Non-standard credit customers typically have a poor credit history, no credit history at all, or may have had past problems with credit, often due to periods of unemployment, family break-up, ill-health or the use of inappropriate mainstream credit offers. Businesses which serve this market sustainably require a tailored approach to credit, usually focusing on lower amounts of credit for shorter terms initially, and accompanying this with higher levels of customer contact, and sometimes the use of a security or asset in some form linked to the provision of the credit.