who claim you do not have to make estimated taxes or that they can obtain larger refunds than other preparers, or those who say they know ways to help you claim personal expenses like the cost of your home or your children's education.
Choose a preparer who will be responsive to your needs and provide year-round service.
References are very important for a tax professional who is handing your business. Ask questions and get references from other small business owners who have used the tax professional before. Were they satisfied with the service received? Get more than one reference.
Check to see if the preparer has any questionable history with Experian's business credit reports, the Better Business Bureau, the state's board of accountancy for CPAs or the state's bar association for attorneys. Find out if the preparer belongs to a professional organization that requires its members to pursue continuing education and also holds them accountable to a code of ethics.
Does your state have licensing or registration requirements for paid preparers? Is he or she an Enrolled Agent, Certified Public Accountant, or Attorney? If so, the preparer can represent taxpayers before the IRS on all matters – including audits, collections, and appeals. Other return preparers can represent taxpayers only in audits regarding a return signed as a preparer.
Before you consult with a tax advisor or consultant you may want to do some research yourself. One of your first decisions as a business owner is what form of business you choose. This decision is very important because it can affect how much you pay in taxes, the amount of paperwork your business is required to do, the personal liability you face and your ability to borrow money. Business formation is controlled by the law of the state where your business is organized.
While state law controls the formation of your business, federal tax law controls how your business is taxed. All businesses must file an annual return. The form you use depends on how your business is organized.
The answer to the question "What structure makes the most sense?" depends on the individual circumstances of each business owner. One form is not necessarily better than any other. Each business owner must assess their own needs. Here is a brief look at the various business forms.
A sole proprietorship is the most common form of business organization. It's easy to form and offers complete control to the owner. But the business owner is also personally liable for all financial obligations and debts of the business.
Your net business income or loss is combined with your other income (other income could be your salary if you also work for someone else, or your investments) and deductions and taxed at individual rates on your personal tax return.
Sole proprietors do not have taxes withheld from their business income so you may need to make quarterly estimated tax payments. You generally have to make estimated tax payments if you expect to owe tax of $1,000 or more when you file your return. Use Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals, to figure and pay your estimated tax.
Each partner reports his share of the partnership net profit or loss on his personal tax return. Partners must report their share of partnership income even if a distribution is not made.
Partners are not employees of the partnership and so taxes are not withheld from any distributions. Like sole proprietors, they generally need to make quarterly estimated tax payments if they expect to make a profit.
A corporate structure is more complex than other business structures. It requires complying with more regulations and tax requirements.
Corporations are formed under the laws of each state and are subject to corporate income tax at the federal and state level. In addition, any earnings distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends are taxed at the individual tax rates on their personal annual tax returns.
Owners of an LLC are called members. Since most states do not restrict ownership, members may include individuals, corporations, other LLCs and foreign entities. Most states also permit "single member" LLCs, those having only one owner.
The Subchapter S Corporation is a variation of the standard corporation. The S corporation allows income or losses to be passed through to individual tax returns, similar to a partnership.
Generally, an S corporation is exempt from federal income tax other than tax on certain capital gains and passive income.
For more information about the types of businesses, enter "Choosing a Business Structure" in the search box on the IRS website, www.irs.gov.
Sole proprietors, partners, and S corporation shareholders - You generally have to make estimated tax payments if you expect to owe tax of $1,000 or more when you file your return. To determine your estimated taxes, use Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals, to figure and pay your estimated tax. For additional information, refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax.
If you receive salaries and wages, you can avoid having to pay estimated tax by asking your employer to take more tax out of your earnings. To do this, file a new Form W-4 with your employer. Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, provides more information about these special estimated tax rules.
Corporations - You generally have to make estimated tax payments for your corporation if you expect it to owe tax of $500 or more when you file its return. Use Form 1120-W, Estimated Tax for Corporations, to figure the estimated tax. You must deposit the payments. For additional information, refer to Publication 542, Corporations.
When figuring the year's estimated tax, it may be helpful to use your income, deductions, and credits for the previous year as a starting point. Use your last federal tax return as a guide. You can use Form 1040-ES to figure your estimated tax.
For estimated tax purposes, the year is divided into four payment periods specified on Form 1040-ES. Each period has a specific payment due date. If you do not pay enough tax by the due date of each of the payment periods, you may be charged a penalty even if you are due a refund when you file your income tax return.
Using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) is the easiest way to pay your federal taxes for individuals as well as businesses. Make ALL of your federal tax payments including federal tax deposits, installment agreement payments and estimated tax payments using EFTPS.
For many new small business owners the first year is generally the hardest. First you have to decide what form of business you want, then there is extensive business record keeping. Bad record keeping can be a serious pitfall for small business owners. You can avoid headaches when you are filing your tax return by keeping track of your receipts and other records throughout the year.
During that first year of business you will need to project your tax liability so that you can make estimated tax payments. Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income that is not subject to withholding. Estimated tax is used to pay income tax and self-employment tax, as well as other taxes and amounts reported on your tax return.
You may receive money or property from many sources. Your records can identify the source of your receipts. You need this information to separate business from your personal receipts and taxable from nontaxable income.
It is very important to have a system to keep track of your deductible expenses. If you don't keep your receipts you may forget expenses when you prepare your tax return, unless you record them when they occur.
