3. Line up credit lines early.

The time to establish a line of credit is when you have the ability to qualify for one – not later on when you need it. Having a line of credit can help you growing by providing ready financing when opportunities arise. A line of credit is also vastly preferable to using corporate credit cards that generally carry much higher interest rates and increasingly onerous terms. But avoid using a credit line to bail yourself out of trouble. Lines are meant to be tapped as needed, then paid off so they are available again the next time.