A personal credit score of 700+ is a startup asset, and most founders deploy it in the wrong order. The doors open on a schedule, some on day one, some only after the business has a birthday, and climbing them in sequence is dramatically cheaper than jumping. Day one: a business card with a true 0% intro window (12–15 months in the example directory, real working capital if you plan the payoff before the 18.9–28.9% est. APR* cliff), personal borrowing from 7.2% est. APR*, and starting the business's own credit file so the company can eventually qualify without you. Around six months of real revenue: revenue-based options begin to open. At twelve months in business: term-loan pricing from 6.9% est. APR* at a 660 floor. And at any age, for the patient: government-backed SBA lending at capped rates. Each rung is priced for the risk the rung below already retired, which is why skipping usually costs more than waiting. The full guide maps every rung with numbers. The short version: the ladder rewards founders who start climbing before they need the money.

What the full guide covers

• Rung by rung: what opens at 0, 6, 12, and 24 months
• The 0% intro window: real capital with a real cliff
• Why your personal score does the early lifting
• Building the business's own credit file in parallel
• When skipping a rung makes sense, and what it costs

The full guide is publishing soon. The short version above is accurate and current, and the concierge already knows everything in it.