You need business good records to prepare your tax returns. These records must support the income, expenses, and credits you report. Generally, these are the same records you use to monitor your business and prepare your financial statement.
You must keep your business records available at all times for inspection by the IRS. If the IRS examines any of your tax returns, you may be asked to explain the items reported. A complete set of records will speed up the examination. Normally, tax records should be kept for three years, but some documents — such as records relating to a home purchase or sale, stock transactions, IRA and business or rental property — should be kept longer.
If you hire employees there is information that you need to secure for your records and forms that you must complete. You must verify that each new employee is legally eligible to work in the United States. Have the employees you hire fill out Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, and Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate. If your employees qualify and want to receive advanced earned income credit payments, they must give you a completed Form W-5, Earned Income Credit Advanced Payment Certificate.
You are required to get each employee's name and Social Security Number (SSN) and to enter them on Form W-2. (This requirement also applies to resident and nonresident alien employees.) You should ask your employee to show you his or her social security card. You may, but are not required to, photocopy the social security card if the employee provides it. Record each new employee's name and social security number from his or her social security card. Any employee without a social security card should apply for one using Form SS-5, Application for Social Security Card. The Social Security Administration (www.ssa.gov) offers social security number (SSN) verification and quick access to relevant forms and publications.
The proper handling of employment tax is a very important part of operating and managing a small business. This can be a major pitfall for some small business owners and is avoidable.
When you pay your employees, you do not pay them all the money they earned. The income tax and the employees' share of FICA (Social Security and Medicare) you withhold from your employees' paychecks are the part of the money you pay to the U.S. Treasury. This portion of their wages must be sent to the U.S. Treasury and is called "Trust Fund" taxes. Your employee's trust fund taxes, along with your employer's matching share of FICA, are paid through the Federal Tax Deposit (FTD) System. This money should not be used if your business has a cash-flow problem. It is not your money. It is actually your employees' money. Generally, you don't hold the money and send it with the employment tax return. You make Federal Tax Deposits on a schedule throughout the quarter and you must make them timely. The longer you delay paying the money, the more it can cost you. Congress established large penalties for employers that delay in turning over employment taxes to the U.S. Treasury.
The easiest way to make your deposits of withheld taxes and FICA is by using Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). This is a tax payment system provided free by the U.S. Department of Treasury, which allows businesses to pay federal taxes electronically via the Internet or phone 24/7. EFTPS via the Internet is a secure government web site that uses the highest level of security available. You can also use Form 8109, Forms 8109-B, Federal Tax Deposit Coupon. For additional information, refer to www.irs.gov, keywords "Employment Taxes for Small Businesses".
To know how much income tax to withhold from employees' wages, you should have a Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate, on file for each employee. Ask all new employees to give you a signed Form W-4 when they start work. Make the form effective with the first wage payment. If employees claim exemption from income tax withholding, they must indicate this on their Form W-4. The amount of income tax withholding must be based on filing status and withholding allowances as indicated on the form. If a new employee does not give you a completed Form W-4, then withhold tax as if he or she is single with no withholding allowances.
To figure how much to withhold from each wage payment, use the employee's Form W-4 and the methods described in Publication 15, Employment Tax Guide, and Publication 15-A, Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide.
Social Security and Medicare taxes pay for benefits that workers and families receive under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). Social Security tax pays for benefits under the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance part of FICA. Medicare tax pays for benefits under the hospital insurance part of FICA. You withhold part of these taxes from your employee's wages and you pay a matching amount yourself.
You file the following forms to report federal income tax withheld, Social Security, and Medicare taxes.
The federal unemployment tax is part of the federal and state program under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) that pays unemployment compensation to workers who lose their jobs. You report and pay FUTA tax separately from Social Security and Medicare taxes and withheld income tax. You pay FUTA tax only from your own funds. Employees do not pay this tax or have it withheld from their pay.
Report FUTA taxes on Form 940, Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return.
To reduce burden for certain small business taxpayers, employers who have an employment tax liability of $1,000 or less for the year can file Form 944, Employer's Annual Federal Tax Return, instead of Form 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return. Eligible employers are notified by mail.
After the calendar year is over you must furnish copies of Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, to each employee to whom you paid wages during the year. You must also send copies to the Social Security Administration. If you do not provide the correct employee name and SSN on Form W-2, you may owe a penalty unless you have reasonable cause.
The Form W-2 includes the employee's withheld income tax, Social Security tax and any advanced earned income tax credit payments. A copy of this form must be given to the employee by January 31st after the end of the year. You must also send a copy of the W-2 to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Filing these forms timely is important to ensure employees are credited with the proper Social Security amounts for retirement. Employers can prepare and file up to 20 W-2s at a time, free of charge, at the Social Security Administration's web site at www.ssa.gov. You can also print out all the necessary copies of the W-2 for your employees and state taxing agencies.
The IRS and SSA exchange employment tax data. This data is an IRS document matching program that compares amounts reported to the IRS with amounts reported to SSA. When there is an imbalance, the employer is asked to provide information to help resolve the discrepancy.
Business credit scores are vitally important to small businesses. In today's competitive market, a faulty credit score can dramatically affect the bottom line of any business and can lead to higher interest rates, difficulty in securing loans and potential problems with suppliers. Conversely, a favorable credit history can serve as the linchpin to success. It not only can save a small-business owner a considerable amount of money, but it also can provide access to capital with which to grow the business.
