Experian and the SBA renew agreement to provide BusinessIQ Express(SM) to socially and economically disadvantaged businesses and those in urban and rural communities

COSTA MESA, Calif., Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian^®, the leading global information services company, today announced that it has renewed its agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide all of the SBA's Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) firms and small businesses within the SBA's 8(a) business development program with full access to BusinessIQ Express^SM. With the renewal, these businesses will continue to have uninterrupted access to key tools and resources that will help them grow a sustainable and profitable venture, complements of the SBA.

"We are proud to continue our relationship with the SBA, as both parties remain dedicated to looking for ways to help alleviate the pressures that socially and economically disadvantaged firms face as they try to grow their businesses," said Hiq Lee, president of Experian's Business Information Services. "By ensuring that these firms continue to have access to BusinessIQ Express, it will enable them to gain deeper insight into their business relationships and make more informed decisions."

The SBA's 8(a) HUBZone programs were developed to reflect their commitment to supporting small businesses nationwide. The 8(a) program helps socially and economically disadvantaged firms become more competitive in the business marketplace through specialized training, counseling and marketing assistance. Designed to stimulate economic development and promote job growth in urban and rural communities, the HUBZone program helps small firms in these areas obtain contracting opportunities that they otherwise may have been overlooked for. This renewal gives these businesses a powerful resource to help them meet business obligations and improve profitability.

BusinessIQ Express is an online tool that enables small businesses to improve cash flow by providing the resources they need to better manage their business relationships quickly and easily. It does this in three key ways:

• Evaluate — BusinessIQ Express users can evaluate prospects, customers, suppliers and partners on their likelihood to pay or deliver on time
• Monitor — Users can easily monitor their business relationships with alerts and notifications of key changes, allowing them to take appropriate account actions and maintain beneficial relationships
• Collect — The tool offers small-business users unique options that may never have been easily accessible to them before to help collect on outstanding debts and avoid future losses

Certified 8(a) and HUBZone businesses should send an email to the SBA accepting the BusinessIQ Express service at [email protected], where they will be verified and then enrolled into the service. For more information about BusinessIQ Express, visit www.BusinessIQexpress.com/SBA.

About Experian's Business Information Services
Experian's Business Information Services is a leader in providing data and predictive insights to organizations, helping them mitigate risk and improve profitability. The company's business database provides comprehensive, third-party-verified information on 99.9 percent of all U.S. companies. Experian provides market-leading tools that assist clients of all sizes in making real-time decisions, processing new applications, managing customer relationships and collecting on delinquent accounts. For more information about Experian's advanced business-to-business products and services, visit www.experian.com/b2b.

About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2013, was US$4.7 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All, opinions, conclusions and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. This activity is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration contract number SBAHQ12J0001.

Contact:
Roslyn Whitehurst
Experian Public Relations
1 714 830 5578
[email protected]
Twitter: @RozWhitehurst

SOURCE Experian

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