Pick the tier that matches where you are
Three ways to explore business-credit preparation and potential funding paths. Start free, choose coaching, or request more hands-on support. Every tier has its own scope, fees, and terms.
Want to see what the path can produce? See outcome snapshots →
Build at your own pace, with a partner, or end-to-end
Each card below is one option. What changes is the level of support, scope, and fee structure. Choose based on your needs, then confirm the written terms before starting.
- Use the free readiness indicator as an educational starting point and receive a 3-step plan.
- Review entity setup, business banking, and vendor reporting questions.
- Learn how D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business information may differ.
- Move at your own pace; reporting schedules and product requirements vary.
Free. Self-paced. No sales call required.
Start At The Score →- Coaching scope, fees, and payment terms are set out in the written engagement agreement.
- Review vendor sequencing, bureau information, and business-credit file hygiene.
- Discuss potential lender and product fits without treating a readiness indicator as a bureau score.
- No score change, approval, funding amount, rate, term, or result is guaranteed.
Priced against the EIN Score lift, not hours billed.
(secure checkout)
- Hands-on support for reviewing business-credit information and potential funding paths.
- Discuss scope and responsibilities instead of assuming a particular cost comparison.
- Lendavo is a lender-intelligence and matching layer, not a lender or approval guarantee.
- Review potential fits and application questions; lenders make independent decisions.
White-glove build plus Lendavo lender routing.
(secure checkout)
DIY vs. consultant vs. done-for-you
A side-by-side read of how each path handles business-credit education, personal-credit questions, lender matching, and pricing — so the tier above lands in context.
| Dimension | DIY / Self-serve | Traditional Business Consultant | Done-For-You |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business-credit preparation strategy | You DIY it — your own EIN, your own research, and your own applications. | May include personal-credit guidance or a guarantee depending on the engagement. | Guided business-credit education and potential lender matching; lender criteria still apply. |
| Personal credit pull | You decide when (or whether) to open personal lines. | May be requested depending on product and applicant. | Varies by product, applicant, and lender; no approval-rate claim is made. |
| Guided tradeline sequencing | Self-paced vendor list; you wire it up yourself. | Generic partner list; applies to all clients the same way. | Custom sequence per entity — tiered vendors, mapped to bureau readiness. |
| Paydex coaching | Score notifications only — no coaching on what moves it. | Reviewed quarterly, usually in a dashboard. | Weekly score review with a coach; Paydex plan reviewed every 60 days. |
| Turnaround timeline | Timing depends on provider reporting and your application choices. | Timing depends on scope and the engagement terms. | No universal timeline; lender decisions and reporting schedules vary. |
| Pricing transparency | Free to start; trade-line and bureau fees pay-as-you-go. | Retainer-based; $3K–$10K/mo typical, scope creep common. | Fees and scope depend on the written engagement agreement. |
Common questions before you pick a tier
Short answers in the same plain-English voice we use across the site — anything missing here, ask on the free 20-minute call.
Why Done-For-You vs Growth?
Done-For-You replaces the analyst work end-to-end — no internal credit analyst needed on your side. Growth assumes you have someone on the team to run vendor sequencing and bureau tradeline setup, with a Town Mayor analyst reviewing the file and pricing the engagement against the outcome; Done-For-You hands that whole build to a Town Mayor analyst and adds Lendavo lender routing on top. Most pre-revenue and solo founders pick Done-For-You; teams with an operator already running credit ops pick Growth.
How long until Paydex 80+?
There is no universal timeline for business-credit preparation. Entity history, provider reporting schedules, payment behavior, revenue, personal credit, guarantees, collateral, and lender criteria can all affect an application. The TMF readiness indicator is educational, not a score or funding prediction.
Can I do this myself?
Yes — the Starter tier is exactly that. Run the free 10-question EIN Readiness Score, pull an EIN if you do not yet have one, anchor it to a business bank account, then stack vendor trade lines on your own timeline. No sales call required. The Growth and Done-For-You tiers exist for founders who want an outcomes-aligned analyst running that same path; the work is the same — only who runs it changes.
What's excluded?
Personal-credit review, guarantees, revenue, collateral, and SSN-related requirements vary by product and lender. State and federal tax filings, registered-agent renewals, and bookkeeping are outside the engagement unless separately agreed. Ask for the current scope in writing.
Is my EIN eligible without good personal credit?
An EIN can help organize commercial-credit information, including for immigrant and ITIN founders, but it does not determine product eligibility. Lenders may also review personal credit, a guarantee, revenue, collateral, cash flow, and other applicant information.
What does the free call cover?
A conversation can cover your entity, business-credit information, possible next steps, and questions for lenders. Lendavo is an intelligence and matching layer, not a lender; no list, approval, amount, rate, term, or timeline is guaranteed.
Not sure which tier? Talk it through.
Every tier ends on the same free 20-minute call. We map the path together for your entity, walk your EIN through the Lendavo lender graph live, and tell you the next concrete step — with no sales pitch and no obligation.