As the majority of lenders reference commercial credit scores when making lending decisions, small-business owners should educate themselves on the importance of establishing and maintaining good business credit.
Particularly important is the understanding of what a small-business commercial credit score is and how it affects a business. Below is a quick test for business owners to determine whether their commercial credit score knowledge is as well-honed as is necessary to survive in today's thriving small-business market.
Take this quiz to ensure that your commercial credit score is working to help your small business rather than working against your bottom line.
If I have a small business, I automatically have a small-business credit score.
FALSE. The credit reporting companies require a minimum amount of information to generate a business credit report and score. If a business doesn't have at least one tradeline and/or one demographic element (such as length of time the business has been credit active, how many employees, etc.), then a credit report and score are not generated.
To establish a business credit score, you first should ensure that your business vendors are reporting your payment history to one of the major credit reporting companies. If your existing vendors do not report this information, you should encourage them to do so. This will help to build your commercial credit profile. If you are willing to switch vendors or take on additional vendors, many of the credit reporting companies have lists of suppliers who report this information.
There are no drawbacks to using my personal credit score, rather than a business credit score, when attempting to secure funding.
FALSE. It's true that many small-business owners fail to separate their business expenses from their personal expenses. The credit card used to take the family out to dinner also gets used to gas up a company vehicle or to pay for supplies used by the business. Half of all small businesses use some form of personal credit to finance their businesses.
Additionally, many creditors have begun moving away from relying on personal credit alone when judging the financial health of the owner's small business, as personal credit does not ideally predict future business behavior. Many creditors instead have begun taking advantage of new blended commercial scoring tools that integrate both personal and business credit attributes to predict small-business risk.
The model used to determine business credit is much like the model used to determine personal credit. However, while a personal credit score can range from 350 to 850, a business credit score ranges from 1 to 100.
Anyone can request and view my business credit score.
TRUE. Unlike personal credit reports, which are regulated and can be viewed only with the permission of the report holder, commercial credit reports are available to the public. This means that anyone — including potential lenders and suppliers — can openly view your business's credit report. Given the public availability of business credit reports, it's imperative to monitor your business credit score.
There are things I can do to improve my business credit score.
TRUE. First, ensure that your company's vendors are reporting your business payment history to one of the major credit reporting companies, as mentioned above. The greater the number of vendors who report a good payment history to the credit reporting companies, the greater your business credit score will be.
Just as you might monitor your personal credit, it is incredibly important to monitor your business credit consistently as well. Your business credit score is one of the first things lenders, suppliers and even some customers look at before deciding to do business with you. It's used to determine how much money lenders will loan you, how much credit suppliers will extend to you, what interest rates you'll be charged and what you'll pay for insurance premiums.
By consistently monitoring your business credit score you can ensure that your business has not fallen victim to business identity theft or fraud, the losses from which cost American companies billions of dollars each year. Furthermore, it's important to scan your business credit file for mistakes. As the business owner, you may request that the credit reporting companies correct any mistakes to ensure that your credit file is accurate.
It's vitally important to be aware of possible inaccuracies or negative credit data on your credit file, should they exist. By simply increasing your awareness of the factors that drive your current company credit score, you can begin to effectively manage your credit behavior. As always, the best thing that you can do is pay all financial obligations on time.
Access to business credit scores and reports are not as restricted like personal credit reports. Business credit reports are available to the public, and anyone - including potential lenders and suppliers - can view your business credit report. This makes it imperative to monitor your business credit score and report.
Small businesses contribute about 50% of the U.S. gross domestic product.
Two-thirds of new jobs are created by small businesses.
Financial industry spending on the small business market is expected to grow at 12.8% annual rate through 2009, according to the Tower Group.
89% of all U.S. businesses have less than $1 million in annual sales.
Millions of business have fewer than five employees, including 67% of service businesses and 60% of all retail.
Growth businesses — defined as growing 25% faster than normal — account for 27% of all U.S. businesses.


Watch out for income when selecting "Burg Classy 29.5"" Bar Stool" By Union Rustic. Usually furniture is place on sale. If you require a specific item, it will save you a lot of money by with patience waiting for the price being decreased. You might ask your chosen "Burg Classy 29.5"" Bar Stool" By Union Rustic store as soon as the piece is going to be designated at a lower price. If you require a new sofa, consider discovering 1 with many totally taken care of cushions. These cushions go longer and may be switched on a regular basis. If at all possible, you should purchase a furniture with detachable covers to help you effortlessly clean them. Detachable handles may also be exchanged very easily in the event you are unable to clear a mark Purchase "Burg Classy 29.5"" Bar Stool" By Union Rustic later around. At the end of this coming year, it is actually common for merchants to acquire these pieces off of their showroom flooring. This can result in some terrific sales and discounts.
Although this reclining loveseat has a heftier price tag, its classic design, options for customization and automated reclining system allow it to be worth the money. Its hand made wooden frame is cushioned with lower mix cushions for any softer really feel than youd receive from high-density froth cushions, and also the upholstery will come in an astonishing 72 color and material combos. The availability of so many choices causes it to be additional simple to pair this lying loveseat with various patterns, materials, highlights and dcor designs. In addition, if you have children or pets (or each!), you can choose a more durable, spot-resistant fabric. One client shared the Sunbrella canvas materials has organized nicely against her pets and children. This lying loveseat could have a classic, old-school appear, but its built-in technology is not. Not only does it have an automated lying system (that provides you with a complete lie down, with your footrest totally parallel towards the chair), but it features a Universal serial bus port for using or just getting your apple ipad, apple iphone, Kindle or laptop computer.
