Equifax Partners With Biz2Credit to Improve Loan Opportunities for Small Businesses

ATLANTA and NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX), a global leader in business and information solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Biz2Credit, the #1 online credit resource for small businesses with more than 30,000 customers.  Through this new arrangement, Equifax's extensive small business financial information will be incorporated into Biz2Credit's evaluation process, providing more business financing insight and options to entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their businesses.  The companies will begin the data integration process immediately, completing it in the first quarter of 2011.

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Small business owners gain a clear view of their business credit position when they are utilizing Biz2Credit's simple-to-use online lending platform.

"This partnership is about helping small businesses find attractive financing options from a variety of lenders based on their individual financial capabilities," said Dan Csont, Chief Marketing Officer of Equifax Commercial Solutions.  "The unmatched financial intelligence that we're providing, added to the convenience and comprehensiveness of Biz2Credit's online offering, will streamline and improve what can be a daunting process for small business owners and entrepreneurs."  

In addition, through its exclusive relationship with the Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE), Equifax is able to offer financial credit information not available through other sources.  This combined with other Equifax data creates a powerful picture of a small business' financial position.

"If an entrepreneur pays bills on time, has good history, and has other sources of capital available, Biz2Credit may be able to connect them with financing options from financial institutions that are offering less expensive lending rates," said Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2Credit. "It is very exciting for us to be working with Equifax as we continue to provide an effective and efficient way to bring capital to the small business sector."  

This partnership between Biz2Credit and Equifax is beneficial to both borrowers and lenders and is an innovative approach to business lending.

About Biz2Credit

Founded in 2007, Biz2Credit (www.biz2credit.com) connects small business owners with lenders and service providers, thus empowering them to effectively compete with big businesses and grow their enterprises.  Biz2Credit matches small businesses with credit solutions based on online profiles that can be completed in less than five minutes in a safe, efficient, price-transparent environment.  Its network consists of more than 30,000 users and 150+ lenders, as well as credit rating agencies such as Dun & Bradstreet, and major small business service providers including Dell.  

Biz2Credit was ranked among 100 top emerging companies in the U.S. by KPMG in 2008 and the top financing resource by Entrepreneur magazine in 2009.  Having secured nearly $400 million in funding for small businesses throughout the U.S. and currently processing 3,000+ loan applications monthly, Biz2Credit is widely recognized as the #1 credit resource for small businesses.

About Equifax

Equifax empowers businesses and consumers with information they can trust. A global leader in information solutions, we leverage one of the largest sources of consumer and commercial data, along with advanced analytics and proprietary technology, to create customized insights that enrich both the performance of businesses and the lives of consumers.

Equifax Commercial Information Solutions is the leading provider of small business intelligence.  We provide the information and expertise necessary for companies to best understand and manage their dealings with small business customers, prospects and suppliers.  Our best-in-class commercial credit risk data, combined with highly predictive scoring, corporate linkage, and innovative technology, enables companies to make quick, confident credit decisions and minimize potential losses.  Leveraging our EFX ID® keying and linkage technology, companies can also gain greater visibility into their supply chain as well as improve the precision of their sales and marketing efforts – from customer acquisition to retention and expansion.

With a strong heritage of innovation and leadership, Equifax continuously delivers innovative solutions with the highest integrity and reliability. Businesses and government entities in the U.S. and Canada rely on us for consumer and business credit intelligence, portfolio management, fraud detection, decisioning technology, marketing tools, and much more.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax Inc. operates in the U.S. and 14 other countries throughout North America, Latin America and Europe. Equifax is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500® Index. Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EFX.  

About SBFE

The Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE) is the country's leading source of small business credit information. Established in 2001, this non-profit association's database houses information on about 24 million businesses, and enables information exchange among approximately 400 members who provide small business financing.

Through its resources and relationships, SBFE makes possible innovative risk management solutions by providing industry insight and analysis of aggregated small business financial data to its members.  SBFE sets the highest standards for data quality, integrity of use, and information security for its database to protect its members and their customers' information.

SBFE is the only member-controlled organization of its type and is a trusted advocate in promoting the needs of the small business lending industry. For more information, visit www.sbfe.org.

SOURCE Equifax