Carolina Mild Gray Material Sofa Couch is well known for its spectacular comfort and ease and remarkable design. It has a lift-up design that enables for many agreement options to meet your requirements.The set features gentle material and pushes cushions to create the desired comfort. More to the point, its of the good size to accommodate you together with the family of friends. With respect to the available space and your desired form, you can combine the I seats to create an impressive shape. Its recommended for those with small rooms and requires a sofa.
If the Chesterfield is the graceful gentleman among sofas, the Cabriole is the grande dame. Known for its exposed wood and stylish thighs, reminiscent of the Louis XV period, the cabriole also offers a unique silhouette. It was additionally a popular form in the function of furniture maker Jones Chippendale. Typically, the rear is all one constant item with out cushions and it has an elegant curving line. This specific cabriole edition includes jewels in the tufts for added glamour. It's a sofa design that can be as basic or luxurious as you wish. Upholstered with a luxury material like velvet produces a significantly different design feeling than whether it were upholstered in a much more moderate, textural neutral. The primary feeling of style stems from its general form and lithe thighs meaning it'll always lend a processed air to some space.
This is the next couch on our list. It is extra comfortable and very well suited for small areas or attic residing. It is padded in polyester fabric, potential customers inset control keys that give an elegant diamond-tufted design. It is constructed of durable supplies and also the thighs are made of long lasting wood to increase its durability. The loveseat has an espresso stained wooden thighs and non-marking feet caps. It includes a comfortable foam cushioning and rayon fabric furniture that makes it extremely luxurious. It has a longue spot that gives an extraordinary room for resting.
The Bridgewater is a sofa design that is mainly casual and certainly comfortable. This style may be the beloved of numerous a designer simply because it can be used to produce a informal, friendly room. Bridgewater sofas are versatile, depending on the furniture you select. Completed in a neutral fabric, this style of couch doesnt contend with additional factors within the room that may be more dramatic, such as artwork or any other large features. More formal fabric will produce a far more stately style of couch. A number of characteristics distinguish Bridgewater couches: Typically they've reduced hands and a higher back, which contributes to the sporadic appear. Most in addition have a tailored dress that conceals the thighs and free cushions for the chair and back. This specific style was designed to accommodate slipcovers, that also give an informal air to the sofa.
This is by far the cutest and ingeniously created loveseat. Contingent within the shade, it provides a disturbing look to your workplace or rooms. The sofa unimaginably imperceptible for a morning espresso or perhaps an animated magazine reading very carefully. It is accessible in leather-based as well as in texture depending on what you assistance a brilliant look, or a lovely, beautiful look at. The best part, it's very sensible! The super stylish tufting is shaped stone, which retains an ideal Chesterfield style. Probably the most lovable thing about this sofa is its shape. Combined with the charm, the rear design gives the back understanding of relaxation. It's cleverly designed to ensure that smaller rooms combine extravagance inside a smaller room. It is a clever choice for that kids space, because it provides a number of sweet shades. They would like to hit them for reading the storyline or an incredible dream. No hassle for grown ups too for a comfortable evening with Manga or Marvels.
Even though this reclining loveseat comes with a heftier price tag, its classic style, options for personalization and automatic reclining program allow it to be well worth the dough. Its handcrafted wooden frame is padded with down blend cushions for any much softer really feel than youd receive from higher-density froth cushions, and the furniture is available in an astonishing 72 colour and fabric combinations. The availability of a lot of choices makes it additional easy to set this reclining loveseat with different designs, supplies, accents and decorations styles. Plus, for those who have kids or animals (or both!), you can choose a more durable, stain-proof fabric. One customer shared that the Sunbrella canvas materials has held up well against her pets and children. This lying loveseat may have a traditional, old-school appear, nevertheless its built-in technology is anything but. Not only does it come with an automated lying system (that provides you with a complete lie down, with your foot rest completely parallel towards the seat), but it has a USB interface for using or just getting your iPad, apple iphone, Kindle or laptop.
If youre searching for some serious rest, this loveseats solid pillow back again and rolled arms will deliverbut at a higher cost. Every seat cushion consists of 30 person pocketed circles for springtime and assistance, and resilience seat froth for an extra coating of plushness and sturdiness. In addition, the froth soft cushions are topped with super soft, combined down feathers. For the extra comfort, you will find three regular positions: seated, a small recline by having an elevated foot rest, along with a complete recline with an raised footrest. It does not hurt this reclining loveseat looks lux, possibly. Its all-leather-based furniture and ornamental nail head cut give it a classic appear that may work with a lot of house decorations designs, from traditional to nation to arts and crafts. Plus, leather holds up nicely against daily use, kids and dog hair and nails. Just be sure you condition the leather every six to 12 months.
This established features a one remaining equip sofa established, two armless sofa sets, and something corner sofa established. This gives sufficient space to accommodate your friends and relations. The material is 100Percent polyester for sufficient durability and comfort. The advantage of this couch established may be the matching and mixing of seats in the available space within the room for any perfect shape. As well as allows for fitting even just in little rooms. It takes just mild assembling.Additionally, it functions push cushions for maximum comfort and ease. You may want to try this established. It works well.
British folded arm couches are extra comfortable thanks to the big, pillows behind as well as for the seats. Reduced arms are comfy for lying down and the exposed thighs bare this couch design from sensation overweight or imposing. It actually came from in the turn of the century and could be associated with something usual for the British country side. Differentiating qualities usually consist of reduced exposed legs, soft, large soft cushions, a good back again and recessed hands. Even though it is considered a classic style, it is also an ideal addition to a contemporary room thanks to its comfortable and versatile appear.


One of the things that was presented during the press conference we attended in Malaysia was the ASEAN Pass. The ASEAN Pass is a set of four prepaid vouchers that would let you travel to up to four Southeast Asian cities served by Malaysia Airlines for as low as US$229 in economy class or US$729 in business class.
Malaysia Airlines' Airbus A330 that we rode from KL to Manila. Forgot to take a photo before another plane parked right beside it. Pfft.
Of course, the big question is, what's the asterisk?
The DFA will extend up to one year the validity of the current expiring passports of applicants who have urgent travel. The extension will be free of charge while the applicants are waiting for the release of their new electronic passports (ePassports).
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and applicants who need their passports on emergency circumstances (e.g., medical concerns, death in the immediate family) are advised to go to the Passport Director's Office, for assistance. The Passport Director's Office is located at the ground floor of the DFA-OCA at the Aseana Business Park along Macapagal Avenue.
The DFA advises the public to file for their passport applications at least 12 weeks before their intended date of travel.
UPDATE (February 26, 2011): Anton of Our Awesome Planet recounts how he was able to get an extension to his passport's validity. This is one option you can try if you need to travel within the next month.
UPDATE (July 20, 2010): This post was written on September 14, 2009 for a renewal of a machine readable passport. There are several Pinoy blogs that recount their experiences with passport renewal that are more recent and more relevant given the changes with the process. I suggest you read the Pinay Travel Junkie's guide to E-passport renewal, which was written on June 28, 2010.
UPDATE (March 4, 2010): The DFA has stopped issuing machine readable passports. All passport renewals are now for e-passports or the biometric passport. Please refer to Earl's guide to Phillippine E-passport renewal for details.
I just got back from the Department of Foreign Affairs office an hour ago. I have been out of the house since 6:30am, an ungodly hour for anyone working nights, just so I can be there in time for my 8:00am appointment. The entire process was quick, and I was out of the building by 8:30am.
So how was I able do this?


Thrive Outdoors is committed to making the world a better place, our community more involved with each other, and society more accepting of all of our differences.
Any time a purchase is made through Thrive Outdoors it supports our sponsorships for non-profits, at-risk, veterans, and low-income. Whether it's our stress management programming for the Friends Program, our groups like TAG (Teen Adventure Group) that offer free participation for low-income, or our discounted / no-cost programming for places like Live Free and RAW (New England Recovery and Wellness) we offer a lot to those who need it at only a cost to ourselves. Your purchase makes this sustainable.
If you would like to help in other ways we have sponsorship gift and volunteer opportunities available.


Previous population-based studies have demonstrated an association between metformin use and improved survival among diabetic patients with cancer. We sought to analyze the effects of diabetes and its treatment in terms of the survival of patients with lung cancer.
Overall, 1106 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (94.3 % with stage IV disease) were included. The outcomes were compared between the patients with (n = 186) and without diabetes (n = 920). The characteristics associated with antidiabetic treatment and proper glycemic control (defined as a mean plasma glucose <130 mg/dL) were examined at diagnosis. The overall survivals (OSs) of the different patient populations were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves, and a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine the influences of the patient and tumor characteristics on survival.
The OS for the entire population was 18.3 months (95 % CI 16.1-20.4). There was no difference in the OSs of the diabetic and non-diabetic patients (18.5 vs 16.4 months, p = 0.62). The diabetic patients taking metformin exhibited a superior OS than did those on other antidiabetic treatments (25.6 vs 13.2 months, p = 0.017). Those with proper glycemic control had a better OS than did those without proper glycemic control and the non-diabetics (40.5 vs 13.2 and 18.5 months, respectively, p < 0.001). Both the use of metformin (HR 0.53, p < 0.0001 and HR 0.57, p = 0.017, respectively) and proper glycemic control (HR 0.49, p < 0.0001 and HR 0.40, p = 0.002, respectively) were significant protective factors in all and only diabetic patients, respectively.
The diabetic patients with proper glycemic control exhibited a better OS than did those without proper glycemic control and even exhibited a better OS than did the patients without diabetes mellitus. Metformin use was independently associated with a better OS.
In Mexico, more than 95 % of all patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) present with advanced-stage disease at the time of diagnosis . Because the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is high both worldwide and in Mexico, it is very important to understand the effects of preexisting diabetes on the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC. The physiopathology of diabetes, the effects of its treatment and the changes in different organ systems observed in diabetic patients might be associated with clinical outcomes. Existing data regarding the effects of diabetes on NSCLC outcomes are conflicting. Although some early studies found longer survival rates in diabetic patients with NSCLC , this result was not confirmed in other larger series [3, 4]. Indeed, an elevated fasting glucose level was found to be independently associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality in patients with NSCLC .
Among the major hypoglycemic agents that are used for the treatment of diabetes, metformin has received the most attention regarding its potential antineoplastic uses. At the cellular level, metformin has profound effects on the mitochondrial respiration rate and the production of ATP . Metformin affects multiple cellular pathways via the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) by liver kinase 1 (LKB1), which leads to decreases in growth factor signaling and proliferation via the inhibition of mTOR .
There is a general lack of information regarding the outcomes of diabetic patients with NSCLC who are treated with different antidiabetic agents, including metformin, and the published data come from large epidemiological databases that are prone to bias . In this study, our objective was to analyze the effects of diabetes and its treatment in terms of the survival of patients with NSCLC.
We conducted a retrospective cohort observational study. Consecutive patients diagnosed with NSCLC at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan) between January 2008 and December 2014 were retrieved from our electronic medical records. The study was approved by INCan's research committee (REV/05/16). Because the study was deemed as without risk, patient consent was not required. The patient and tumor characteristics, including age, comorbidities, body mass index, stage at diagnosis, tobacco use, wood smoke exposure and mutational analysis results, were obtained. All patients were staged using thoracic and abdominal CT scans, PET scans and MRI imaging of the central nervous system. Previous diagnoses of diabetes, current antidiabetic treatments and glucose measurements for each individual patient were also recorded at the time of the lung cancer diagnosis. The patients were considered to have a diagnosis of diabetes if they either fulfilled the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria for diabetes or were being treated with antidiabetic medications prior to diagnosis with NSCLC. The patients were treated according to published guidelines for the treatment of lung cancer . Patients with missing data were excluded from the analysis.
Proper glycemic control was defined by a pre-prandial (fasting) glucose level of 70–130 mg/dL at the time of the lung cancer diagnosis, in accordance with the current guidelines of the ADA . Because most patients lacked a measurement of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), we calculated the mean plasma glucose by averaging the patient's pre-prandial glucose measurements (at least 3). We considered patients with mean plasma glucose levels under 130 mg/dL to be within the proper glycemic control goals and those with a mean plasma glucose level over 130 mg/dL to have improperly controlled diabetes. The overall survival (OS) was calculated from the date of cancer diagnosis to the date of the last visit or death.
The de-identified patient dataset supporting the conclusions of this article is included within the article and its additional supporting file (Additional file 1).
For descriptive purposes, the continuous variables are summarized as arithmetic means with standard deviations (SD) and as medians with ranges. The categorical variables are summarized as the relative frequencies, proportions, and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI). The Pearson chi-square test was used to compare the data between the diabetic and non-diabetic patients and between the patients with and without proper glycemic control. The OSs were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and comparisons between subgroups were performed using the log-rank test or the Breslow test. Statistically significant and borderline significant variables (p < 0.1) were included in a multivariate analysis. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % CI. The variables that were included in the multivariate analysis were factors that are known to be associated with poor outcomes for patients with NSCLC (i.e., age, ECOG performance status, tumor stage, smoking status, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutational status and metastatic disease). The variables of interest in the study (i.e., diagnosis of diabetes, mean plasma glucose and antidiabetic medications) and the variables that were found to be significant in the univariate analysis at the level of p < 0.01 were also included in the model. The SPSS software package (version 22.0; SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) was used for the data analysis. All p values presented are two-sided, and p values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
A total of 1106 patients with diagnoses of NSCLC were identified and considered eligible for the analysis. The median age was 61 years (SD ± 13 years). Most of the patients were male (53 %) and had a history of smoking (58.8 %). ECOG PSs of 0-1 were observed in 75 % of the patients, 68.2 % of the patients had adenocarcinoma histologic diagnosis, and 94.3 % were stage IV (M1a and M1b). Only 417 patients (37.7 %) had undergone EGFR mutation testing, and 152 (36.5 %) of these patients were positive.
Diabetes was present in 186 (16.8 %) of the patients at the time of cancer diagnosis. The characteristics of the diabetic and non-diabetic patients are presented and compared in Table 1. The calculated mean serum glucose was higher in the patients with diabetes than in the non-diabetics (170 mg/dL [±78.5 mg/dL] vs 105 mg/dL [±14.5 mg/dL], p < 0.0001). There were no differences in stage, performance status, mutational status, smoking history or gender between the diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Metformin was used as an antidiabetic treatment at the time of diagnosis by 59.7 % of the diabetic patients, and 31.4 % were within the predefined definition of proper glycemic control (Table 2). Eighty-one percent (n = 150) of the diabetic patients had completed at least one line of treatment with either chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
The median follow-up time was 10.8 months (0.6-111.1), and the median OS for the entire cohort was 18.3 months [95 % CI 16.1-20.4]. The factors associated with OS are presented in Table 3. Female gender (p < 0.0001), no history of smoking (p < 0.01) and a lower stage at diagnosis (p < 0.0001) were associated with improved survival. Compared with the non-diabetic population, the patients with diabetes mellitus had a similar OS (18.5 vs. 16.4 months p = 0.619, Fig. 1a). However, the patients with proper glycemic control exhibited a better OS (40.5 months [95 % CI 11.2–69.8]) than did the diabetic patients without proper glycemic control (13.2 months [95 % CI 12–14.4]) and even exhibited a better OS than did the patients without diabetes mellitus (18.5 months [95 % CI 16.2–20.7]; Fig. 1b). Metformin use was associated with an improved OS in all of the patients, including the patients with and without diabetes mellitus (25.6 months [95 % CI 13.7–37.6] vs 18.3 months [95 % CI 15.9–20.6], p = 0.046; Fig. 1c). The factors that were independently associated with improved survival in the complete cohort are presented in Table 4.
The univariate analyses revealed that the factors associated with improved OS in the diabetic patients were lower stage at diagnosis, the use of metformin and proper glycemic control (Table 3). Compared with the diabetic patients who were using other antidiabetic medications, the patients taking metformin exhibited a significantly better OS (25.6 [95 % CI 13.7–37.6] vs 13.2 months [95 % CI 11.9–14.5]; p = 0.017, Fig. 1d). The largest improvement in OS was observed in the diabetic patients who achieved proper glycemic control (as defined by the calculated mean serum glucose; 40.5 vs 13.2 months; p <0.001). The diabetic patients with proper glycemic control exhibited a better OS than did both the poorly controlled diabetic patients and the non-diabetics (Fig. 1b). The multivariate analysis revealed that both the use of metformin (HR 0.57 [95 % CI 0.36–0.90]; p = 0.017) and proper glycemic control (HR 0.40 [0.22–071]; p = 0.002) remained significant protective factors in the diabetic patient population (Table 4).
Our results revealed that both the use of metformin and the maintenance of proper glycemic control are related to improved survival in the diabetic patients with advanced NSCLC. In our population, the use of metformin and the maintenance of proper glycemic control affected survival, independent of stage, histology and other antidiabetic treatments. Our results suggest that treatment with metformin, but not other hypoglycemic agents, is associated with a significant improvement in survival in patients with NSCLC and diabetes.
Evidence from epidemiological studies and meta-analyses has demonstrated associations of diabetes with several malignancies, including pancreatic , breast , prostate , colonic  and hepatocellular carcinomas . In contrast, the relationship between diabetes and NSCLC is not well established, and epidemiological data have yielded conflicting results. Although some studies have reported an association between diabetes and NSCLC [15, 16], the majority has reported null or inverse relationships [17–19]. This potentially negative relationship is further illustrated by the fact that NSCLC has not been found to be associated with obesity, which is strongly related to the presence of diabetes . Indeed, a high body mass index has been found to be a protective factor against NSCLC in some studies . Further, a recently published meta-analysis by Zhang et al. concluded that metformin use in patients with diabetes appears to be associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer. This area requires further study and should be considered in the treatment of patients with diabetes and NSCLC .
The association between diabetes mellitus and survival in lung cancer patients is controversial  Whereas some studies suggest that patients with diabetes mellitus have worse prognoses due to comorbidities and disease complications that can be related to a reduced tolerance of treatment [24, 25], other studies have demonstrated that diabetic patients exhibited increased survival compared with non-diabetics [7, 26, 27]. The contradictory results between different studies might be the consequence of the analyses of heterogeneous populations. In the present study, we found that diabetes mellitus was not associated with an improved OS in all patients; however, our findings demonstrated that the diabetic patients with proper glycemic control exhibited a better OS than did the other diabetic patients and even the non-diabetics, which is consistent with previously published data .
Metformin has been explored as a pharmacological agent that may improve the survival of patients with several types of cancer. A recent meta-analysis reported associations between metformin and prolonged survival in patients with breast, colorectal, ovarian and endometrial cancers . In NSCLC patients, the benefit of metformin on the prognosis has been demonstrated in large epidemiological studies  and in a meta-analysis . Unfortunately, the main limitation of these studies is that they included heterogeneous patients and treatments and were thus prone to bias. In contrast, our report included a large set of NSCLC patients who were treated at a single reference institution where the prevalence of diabetes is high.
One potential explanation for the beneficial effects of metformin and proper glycemic control is that both are related to a reduction in circulating insulin levels. Insulin can stimulate both the insulin receptor (IR) and the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), and both of these receptors are overexpressed in NSCLC patients and correlated with worse prognoses  and poor responses to targeted treatments . Metformin has been demonstrated to interact with IGF signaling to reduce both the proliferation and migration of cancer cells . There is a growing body of evidence regarding the effects of metformin on the multiple pathways that regulate carcinogenesis. Metformin inhibits mTOR translation initiation, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), IL-6 secretion and STAT3 activity . Thus, several preclinical experiments have tested combinations of metformin with radiotherapy , chemotherapy  and targeted therapies in lung cancer patients to overcome the mechanisms of resistance and to achieve synergy . Metformin has been demonstrated to sensitize EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant lung cancer cells by reversing the EMT and decreasing IL-6 signaling activation . The combination of gefitinib (a reversible EGFR-TKI) and metformin induces a strong antiproliferative effect in NSCLC cell lines that harbor the wild-type LKB-1 gene . Antiproliferative synergism between metformin and the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib via AMPK activation has also been demonstrated in NSCLC cells that harbor KRAS mutations . Taken together, these data have led to the design of clinical trials utilizing combinations of metformin and targeted therapies for NSCLC patients who harbor specific mutations . The ALMERA trial is an ongoing phase II trial conducted by the Ontario Clinical Oncology Group that will provide prospective evidence regarding the potential of metformin to improve the outcomes of standard cytotoxic therapy in locally advanced NSCLC patients .
Due to its retrospective nature, our study has some inherent limitations. HbA1c measurements were not available for the majority of the patients; therefore, we were unable to clearly identify patients with proper glycemic control. To resolve this issue, we calculated the mean plasma glucose levels using the fasting measurements from each patient. Although it was not ideal, this approach yielded the expected results in terms of the comparisons of the patient groups. Additionally, due to the retrospective nature of the data, we were unable to assess whether the patients who were not taking metformin had specific contraindications for its use or whether the patients with metformin prescriptions properly adhered to their treatment regimen. Furthermore, we had no data regarding whether patients who failed to achieve proper glycemic control were undergoing different types of treatment (e.g., chemotherapy rather than targeted therapy) that might have included high-dose steroids or had negative effects on proper adherence.
It is important to mention that our patients exhibited particularly prolonged average OS despite having advanced stage NSCLC. This finding may have resulted from the large incidence of EGFR-mutated tumors in our population [40, 41] and the broad access to clinical trials available at our institution. Some retrospective studies have associated the use of metformin with a lower risk of lung cancer, but the designs of these studies have been questioned due to time-related bias [42, 43]. To reduce the risk of this bias, both metformin use and proper glycemic control were assessed at the time of the lung cancer diagnoses.
It is possible that patients undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy rather than targeted therapy would be more likely to stop taking metformin or that the drug could have different effects depending on the mutational statuses of the patients. However, the small number of EGFR and KRAS patients taking metformin made it difficult to draw any conclusions regarding these particularly interesting populations.
Finally, we were unable to gather data about the related metabolic comorbidities, such as waist circumference and lipid levels. However, given that mortality in this patient population is mostly cancer-related, we believe that the influences of such comorbidities on outcome would be minimal.
The diabetic patients with proper glycemic control exhibited better OS than the diabetic patients without proper glycemic control and even exhibited better OS than did the patients without diabetes mellitus. Metformin use was independently associated with improved OS.
The use of metformin and the achievement of proper glycemic control have beneficial effects on the survival of patients with diabetes and advanced NSCLC. Prospective clinical trials of the use of metformin for lung cancer should be performed, particularly in selected populations in which the effects of metformin on signaling pathways could be potentially beneficial.
OA, EVS and MTV conceived and designed the study. OA, AFC, ESPC, SMH and EVS drafted the manuscript. All authors critically revised the manuscript. EVS, RSR, and MTV were in charge of data acquisition. All authors made substantial contributions to the analysis, and interpretation of data. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
This study was approved by the research committee at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (REV/05/16). Because the study was deemed as without risk, including only capture of data, approval for consent was waived.
Tian RH, Zhang YG, Wu Z, Liu X, Yang JW, Ji HL. Effects of metformin on survival outcomes of lung cancer patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis. Clin Transl Oncol. 2016;18(6):641–9. doi:10.1007/s12094-015-1412-x. Epub 2015 Oct 12.


In the last section we covered your new, super-speedy triage process, and I promised to give you all the juicy details on the most common mistake companies make when setting up a new feedback process.
The most common mistake is to let your teams & customers believe that all new requests will be reviewed, and responded to right away, by the product team.
And it's definitely not scalable.
Receptive allows the cross-pollination of ideas so the best requests* make it to top of your reports for product & stakeholder review. This happens over time, not at the moment a request comes in.
*This will be different for everyone - more on this later!
If you don't clarify your process, you're leaving it open for interpretation. Customers will assume that Receptive = instant and direct access to your product team.
Again, that might seem fine today, but as you scale it will become unmanageable.
In the next section, we'll talk about how to avoid this mistake from day one.


text:
USS Duval County (LST-758) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Florida and Texas, she was the only U.S. naval vessel to bear the name.

LST-758 was laid down on 5 June 1944 at Ambridge, Pennsylvania by the American Bridge Company; launched on 25 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. F. D. Colburn; and commissioned on 19 August 1944.

Service history
During World War II, LST-758 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of Iwo Jima in February, 1945, and the assault and occupation of Okinawa Guntō in April through June, 1945. Following the war, she performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-September 1945. LST-758 was decommissioned on 13 July 1946, and recommissioned on 3 November 1950 for service in the Korean War. She saw service in Korea until late November, 1953.  I James E. Thompson went aboard the 758 in November, 1950, and was discharged from it on 1 February 1954.  She was scheduled to leave Korea in July 1953.  When the armistice was signed in June she was held over to return prisoners from Koje Do Island to Inchon.  Pens were built on the tank deck that held 600 prisoners and she made three trips to Inchon.  She sailed to Long Beach, California, in November. On 1 July 1955, the ship was redesignated USS Duval County (LST-758). Following the Korean War, she saw extensive service with the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets through 1969. Duval County was decommissioned on 28 October 1969. Laid up in the Reserve Fleet, the ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 November 1976.  After custody was transferred to MARAD for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, she was sold by MARAD on 18 August 1981; her final fate is unknown.

LST-758 earned two battle stars for World War II service and four battle stars in the Korean War.

See also
 List of United States Navy LSTs
 Duval County, Florida
 Duval County, Texas

References

LST-542-class tank landing ships
World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
Cold War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
Korean War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
Ships built in Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Duval County, Florida
Duval County, Texas
1944 ships

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia